Ireland may be first country to pass gay-marriage vote.

[marylander1940]

Ireland, long considered a bastion of social and religious conservatism, is poised this week to become the first country to approve same-sex marriage by a national referendum.

 

Ahead of Friday's vote, polls show a sizable majority support amending Ireland's constitution to give same-sex couples the same marriage rights as opposite-sex couples.

 

An Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll published last weekend showed some 70% of Irish voters favor the change, a small decline in support from a poll in March. Many top names in government, sports, entertainment and media are endorsing the move.

 

The Catholic Church — in a country where roughly 85% are Catholic — is spearheading an uphill battle to defeat the referendum.

 

"Marriage is a public statement that two people want to spend their lives together; it is an institution that our society values and affords status to," Prime Minister Enda Kenny told USA TODAY on Tuesday. "This is what the referendum is about: equality. Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love."

 

Eighteen countries, mostly in northern Europe, have approved laws allowing for same-sex marriage, either legislatively or through their courts, but not in popular votes. Others, such as Mexico and the United States — where the Supreme Court may soon rule on its constitutionality — have stopped short of blanket approval, leaving it to states or regions to set same-sex marriage laws.

 

Ireland introduced same-sex civil unions in 2010 and partnership ceremonies have taken place in every county.

 

Supporters of the constitutional change say the legal status conferred by these unions doesn't address inequalities based on how Irish law recognizes familial relationships, such as the guardianship of children. They say it makes sense for same-sex couples in committed relationships to have the same responsibilities, obligations and rights as those in opposite-sex marriages.

 

www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/05/19/ireland-same-sex-marriage-referendum/27568507/

[marylander1940]

http://cdn.mg.co.za/crop/content/images/2015/04/16/homosexualityirelandsinprotest_landscape.jpg/676x380/

 

http://cdn1.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article30634699.ece/28257/ALTERNATES/w620/LucidTalk_Friday_Q1.png

 

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2029839.1418030121!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg

[Frequentflier]

60% of Americans support same sex marriage, the other 40% are running for the Republican presidential nomination (or so it seems).