Ignorance prevails again (gay marriage in Ireland)

The BBQ Pit
1

A couple weeks ago the Irish Government introduced the Civil Registration Bill, a relatively innocuous piece of legislation that would provide for the registration of births, deaths, marriages and divorces in the State.

At some point after its introduction the Government’s advisors warned them that the language could potentially allow for gays to marry, so the Government inserted an amendment at Committee stage to prohibit marriage where “both parties are of the same sex”.

The Bill has just reached Report Stage, the last stage at which amendments can be introduced. An amendment which would delete the Government amendment was just voted upon.

It lost 63-10, with only Sinn Féin, the Greens and a handful of independents supporting it. The Government parties (we have a coalition Government) voted for the prohibition.

The two largest Opposition parties, Fine Gael and Labour, abstained. Spineless chickenshit bastards :mad:

2

Ireland should come hang out with Ohio some time.

Is it still illegal to buy contraceptives over there?

3

Didn’t Ireland only legalize dirvorce in 1995 or so?

Sounds like a lovely country, but not the most socially progressive.

4

No, not since 1985 or so. Admittedly far later than it should have been.

5

Actually, in some ways it’s more socially progressive than many parts of the US where homosexuality is concerned: gay adults are allowed to have sex here, and employers can’t discriminate against them. A Fine Gael councillor (oh the irony) recently married his boyfriend in Canada, and there wasn’t any uproar that I noticed. There aren’t many Fred Phelps type of “Christians” here, thank fuck. Obviously the country still has a ways to go though :frowning: