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Exclusive: Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri says It’s Time for equal marriage in Scotland

Aug 26 2013
Written by Scott Roberts

Scottish musician Sharleen Spiteri is the latest celebrity to speak out in support of equal marriage in Scotland as part of the Equality Network’s It’s Time video campaign.

Spiteri is best known as the lead singer of pop and rock band Texas, who have sold over 35 million records to date and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary by launching new album The Conversation.

Speaking backstage at King Tut’s in Glasgow, Spiteri said: “I support equal marriage because I believe that you should be allowed to love whoever you want to love, and you should be allowed to be with that person if you want to be.”

She added: “To experience love and to feel love at any point in your life is something really special, and there’s no one out there who can say it’s right or it’s wrong, unless it’s causing great harm to other people which gay marriage does not.”

Spiteri is known for having a large lesbian fanbase, and her songs have been featured in the L Word and used as the title track to 90s US sitcom Ellen in which she made a cameo.

In her video Spiteri urges equal marriage supporters to contact Scotland’s politicians who are set to vote on the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill in November.

Next week the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee will be taking oral evidence on the bill from the Equality Network as well as those groups opposed to equal marriage.

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, TV presenter Carol Smillie and comedian Susan Calman and Coronation Street actor John Michie have all recorded videos for the Equality Network’s It’s Time campaign.