Exclusive: The Daily Record newspaper backs equal marriage in Scotland
The Daily Record, one of Scotland’s largest selling tabloid newspapers, is supporting the campaign to legalise equal marriage in Scotland.
Chief Writer Annie Brown has spoken out about her pride in the paper’s decision in a video recorded for the Equality Network’s It’s Time campaign.
Speaking from the Scottish tabloid’s headquarters in Glasgow, she said: “I’m very proud that the Daily Record supports gay marriage, I think it’s the right thing to do. We are a powerful organisation that has a voice…and in supporting gay marriage we are just representing our readers.”
She added: “I support equal marriage because I’m against discrimination of any kind. I support human rights and I think this is an issue that surrounds human rights. I wouldn’t support sexism, I wouldn’t support racism, or any kind of prejudice against a group that had a disability, so why would I support homophobia? And I think that’s what this basically is.”
The Daily Record was established in 1895 and is one of the highest circulating newspapers in Scotland.
Owners Trinity Mirror publish The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Mirror and The People, along with a range of regional titles.
The Daily Record support’s for equal marriage represents a major turnaround since 2000 when it spearheaded the “Keep the Clause” campaign against the repeal of Section 28.
Introduced in England, Wales and Scotland as part of the Local Government Act in 1988, Section 28 stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality”.
It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland as one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of England and Wales by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
David Cameron apologised for Section 28 in 2009. The policy was introduced by the government of former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Scottish National Party leader and First Minister Alex Salmond, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, Breakfast TV star Lorraine Kelly, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, Hollywood actor Alan Cumming, and former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Colin Fox and Scottish Green Party Co-Convenor Patrick Harvie and TV presenter Carol Smillie have all recorded videos for the Equality Network’s It’s Time campaign.
The campaign is modelled on PinkNews’ Out4Marriage campaign.
