The Irish have voted yes to Same Sex marriage, the first country in the world to back a change to its constitution on the issue by popular vote.
EARLY returns suggest the country have voted overwhelming yes, just 22 years after homosexual acts were decriminalised in Ireland.
Latest figures suggest that just over 60% of people have voted yes while 37.6% voted no. This is a larger turnout of voters than usual for a referendum suggesting that young people came out and voted in large numbers.
20 countries including England and 37 US states have simply legislated for Same Sex Marriage, while the Irish have changed their constitution.
Irish people flew into Ireland from all over the world to register their vote.
The UK LGBT Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has welcomed the result.
PTT Secretary George Broadhead, said: “This is splendid news and a major triumph for LGBT rights campaigning. It is also a slap in the face for the Pope who has described same-sex marriage as the work of the devil and a ‘destructive attack on God’s plan’. The Pope has also said that gay adoption is ‘a form of discrimination against children’ and compared trans people to nuclear weapons.
“It is clear that the majority of No campaigners are motivated by a view of marriage informed by their religious faith. They argue that the vote is about the nature of the family, and that children are entitled to a relationship with their birth parents. A letter advocating a No vote was read out in Catholic parishes prior to the referendum. Ireland is a country where the Catholic Church was an unassailable institution for decades. It didn’t even decriminalize homosexuality until 1993 – and only did so as a result of a European court judgment.
“The result of the referendum is a huge blow to the Church which is already reeling from the scandal of predatory paedophile priests in its midst. Its hostile stance on homosexuality is given in its Catechism which describes homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered”. This is in sharp contrast to the staunch support given by the Humanist and secular movements and prominent Humanists like Stephen Fry and Richard Dawkins.”
This year, 3,000 people voted in the first four days of online voting, smashing last years early doors vote which was less than half that figure.
James Ledward, editor of Gscene Magazine said: “If you want your favourite barman or barwoman to be recognised as the best, then get voting. Similarly if you work behind the bar urge your customers to vote for you. Bar staff are the gateway to our community and are often the first point of contact when people come to live in or visit Gay Brighton. Their contribution is huge and should not be underestimated.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.