The Government today indicated that the referendum on civil marriage equality will be held in May 2015.
Kieran Rose of GLEN [Gay and Lesbian Equality Network} write:
“We welcome the Government decision to outline the timeframe for the referendum. The referendum will put the question of equality in the Constitution for lesbian and gay couples to the people, as recommended by the Constitutional Convention. The referendum, if carried, will complete the remarkable journey to Constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people in Ireland
“We look forward to a positive campaign which focuses on the value of marriage to everyone in Irish society and explains why marriage matters to lesbian and gay couples”
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will there be another vote if it doesn’t pass first time round?
Of course not, sure isn’t divorce still illegal?
Nothing wrong with running a referendum a second time though, after enough time has passed. The referendum establishing the 8th Amendment for example should now be considered invalid and up for renewal, since I’d imagine a huge percent of the people who voted for it are now dead and a huge percentage of the current electorate have never been asked.
That said if it’s a no vote I’m applying for UK citizenship straight away. It’ll be a bitter day when my own people vote to deny me the civil rights they take for granted.
Yup, no one under the age of 49 had a say in the 8th amendment.
It’ll pass easily despite the incoming poostorm of hysterical posts here!
hysterical is unfair. it’s obviously going to be an emotional thing if you have max. 10% of the population begging the other 90% to give them what they take for granted. it’s wrong and it’s demeaning. and it’s going to be pretty shit hearing debate after debate about whether one is suitable to be around kids, whether we should just be ‘happy’ with civil partnership and having the most important people in our lives described as ‘our friends’ and shouldn’t we be in the same legal category as elderly siblings or carers and their clients.
whatever the result people will be damaged by the hate Quinn et al will dish out, teenagers especially.
Agree. We live in a republic, so equality should be the first thing to consider. Even if 90% of the population disagreed with gay marriage, it shouldn’t matter, pass the legislation (and if you can’t do that, don’t call it a republic, or change the legislation).
Having said that, asking for a ‘positive’ campaign which looks at only one side of the story is never going to happen and could be seen as yet another divisive, points-scoring type of statement.
It shouldn’t even go to referendum
It has to.
Debatable.
I would have preferred the KAL case to hit the supreme court first.
Let’s vote then
Cue the “You May!” / “You May Not!” jokes…
I’m nervous for my future. I can’t stay in this country is there’s a no vote, but I love it here.
“despite the incoming poostorm of hysterical posts here”. Isn’t it gas when people disagree with something the counter argument has to be described like that.
Good point Rob. people are entitled to vote no to this referendum amendment if they want to, and to vote yes if they want to. I don’t care either way, there’s more important things to think about.
Like what, pray tell?
Homelessness, the illegal drug problem, the housing crisis, unemployment, child abuse, abuse in the home, mothers holding children hostage from fathers……. Take your pick pal. I’ll vote no probably because I think a civil union like the PAX in France is the way to go.
And in which order should we set everything aside and deal with these issues one by one? Would you chose something that directly affects you to be dealt with first? “Mothers holding children hostage from fathers”, perchance?
The marriage equality debate in Ireland has only been a significant issue for about five years. At what point did it put a block on the government dealing with “homelessness, the illegal drug problem, the housing crisis, unemployment, child abuse, abuse in the home, mothers holding children hostage from fathers” for up to the last 100 years?
The idea that the government can’t do multiple things at once is horsesh1t. No one is going homeless because gays want to talk about getting married.
But you’ll STILL BE WRONG, no matter what your reasons are.
You have no right to deny another person the freedoms you hold.
-If you can’t give them up for yourself, just shut up and stop trying to dictate other people’s lives.
It’s not your job, and you’ll NEVER be in that position.
In time, history will record you as an idiot, and rightly so.
I don’t know why I can’t reply to your comment below. you asked what was more important and in my opinion the things I listed. As for your presumption that the last thing I mentioned is pertinent to me, I’m sorry but it isn’t at all. I have a question though , why should homosexual people be allowed marry? Just asking.
Ah. There I was thinking you were just selfish when you’re actually a bigot.
Carry on, so.
So I’m against Homosexual marriage = I’m a bigot. Well you have changed my mind with your nuanced argument we can now carry on together.
Jayyysus. Rotide mentions hysterical poostorms and people get all hysterical and fling poo at him.
Truly this is the civil rights issue of our generation.
What can I say, it was inevitable.
I don’t disagree with it. I’ll be voting yes.
Thanks for proving my point though. Good lad.
If Ireland passes this, it will be more progressive than Australia. We have a nutty ex-trainee Catholic priest running the country. He is dragging us back to the 1950’s, in as many ways as he can. There is one woman in the Federal cabinet of 20 people. Secular school counsellors are going to lose funding but there is money for religious based school chaplains.
I agree that this issue can be dealt with in parallel with other issues. It’s not an either or situation.
Although in favour of Civil Partnership legislation for a long time before it became fashionable, I will be voting No.
Human beings come in 2 fundamental types.
Equality does not mean sameness; and you cannot marry two of the same.
In your tiny head, maybe…
I wonder sometimes, why do some idiots think that ‘EQUALITY’ begins and ends at certain points?
…Isn’t it for everybody?
I’m not gay.
I’m over 50yrs of age.
I’m not a member of the democratic you might expect to fight you on this issue, but don’t fool yourself. I’m not the only one.
You’re gonna lose.
Equality is a myth Homosexual couples and straight couples are not equal. The stark reality is straight couples can have children Homosexual couples cannot!
You obviously have never loved, or been loved.
I can sell you a cat, if you want.
Any chance of a puppy?
I promise I will keep the mutt after Christmas!!
Hang on a minute…
I didn’t know I was dealing with an intellectual.
I submit.
My married lesbian friends have a kid which they didn’t adopt. One of them got pregnant and gave birth to it.
Meanwhile another married couple I know, have no kids due to fertility issues. Should their marriage be considered null and void, or less equal than the marriage of two people with a child?
Marriage isn’t all about kids, stop throwing in the red herrings and just be open about it.
Infertility is a medical anomaly are you saying being Lesbian is the same as having a medical issue? As for your Lesbian friends fair enough but where is the father’s role in that relationship? Who takes the role of the father and if neither are you saying children don’t need a father? These are not red herring questions but real questions that people would like to have the answer to. Insults don’t help and characterisations and calling people bigots isn’t the way to go ( I am not referring to you but a previous poster). What do a Gay couple do? How do they have a child? Is there an opening for women to be paid to have a child for a Gay couple ( These types of baby factories do already exist as we saw withe story of the baby rejected by the Australian couple a few weeks ago? i think that there needs to be a debate on these issues but not an emotional debate. Love is not a reason to get married as is proved by the choice of many hetrosexual couples not getting married today!
Thanks, One Dub! Much appreciated :)
Just for you Kieran NYC calling people bigots, wouldn’t you equate that with calling people fags?
No.
*demographic
Bloody autoconnect, eh!
…before it became fashionable…
How dare you attempt to diminish this issue in such an insidious way?
tiny head…. insidious… you’re not that sure about winning this referendum are you lad?
Try and stick with the issue, and avoid personal abuse. That’s the democratic and civilized way.
Don’t call me ‘lad’, buddy.
I like the cut of your jib sir, even if it is a bit tight on the inside leg ;)
…Love is not a reason to get married…
I rest my case.
Dude, that isn’t what I meant, just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can destroy the model of the family and marriage.
What model is that?
The ones where half of those that do marry end up in blended families, after separation.
The ones where there aren’t any kids.
And how would it be destroyed?
You do know what destroyed means, don’t you? No more.. Gone.. Kapputt.
With the introduction of homosexual marriage then it means nothing destroyed if you like. The people that want so much to get married will in essence destroy what they crave!
So you’re opposed to divorce as well since that “destroys the model of family and marriage?” The idea that it takes a male and female parent for marriage and/or parenting to be somehow more substantial than any other variation is as impractical as it is moronic – the death of a parent (or both), estrangement from divorce or illness or crap parenting, multiple mothers/fathers from remarrying or gay relationships – these are families that range worse, the same and better than two opposite sex parents depending on the people specifically. You just won’t find people talking about them in the 1950s. Gay people marrying has no bearing on straight people marrying, unless a person is so homophobic they feel it somehow cheapens straight marriage.
There isn’t any other variation, parents are mother and father,. That is it. It takes a man and a woman to have a child, it is that simple. Again I would love to know where these homosexual couples are going to get these babies?
This is a debate much deeper than “I love you you love me” people throwing out nonsense like bigotry just don’t want to talk about the issues. people talk about single mothers-ask the single mothers if they want to be single mothers, the large majority will say no. Just because marriages turn nasty doesn’t mean that the institution is rotten. Civil partnership is a great way to solve the problem, why not that.
Where will they get children? Adoption. Perhaps a surrogate. This seems to assume marriage is a contract for child rearing only. I’m not saying a gay couple are the same thing as a straight couple, they aren’t for the simple fact they can’t biologically procreate. But that doesn’t make them any less able to raise a child. Many are doing so anyway in Ireland, just the non-biological parent has zero rights in the event the relationship ends. That institution of marriage once prohibited opposite race and religion unions, it requires liberal Western culture to update it as we move forward, just as it removed the wife and children from being the husband’s property. Being in a gay relationship is as meaningful as being in a straight one, and the right to marry a partner you live with and plan to spend your life with possibly raising a family should already be legal here. Having gay parents doesn’t affect a child negatively at all compared to straight parents, and it would give orphaned children more chances at entering a family of their own.
Don’t get me wrong.
I think that NOBODY should get married.
NOBODY.
But at the same time NOBODY has any right to say who can and cannot take that foolish step.
-Yes, they must be mad, but so was every other fucher who preceded them.
Allow me to expand….
Marriage is a stifling, retrogressive and out-dated concept. It’s importance diminishes as fast as education and knowledge grows.
It means less and less by the day, and rightly so.
So, why not allow gay couples to help us send it off with a bang? And glitter. And colour…
Dem fuchers know how to party.
Oh yes!
Or maybe that’s your problem.
Where is the hatred for single mothers?No father there. Aren’t they a threat to this sacred institution that despite thousands of years of tradition is so fragile as to be destroyed by two people with the same genitalia joining in?
I love single mothers.
Come to think of it, I’ve probably loved too many of them.
…but they all live in France so it’s irrelevant.
Bonjour mes enfants, Ça va?
Moochin’ war widows…
GLEN needs to say why it matters to children too. Of they leave it to Iona to talk about children, they risk losing the referendum.