Over two years after Ireland legalized civil partnerships, a constitutional convention consisting of one-third politicians and two-thirds ordinary citizens has voted in favor of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.
Of the nearly 100 participants, 79 voted in favor of gay marriage, 19 against and the rest expressing no opinion. The convention has recommended a referendum to the government, which has promised to hold a debate and issue a response within four months.
According to The Irish Times, the convention also recommended that the government pass laws “incorporating changed arrangements in regard to the parentage, guardianship and the upbringing of children.”
Ireland’s LGBT advocacy groups hailed the convention’s vote as “an historic step” in a joint statement by Marriage Equality, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
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“It is a major milestone on the remarkable journey to full constitutional protection for lesbian and gay people and families in Ireland,” said GLEN director Brian Sheehan. “It builds on the extraordinary progress we have achieved over the last 20 years, and clearly demonstrates that Ireland is ready to take the next step to complete that remarkable journey.”
The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, however, warned that same-sex marriage would make the roles of mothers and fathers completely irrelevant.
“While the result of the constitutional convention is disappointing, only the people of Ireland can amend the constitution,” a spokesman for the Catholic Communications Office said. “The Catholic church will continue to promote and seek protection for the uniqueness of marriage between a woman and a man, the nature of which best serves children and our society.”
(h/t: Gay Star News)
Dakotahgeo
And the Catholic church matters? Since when?!
2eo
Good going Ireland.
2eo
Fortunately as money has come into Ireland and education has improved people are abandoning christianity in their hundreds of thousands.
Progression is inevitable when you have the c0cktail of christian scandals related to child fucking and teaching of actual science. It’s a potent combination.
Cam
This is a country that until a few decades ago didn’t even have legalized divorce. Well done Ireland.
cmandublin
@Dakotahgeo:
It matters little to the Irish these days. The Catholic church has damaged itself irreparably in this country and will never recover. Senior Irish clerics have themselves expressed this view and, as a native living in Dublin, I can confirm this State is maturing at a rapid pace. I wish the US could follow suit Nation wide
SteveMD2
Thr object of all of us str8 and gay is to make the church of the endless hidden molestation and the church of Hitler, Himmler, Eichmann, Goebbels, and Mengele totally irrelevant.
its all but dead in W. Europe and dying in latin america where aqrgentina, mexico, parts of Brazil and Uruguay have marriage equality and also there is a mandate from the Columbia supreme court to implment marriage by June of this year
The sooner the islam of the west -its HQ in Rome – aa\\has a sign over its gayte-
Sewer Pumping station, the better.
SteveMD2
BTW the seonc largest religion in the USA – 30 milliion strong, is EX CAtholics.
http://ncronline.org/news/hidden-exodus-catholics-becoming-protestants
SteveMD2
sri -the above link is gone, but here’s another on the 30 mil catholics who are sick and tired of the church of the Holy Inquisition of torture and murder .
http://ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/disaffected-catholics-and-bad-catholics
SteveMD2
@Cam: maybe finally it will allow abortion after the deatho\ of Ms Savita who died of Sepsis due to commplications of pregnancy and a dead babby in the womb.
I actually remember from about age 20 when the daugher of my employer – she had the same problem and they saved her with an aboriton etc.
DOFEK
Good for you fucking Catholic Irish, do what is right!. Lets hope the fucking English, that we heat, so moch in South Africa, will do the same!?!?!? AdamHomo