A rights group in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar has called on the government to introduce same-sex marriage.

Gibraltar has often lagged behind the UK on LGBT rights – only equalising the age of consent in 2011, allowing gays to adopt last year, and introducing civil partnerships this year – while trans people still have no legal protections.

However, the Equality Rights Group says it will push for Gibraltar, which has a population of around 30,000, to catch up with England, Wales and Scotland by introducing same-sex marriage.

Chairman Felix Alvarez said: “This is the only ethical and equal approach to citizens’ rights since the law must be applied to each and every citizen in exactly the same way, without distinction.

“Whilst recognizing the important advance that Civil Partnership legislation delivered to this community, nonetheless, Equality is not about separate status.

“Whilst we fully respect the religious views of those who argue that marriage is the exclusive monopoly of one man and one woman, we cannot accept that a) private religious views should trump modern equality principles under a secular, non-religious Constitution such as Gibraltar’s, b) principles of social apartheid are in any way valid in the modern world and c) heterosexual marriage would in any way be diminished or harmed by the introduction of gender-neutral legislation.

“They said this about Civil Partnership, and life has continued.

“We shall now be making the necessary approaches and submissions to Government on this matter, and shall continue to press for change in this respect until equality under Gibraltar law means exactly what it says.”