Fierce_LiNk Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 More information here. Massive triumph for the country. Sends out a big message to the rest of the world.
Mr-Paul Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 Amazing news. Brilliant, especially from a Catholic country. Northern Ireland need to follow suit now, and the rest of the world.
Mokong Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Cannot express just how delighted I am that this has passed and I'm not even gay. To see the people of Ireland stand-up and (given the margin of the win) scream out for change and equality, such a great day, a turning point and likely a day that will be remembered in history books of the future. And hopefully a becon for hope for gay people in other countries fighting to just be recognised as people some places. Made more significant is that we have become the first country to create this change through a Public Vote. Though it would have never happened any other way, it was always going to have be done through referendum due to one of the articles in it needing to be amended to ensure Gay Marriage would have the same constitiutional protections as a hetrosexual union. Since 2010 I think it was, the Government made law for "Civil Partnerships" between Same-Sex couples. It was like Marriage it had most of the same rights as marriage but none of the protections. By which that means as Civil Partnership was a legisaltion any future Government could change it or abolish it if they wanted. It had no constitutional protections that Marriage has. Here is how our article 41 (The Family) was written into our constitution before now: The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack. While the constitution never actually stated Marriage was exclusive to between a men and woman, it has always been till now assumed to be. So all it took was adding a new line that now reads Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex. And now full Same-Sex Marriage is possible and those unions will be considered to be family and have their unions protected under the constitution. So if any government ever wants to try to undo what happened yesterday they cant do so unless we the people say so as it would require another referendum to undo the change. What I also hope comes out of this is that Ireland might finally lose the sterotype we have as being a "Catholic Country". While I know many people who still go to mass every Sunday, I think most do it out of habit. There has been a large acceptance of gay people in Ireland for a long time, as reflected in the margin of the victory for the Yes vote I think. But we've never had to opportunity to let that be widely known. Another reason why this referendum has been so important. If this was somehow done without a referendum I don't think it would have been seen as significant as it is. And that sterotype likely wouldnt have been effected. Through this vote this is the public saying, love is love, if two people want to be married who cares if they are of the same sex, we all deserve to be happy, a simple yet powerful message for a nation to send out methinks. But also we are showing the Church no longer has the stranglehold over the peoples thoughts and decisions that it used to. To add to it, it is scary to find out that before 1993 homosexuality was illegal in Ireland (I was 9 at the time but don't remember this happening and twas only recently I found out about this ) but since then, since it was decriminilised, just 22 years later and now having same-sex marriage legalised must feel like a day gay people, who struggled with being branded as criminals before 1993, may have thought would never come. That's a pretty fast journey for this small Ireland to take methinks and one to be proud of Edited May 24, 2015 by Mokong
sumo73 Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) This is good result but I hope that long afterwards things like hate crime against people who are different in whatever way decreases because this is still a very real problem. Hate crimes against gay and lesbians have increased in Northern Ireland year on year since 2006 and in the Republic of Ireland there are no figures about this because they don't collect this data on hate crime so no one knows the figures. The vote results are a move forward for Ireland but let's remember other places around the world where marriage equality or even being accepted as gay is a far, far distant dream. Edited May 24, 2015 by sumo73
Iun Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 Cannot express just how delighted I am that this has passed and I'm not even gay. Y'kinda are a little bit, to be fair.
Nolan Posted May 25, 2015 Posted May 25, 2015 Y'kinda are a little bit, to be fair. Everyones a little bit gay.
Iun Posted May 25, 2015 Posted May 25, 2015 Everyones a little bit gay. And some of us are FLAAAAAAMING! And also, everyone's a little bit racist!
Nolan Posted May 25, 2015 Posted May 25, 2015 And some of us are FLAAAAAAMING! And also, everyone's a little bit racist! something something Potato pun, Yay all these later and I still remember the color code Don't we have to wait for the vote to for racism before we admit to being a little racist? Which reminds me of an amusing anecdote about Emojis but I don't want to derail a happy thread into one about racism
MoogleViper Posted May 25, 2015 Posted May 25, 2015 And some of us are FLAAAAAAMING! And also, everyone's a little bit racist! something something Potato pun, Yay all these later and I still remember the color codeDon't we have to wait for the vote to for racism before we admit to being a little racist? Which reminds me of an amusing anecdote about Emojis but I don't want to derail a happy thread into one about racism Are racists allowed to get married?
Fierce_LiNk Posted May 25, 2015 Author Posted May 25, 2015 Are racists allowed to get married? inB4 Irish referendum.
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