First same-sex couple to marry in Scotland ‘losing friends’ over trans rights concerns

31 December 2024, 07:46

Exactly 10 years after becoming the first female couple legally married in Scotland, the pair have exclusively told LBC they’re concerned about the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights, as well as arguments over the safety of women and trans people.

Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott married just after midnight on New Years Eve 2014, with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie attending as their witnesses.

The Douglas-Scotts - who are celebrants themselves - then officiated the marriages of two other couples.

Ten years after that historic milestone, they’ve decided to speak out in favour of trans rights.

“We’ve not really been very public about that but I think actually in the past few weeks, because of some things that have been happening, we have decided that we are going to be much more vocal about what our views are,” Gerrie told LBC.

“We’ve lost friendships over it.”

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The couple are worried about how debates over trans people and single-sex spaces speak to a wider decline in equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

“We’ve seen that happen in other countries,” Susan said. “Where people have rights and then all of a sudden they don’t - they’re taken away again.

“There has been a lot of change in some of the states in America where equal marriage has been rescinded and there has been a lot of focus on trans people not being accepted and issues around who uses toilets.

“I mean, it becomes a bit of a nonsense. I’m a disabled person so I’ve always used toilets that are for any gender. So I think it’s important that we actually take the heat out of that argument and say this is not what the issue is.

“This is about a range of rights that we need to be able to talk about openly. So what helps keep women safe, what are the issues, what keeps trans people safe, how do we - altogether - support each other in a safe space?”

A decade after their own marriage, more than 10,000 same-sex marriages have taken place.

The Douglas-Scotts have officiated many of those themselves, as some young couples see them as ‘historical artefacts’ who are often met with ‘cheers’ during ceremonies.

But in the past 10 years, have equal rights progressed?

“At the moment in Scotland we’re strong on it but I think we can never take these things for granted,” Susan told LBC.

“So, therefore, it is important to keep LGBTQ+ rights on the agenda because we still don’t have full equality. There are still things that happen to people that shouldn’t happen in terms of abuse and discrimination.”

Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott have been together for nearly 27 years, seeing attitudes and laws change across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

“There are still elements of society that are still against anything that they see as different from themselves,” Susan said.

“So the debate needs to go on to help people understand that difference is not necessarily a bad thing, that human beings are in essence unique. Each person is unique.”

“I would like to say to everyone not to take these rights for granted and to keep it visible and to keep it alive,” Gerrie added.

“Remember there’s people at the other end of these laws and it’s our lives - and our children’s lives - that are affected.”