Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Ireland may become first to legalize gay marriage by popular vote

Same-sex marriage by vote

Same-sex marriage is now legal in many countries, such as Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, South Africa, Uruguay and Wales. In the U.S. many states allow same-sex marriage and nine-supreme court justices are expecting to soon rule on same-sex marriage in the country overall.

But those advances in the rights of the LGBT community have come about in the courts or through government legislation, not by a popular vote. But in Ireland, which decriminalized homosexuality only in 1993 (Canada, for example, did so in 1969) 85 percent of its populace still identifies as Catholic, a church very much against same-sex marriage. So yes, a “yes” vote next Friday might surprise many, including the Irish.

Nonetheless the “yes” side appears to have a strong chance of carrying the day. Pat Carey, once the country’s Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, now retired, came out as gay just last February at age 67, and he is a leading proponent on the ‘yes’ side.

He believes the country is ready: “It’s a different era,” Carey said. “There’s a whole new demographic out there that has a vision of an Ireland that’s kinder, more inclusive and more tolerant.”

Government on ‘yes’ side

The “no” side believes, not surprisingly, that a “yes” vote would be the wrong thing for Ireland. After all, condoms and divorce only became legal in the mid-nineties, which many in Ireland would still quarrel about. The “no” side argues a “yes” vote would be harmful to children, and that each child has the right to a mother and father.

The “yes” side counters that point by noting that the referendum has nothing to do with children having a mother and father, a reality that does not now exist anyway. Further, they point out, already in the country gay couples are legally allowed to adopt children.

The message against same-sex marriage is not being carried as forcefully as that of the message for it. For same-sex marriage there is the government, all political parties, the majority of media and most of Ireland’s grass-roots organizations.

On the other side there are conservative organizations and the church. However, beyond sermons and the issuing of pamphlets, the church is not as forceful a participant in the debate as they might have been.

Having in recent Irish history fallen into disfavor over their iron-hand rule over Ireland for so long, many don’t want the church telling them what to do anymore, despite continuing to be a part of it. That reality may be the biggest weapon the “yes” side has in its arsenal.

What do the latest polls say? They have the numbers at between 58 and 60 percent “yes” so baring a minor miracle it does indeed appear Ireland is on the verge of creating world history on Friday, May 22nd.

Such a result may not only transform the country’s culture and its view of itself, but also transform the view that the rest of the world has of Ireland.

Written By

You may also like:

World

Calling for urgent action is the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

World

Immigration is a symptom of a much deeper worldwide problem.

Business

Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas - Copyright AFP Mark FelixPointing to the still...

Business

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal infers that some workers might be falling out of the job market altogether.