I Am Voting No.
Thanks Dudley Colley
Tag Archives: Marriage referendum
This morning.
Joe Langan writes:
Hanging from the R121 bridge over M2 southbound – are #MarRef signs allowed on motorways?
Anyone?
Dear Granny
at
Lisa writes:
The online buzz around the Marriage Referendum is almost deafening. And that’s great, the diversity of voices is imperative to the campaign.
However, there are some sections of society who are removed from this. Who don’t see the witty Tweets, don’t comment on the powerful stories you share on Facebook, or watch the moving videos as they go viral.
My Gran is one of them. A strong and independent 75, I learned a few weeks ago that she opposed the referendum, and this broke my heart.
I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t challenge her on her points, but rather than cause a scene at the dinner table, I chose to engage her privately and send her a simple card, explaining that this referendum meant a lot to me and why, in the hopes she may reconsider her position now that I’ve given her a personal reason to.
I had so much to say and so little space, but it’s better than not having said anything at all I suppose.I would encourage everyone to speak to the people around them. Don’t take it for granted how they’ll vote unless you can be sure. Let’s make history.
” When you get on to that first sentence of Article 41, the state recognises the natural primary unit of responsibility in society. You don’t need to go any further than that word natural to understand what a catastrophe this is.
Because the word natural as it stands as interpreted time and time again in court hearings has to do with the biological complementarity of a man and a woman who together in their sexual union beget a child and begin the process of creating a family.
And that word natural will go, it will still be there on Sunday if we get a yes but it will no longer have the meaning it has now.
I was on TV recently and I made this point and the interviewer said ‘Hang on it could be said that what you’re saying is gay sexuality is unnatural’ and I said ‘I’m not saying that I’m saying something completely different’ but that’s an interesting point.
That’s possibly what this will mean. it’s one of the things it could mean, That the sexuality of a gay couple is just as natural as the sexuality of a heterosexual couple. The meaning will slip to that.
….Every couple will have to come down to the level at which they meet, call it the lowest common denominator call it the common denominator, and that would be a level in which biological procreative capacity is irrelevant…”
John Waters of First Families First at a Mothers and Fathers Matter public meeting in Tralee, Co Kerry.
Mr Waters cites the case of ‘John’, a gay man who donated his sperm to a lesbian couple and having had a change of mind was denied any meaningful role in the child’s life.
Yesterday: SurrogateGate
David writes:
Crunchie the blue tongued skink says “Never Mind The Bigots, Vote Yes!” Obey your lizard overlords.
Angharad writes:
Felix has an important message for everyone
Áine writes:
This is Bowie keeping an eye out for the postman with his polling card.
Reiltin writes:
My pair Oscar (left) and Charlie voting Yes!
Adrienne writes:
Oliver Lynch has two Mummies and he is definitely a paws for yes :-)
Fish, rodents, invertebrates and spirit animals welcome. Hedgehogs/turtles must be out of Winter hibernation with face showing. Thanks.
The best pet pic wins a month’s supply of natural dog food from Rupert & Frank, the Irish pet food company for domestic pet ‘foodies’.
Yesterday: Off Collar
Previously: Equal Before Dog
Former President Mary McAleese in Wood Quay, Dublin this morning
“My husband and I have been happily married for almost forty years. We are Catholics and have campaigned for marriage equality for gay citizens, as a family, since long before we had children.
We believe happy marriages are good for individuals and for society. We believe happy gay marriages will be good for individuals and for society too. Will a yes vote affect my heterosexual marriage or any heterosexual marriage?
Not in the least. But it will greatly affect my life and the lives of all parents of gay children. It will give us peace of mind about our children’s future and pride in our country’s commitment to true equality. It will right a glaring wrong.”
We have all ignored a very important reality that on both sides of the referendum argument there is considerable agreement about the need to regulate surrogacy, a need that will exist whether the referendum is passed or defeated.
No-one in Ireland, whether heterosexual or homosexual, has a legal or constitutional right to procreation using surrogacy. This referendum if passed will certainly not create any such right. It is a nonsense to think it could.”
Some Churches take a very different view of definitions of both marriage and the family as is their right. They are perfectly entitled to hold to their own definitions and have them respected by our laws of religious freedom but they are not entitled to insist that their religious definitions should prevail in our secular civil law which makes non-religious provision for all citizens.
This referendum is about extending to gay citizens the secular, non-religious right to marry in a registry office, a right that heterosexual citizens already enjoy under our Constitutional law.”
Mary McAleese this morning speaking at an event hosted by BeLonG To, Ireland’s national organisation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people.
Pic: Tiernan Brady
(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)
Last night.
Times Square, New York City.
Stephen O’Farrell writes:
I’m an Irish expat who grew up in Dublin and have lived in New York for the past five years. Being away from home, I really wanted to find a way to help with the YES campaign in Ireland.
Tonight the perfect opportunity arose while I was working with George Takei on a film shoot in Time Square. He and his husband Brad mentioned that they have been following the gay marriage referendum in Ireland closely and were looking for a way to show their support. Fortunately, I happened to have two Yes Equality signs with me…
Grown up children from ‘same-sex headed families’ talk about their families and why they would like to see a Yes vote on Friday.
Thanks Sinead Cochrane
This afternoon.
Outside Saint Enda’s Primary School Polling Station, Whitefriar Street, Dublin 8
The launch by the Union of Students in Ireland of #VoterMotor the online transport initiative to get slackers out of bed students to the polls.
The campaign encourages students – Yes, No or Don’t Knows – to carpool and provides alternative transport options for Friday’s vote.
Bottom pic from top: Vice President of USI Glenn Fitzpatrick , USI President Laura Harmon. Union of students in Ireland (USI) and Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne.
(Leah Farrell/Photocall Ireland)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6HD8KLQBvA
There can only be a few in the village.
They Include Keith Mills (top) and Paddy Manning.
Zeroy writes:
Don’t know for others but this ad is coming up on most youtube videos I play today
Meanwhile…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1gVm5FL4nc
A get out the vote plea from Irish/English rock darlings Keywest.