A gay MSP has appealed for a “full and dispassionate” debate on same-sex marriages.
The SNP’s Joe FitzPatrick was responding to increasingly angry exchanges sparked by a parliamentary motion on the issue tabled by his party colleague John Mason.
The motion, which highlighted divisions within the SNP on the subject, said: “No person or organisation should be forced to be involved in or to approve of same-sex marriages.”
Nationalist MP Pete Wishart has branded the wording “anti-gay” and opposition MSPs also attacked it as “bizarre” and “spurious.”
Dunfermline’s SNP MSP Bill Walker, who signed the motion, caused further controversy when he likened the response of gay rights supporters to Nazi Germany. Mr Walker subsequently withdrew what he described as an “intemperate” comment.
Mr FitzPatrick, one of only a handful of openly gay MSPs in the 129-seat parliament, said he hoped a planned Scottish Government consultation on the subject could take place without further ill temper.
The Dundee City West MSP is in favour of same-sex marriage, but supports a consultation on the issue.
He said: “The SNP manifesto says that we will have a consultation on the subject. Prior to the election at the Dundee West hustings, candidates from every party were in agreement that single-sex relationships should be put on an equal footing.
“But I agree with having a consultation in order to make sure we understand any concerns of religious groups.”
Referring to Mr Walker’s comments, which appeared in a Glasgow Sunday newspaper, he said: “My understanding is Bill has very specifically said that his language was intemperate and in future he would be dispassionate in what he said. I welcome that and think it is the approach we need to take.”
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Mr FitzPatrick, who won a strengthened 6400-vote majority in May, has already signed an amendment to Mr Mason’s motion. The amendment, lodged by Green MSP Patrick Harvie, favours same-sex marriage.
Mr FitzPatrick said, “I think it would have been better if no motions had been lodged prior to the consultation so we could have a genuine discussion.
“I think the way the debate has been conducted so far has been polarising.”
Mr Walker, who was elected to the Dunfermline seat in May, welcomed Mr FitzPatrick’s intervention.
He said: “I completely agree with Joe. What we need now is to wait until we have the consultation and at that time we can discuss the issue in a rational and considered manner.”
But Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray insisted the SNP still had questions to answer.
He said: “The First Minister has shown a complete lack of leadership as Bill Walker and John Mason have been pushing their anti-gay views on this issue.
“This is an issue about equal rights and Alex Salmond should now apologise to all gay Scots on behalf of his party.”
Last week equality campaigners called for swift legislation to allow same-sex marriages in Scotland, after a study showed support for the move has soared. The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey said almost two-thirds of people (61%) supported same-sex marriage, up from 41% in 2002.
Alex Salmond has indicated he is in favour of same-sex marriages.
At present only mixed-sex couples can marry in Scotland, while same-sex couples can have a civil partnership.