A gay MSP has accused SNP leadership hopeful Kate Forbes of devaluing his same sex marriage to his husband.
Labour’s Paul O’Kane also said Forbes was “out of step” with Christians over her opposition to gay marriage. Forbes, an evangelical, has been blasted during the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon for saying she would not have voted for the equality measure in 2014.
O’Kane, who married his partner Alan in 2021, said the comments lacked “empathy, understanding and compassion”. He said: “I was disappointed to hear those comments.
“As a gay man, a gay parliamentarian and someone who is married, I found it quite jarring actually to hear those sorts of views. I think for lots of people across our country, it will seem unusual given we have a really strong consensus that equal marriage is part of the fabric of our life.”
He said of the reaction from the LGBT community: “I think they will be hurt. I find it hard to hear because I have to sit across from Kate Forbes every day in this Parliament, and I feel like she devalued my marriage. I feel like there was a lack of respect.
“To say that marriage is between a man and a woman, I think clearly says that my marriage is something different.”
He added: “I certainly think there’s something about othering people and making people feel distinct.”
Forbes has said she would not attempt to row back on the gay marriage legislation if she became leader. But O’Kane, a West of Scotland MSP, said: “I think LGBT people, and many people across Scotland, expect our First Minister to be standing up for the rights that have been hard won.
“She said she wouldn’t row back from any of the rights we have but that’s not good enough. I want to see our first minister row forward. We have to be honest, this is about social issues, it’s about politics. it’s not about someone’s religious beliefs.”
As a Christian himself, O’Kane hit out at Forbes for claiming her comments reflected “fairly mainstream teaching”.
He said: “Kate Forbes has said she is projecting a mainstream Christian view. I don’t recognise that. I don’t think it is a mainstream Christian view.
“The majority of Christians I know and I speak to are of the view that same sex marriage is a positive thing, an important thing and something to be enhanced and treasured. Poll after poll shows a majority of Christians are in that space.
“Across the country, maybe only less than one in six people support Kate Forbes’ view, so I think she is out of step, not just with Christian people, but also with people across Scotland.”
He also said: “I respect Kate as a colleague. I need to know that she respects me and my life.”
Gay rights campaigners also hit out at Forbes for her views on same-sex marriage. Rebecca Crowther, policy coordinator at Equality Network Scotland, said: “On Saturday I’m going to a wedding fair at the venue in which my fiancée, Stacey, and I will be married in April next year. We’re excited to finally start planning all the lovely wee details after the pandemic saw our big day cancelled three times.
“Kate Forbes’ comments yesterday hit me deep in the pit of my stomach. Kate would have voted to prevent my fiancée and me being married next April. She believes we are sinners. This is a person vying for the leadership of Scotland in 2023. We can’t be back here again, surely not?”
She added: “I truly respect people’s faith. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. But the government needs to lead for all Scots and not to impose the views of one religion on those who do not share it.
“Many people of faith support LGBT+ people to be who we are and to have the same rights as everyone else in Scotland. Indeed, many perform same-gender marriages.
“Equal Marriage in Scotland was passed nine years ago this month, as the will of the people of Scotland (by 105 votes to 18). We live in a country that supports LGBT+ people’s rights and have long had a parliament that reflects this. Support for equal marriage was a broad church, literally.
“The passing of this legislation was momentous for all in an inclusive Scotland. It took decades of unimaginable graft from campaigners and activists, not to mention the LGBT+ community, like me, who had only dared to dream of it.
“LGBT+ people are scared. The equality that we thought we had won seems to be under threat. We need our governing party and its leader to stand up for equality and not to stop progress or go back to the past.
“Comments such as Kate’s add to the dread already felt by the community of what will happen next to the progress of our rights as LGBT+ people in Scotland.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
