An attempt to allow gay and lesbian couples to legally marry was today launched in the Scottish Parliament.

An attempt to allow gay and lesbian couples to legally marry was today launched in the Scottish Parliament.

The petition also wants same-sex couples to be allowed the choice of having a religious marriage, if the religion permits it.

The Scottish Parliament petition was organised by sexual equality group the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Network (LGBT).

Network director Nick Henderson said: "Equality means all citizens should be treated the same, and that everyone must have the same rights under law.

"Yet the status quo ensures a system of one law for straight couples and another for gay couples.

"Whatever the similarities between civil partnerships and marriage - separate but equal is inherently unequal."

The petition, which will be considered by a Holyrood committee, is seeking an amendment to the 1977 Marriage (Scotland) Act to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

It also wants the law changed to enable religious same-sex ceremonies - legislation on civil partnerships forbids mention of religion, requiring all partnerships to be secular.

Mr Henderson said: "We want to see gay couples being allowed to have a religious, as well as a civil marriage, if the faith group allows it.

"There is a huge diversity of opinion among faith groups on same sex marriage - churches, temples and synagogues should be able to decide if they want to marry couples or not.

"The Government is wrong to assume that being religious and being LGBT are incompatible with each other, nor should the state say that one religious group is right and the other is wrong."