Minnesota has become the third US state to pass equal marriage legislation in the past three weeks.

The state Senate passed the bill on May 13th, by 37 votes to 30. It was passed by the House of Representatives the previous week by 75 votes to 59. The state Governor supports the bill and will sign it into law on May 14th. Same-sex marriage will be available in Minnesota from 1^st August.

Minnesota is the third US state to introduce equal marriage in the past three weeks (following Rhode Island and Delaware). This brings the number of US states that will, by August, be celebrating same-sex marriages to 12. There is also legislation under consideration in the Illinois legislature, and the US Supreme Court is due to rule in June on whether to reinstate same-sex marriage in California.

April was also a good month for equal marriage, with bills passed in Uruguay, New Zealand and France.

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales will return to the House of Commons for two days of debate on Monday and Tuesday May 20th and 21st, and will then go to the Lords.

We are anticipating that the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament in the early summer.

The Equality Network is very happy (yet again!) to report the passing of the fifth equal marriage bill in as many weeks.

The legislature of the US state of Delaware last night passed a bill to allow same-sex marriage. The bill was passed by the state Senate by 12 votes to 9, having been passed previously by the General Assembly by 23 votes to 18. The state Governor signed the bill into law last night, and same-sex marriages will be available in Delaware from 1st July.

Delaware is the second US state within a week to open up marriage to same-sex couples. This brings to five the number of countries/states around the world that have legalised same-sex marriage within the past month: Uruguay (on 10th April), New Zealand (17th April), France (23rd April), Rhode Island (2nd May) and Delaware (7th May).

With the exception of New Jersey, the north east coastal states in the US, from Maine down to Maryland, now have equal marriage (plus Vermont, Iowa and Washington, and the District of Columbia and three tribal jurisdictions). New Jersey passed an equal marriage bill last year, but it was vetoed by the state Governor. Legislators who support equal marriage are attempting to override the veto in the New Jersey legislature.

Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is expected to issue judgement in June on whether the ban on same-sex marriage in California (known as Proposition violates the US Constitution. If the Court rules that, equal marriage will be restored in California (the ruling may not affect other states).

There are also equal marriage bills currently progressing for England & Wales, Luxembourg, Minnesota and Illinois.

The Equality Network anticipates that the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament in the early summer.

The Equal Marriage campaign has been shortlisted for the ‘Campaign of the Year’ and ‘People’s Choice’ awards at this year’s Scottish Charity Awards.

The prestigious annual awards, run by SCVO (the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations), seek to recognise and celebrate the efforts of charities, community groups and individuals dedicated to making Scotland a better place to live.

Equal Marriage, the UK’s first major campaign for same-sex marriage, was launched by the Equality Network in 2008. Since then the campaign has put the issue on the political agenda, engaged thousands of supporters, and successfully encouraged the Scottish Government to commit to legislation.

The People’s Choice Award is decided by a public vote and equal marriage supporters can vote for the campaign by visiting: www.equalmarriage.org.uk/vote

Tim Hopkins, Director of the Equality Network, welcomed the nomination as a tribute to the efforts of many; “The fact that the Equal Marriage campaign has been shortlisted for the Scottish Charity Awards is a fitting tribute to the efforts of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and their supporters, who have fought for equal rights over many decades and in the face of much adversity.

As Scotland moves towards full equality for LGBT people, we are honoured that the judges have chosen to recognise this important and historic movement. It is a mark of just how far we’ve come as a society that the fight for LGBT equality is now being recognised and celebrated, when homosexuality was still criminalised just a few decades ago.

SCVO’s awards play a valuable role in highlighting the efforts of third sector organisations and that’s why we are delighted to be part of this year’s celebrations.”

Martin Sime, Chief Executive of SCVO, said; “Everyday people working and volunteering in charities right across Scotland make a difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable people in our communities. These awards celebrate the positive impact this makes and the tremendous effort made by charities and volunteers.”

Over the past five years the Equal Marriage campaign has involved many thousands of people and diverse communities from across Scotland, including equality and human rights bodies, faith groups, trade unions, and youth and student organisations.

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) bill is set to be tabled in the Scottish Parliament this summer, giving MSPs the opportunity to vote for equal marriage and take Scotland a major step towards full equality for LGBT people.

The Equality Network say it is vital that supporters continue to write to their MSPs and support the campaign, pointing out that opponents of same-sex marriage are continuing to spend tens of thousands on efforts to block or amend the legislation.

Scotland decriminalised homosexuality in 1980, thirteen years after England and Wales. Since then the country has gradually introduced greater equality, and the Equality Network say that, if passed, equal marriage will be an historic step towards full legal equality for LGBT people.

We’re very happy (again!) to report that the legislature of the US state of Rhode Island has this evening passed a bill to open up marriage to couples regardless of gender.

The bill was passed by the state House of Representatives by 56 votes to 15, having been passed last week by the Senate by 26 votes to 12. The state Governor is signing the bill into law within the hour.

Same-sex marriages will be available in Rhode Island from 1st August.

Rhode Island is the 10th US state to introduce equal marriage, and the last of the six New England states to do so. The District of Columbia and three tribal jurisdictions also provide equal marriage in the US.

In the past four weeks, four parliaments, on four different continents, have passed bills introducing equal marriage, in Uruguay, New Zealand, France and Rhode Island.

There are also equal marriage bills currently progressing in a number of other parliaments, including Luxembourg, and, in the US, Delaware, Illinois and Minnesota.

And of course the UK Parliament is considering the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England & Wales. That bill is expected to have two more days of debate in the House of Commons towards the end of this month, and will then move to the House of Lords.

We are currently hoping to see the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill introduced in the Scottish Parliament in the early summer.

The National Assembly in France has just passed the French Government’s bill allowing same-sex marriage, and adoption by same-sex couples. The bill was passed by a vote of 331 in favour to 225 against. It was passed by the Senate two weeks ago, and will go to President Hollande for signature once it has been certified compliant with the French constitution.

This is the third equal marriage bill to be passed, in three different parts of the world, in as many weeks. The parliaments of Uruguay (two weeks ago) and New Zealand (last week) also passed bills.

During the same period there have also been developments in other places. In Ireland, the Constitutional Convention voted 79 to 19 to propose a constitutional amendment requiring equal marriage to be provided. The amendment would need to go to a national referendum.

Later today, the House of Representatives in the US state of Delaware will vote on an equal marriage bill, which, if approved, will then go to the state Senate. The Governor has already promised to sign the bill.

And the Senate of the US state of Nevada yesterday passed a resolution that starts the process of repealing the state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The resolution now goes to the House of Representatives, where it should pass easily. It then needs to be passed again by the legislature in 2015, and then put to a state-wide referendum in 2016.

Here in Scotland, the Scottish Government are currently considering the responses to the draft Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill consultation which closed last month. The Equality Network expect that the bill will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament in the summer.