Today in a sane country:

Scotland has followed England and Wales in changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill passed its third stage in a free vote at the Scottish Parliament as MSPs voted 105-18 in favour.... After the vote was passed, Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "This is a historic moment for equality in Scotland. I am proud that the Scottish Parliament has taken this progressive and hugely important decision in favour of equal rights in our country. It is right that same sex couples should be able to freely express their love and commitment to each other through getting married. Marriage is about love, and that has always been at the heart of this issue."

Terry and I are going to Scotland this summer to attend the wedding of our dear friends Niall and Willie. We would still be going to Glasgow for Niall and Willie's wedding—and Niall and Willie would still be getting married—even if Scotland didn't recognize the legitimacy of their love, the value of their commitment, and the legality of their marriage. Which shreds one of the most ridiculous arguments made both implicitly and explicitly by anti-marriage-equality activists: that preventing gay people from marrying somehow prevents gay people from having relationships or starting families. Lousia Pratt, an Australian MP whose partner is a trans man, said it best in a speech in 2012:

I ask senators in this chamber to remember, when they are deciding how to vote, we exist, we already exist, our relationships exist, our children exist, our families exist, our marriages exist and our love exists. All we ask is that you stop pretending that we don't. Stop pretending that our relationships are not as real as yours, our love not as true, our children not as cherished, our families not as precious—because they are.

Scotland has stopped pretending that Niall and Willie's love doesn't exist and Scotland has stopped pretending that their commitment to one another doesn't deserve the recognition, respect, protections, and responsibilities that come with marriage. Australia, sadly, is still pretending that Pratt's love doesn't exist. Australia's bigoted little shit of a prime minister is still pretending that his lesbian sister's love doesn't exist. But I am confident that Australia will soon stop pretending and join England, Wales, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, nearly 20 US states and the federal government of the United States—nearly the entire Anglosphere (not holding my breath for Northern Ireland)—in embracing marriage equality.

Congrats to Niall and Willie. So happy for you guys. See you guys in July!