Exclusive: Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd backs equal marriage for Scotland
Actor and musician Billy Boyd is the latest celebrity to speak out in favour of equal marriage in Scotland as part of the Equality Network’s It’s Time campaign.
In the video the Glaswegian actor, who is best known for playing Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, said: “Equal marriage is important because, for me, I’m Scottish, I live in Scotland, I want Scotland to be progressive, I want it to be at the forefront of the correct changes in society and this one just seems an obvious one.”
He added: “It matters to me as a human being. I think the most important force in the universe is love, and so for two people to say ‘we love each other’ and for anyone to say ‘well that’s not right’ and ‘we can’t support that’ just seems crazy.”
On Thursday the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee will hold what is likely to be its penultimate evidence hearing on the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill.
Committee members will hear from legal experts on equality and human rights law and from leading academics on public opinion and the international experience of same-sex marriage.
Following their evidence sessions the committee will produce a report and the Scottish Parliament will then hold a Stage One vote on the principle of the bill in November.
Key public figures in Scotland including: 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, singer Sharleen Spiteri, writer Hardeep Singh Kohli, Rab C Nesbitt actress Elaine C Smith and singer Michelle McManus have all recorded videos for the Equality Network’s It’s Time campaign.
The campaign is modelled on PinkNews’ Out4Marriage campaign.
