A Christian Outlook

21/03/2015 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Posted by Emma Hyland – 20/03/2015 – The OutMostDUBLIN’S ARCHBISHOP CRITICISES “UNCHRISTIAN, OBNOXIOUS” LANGUAGE OF ‘NO’ CAMP

THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN HAS CRITICISED THOSE ARGUING FOR A NO VOTE IN MAY’S MARRIAGE REFERENDUM, FOR USING “UNCHRISTIAN” LANGUAGE TOWARDS GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE.

At ‘The Teaching of the Church on Marriage Today‘ discussion last night, Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin discussed marriage, family and children.
The Archbishop revealed that, in the lead-up to the referendum, he has received communication from No voters that is “not just intemperate but obnoxious, insulting and unchristian in regard to gay and lesbian people”.
At the talk, hosted by the Iona Institute, he warned those correspondents that using such language shows “that they have forgotten something essential about the Christian message”.
The Archbishop agrees with equality for gay people but does not agree with same-sex marriage. He said that achieving equality for gay and lesbian people does not mean that they should have equal marriage.
“There can be an ethic of equality, which is an ethic of recognising and respecting difference.”
Instead, Dr Martin suggested that an inclusive society could find ways in which gay people had their relationships recognised – without marriage – because heterosexual relationships are ‘unique’.
“I’m not saying that gay and lesbian people are unloving or that their love is somehow deficient compared to others, I am talking about a uniqueness in the male-female relationship,” he said.

The Archbishop also challenged the Children and Family Relationships Bill, as children are born biologically to one woman and one man.
“Even if it were possible to clone a child, that child would still bear the genetic imprint of a male and a female. Genetic parentage is not irrelevant,” he said.
He acknowledged, however, that people will rightly question why he can lecture on a theme about which he has no experience.
“I must be honest and say that I am also lacking in knowledge of more fundamental day-to-day realities of the sexual, marital or parental experiences in a family,” he said.
The Archbishop, earlier this month, refused to back the Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran following his controversial anti-gay comments, wherein he stated that gay parents of children are “not parents”.

NI gay couple 'must separate for Scotland marriage'

11/03/2015 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Yesterday I received a call from a couple who had got married through civil ceremony some time ago in N Ireland. The enquiry was whether they could convert their civil partnership (marriage) to a marriage.
Interestingly enough a BBC article from January 15, 2015 covered this situation in relation to a Scottish couple who had got hitched in a civil ceremony in N Ireland, and wished to do the same thing – I republish the article for information, and to highlight the problems that will continue to occur now that we have devolved governments within the United Kingdom:

NI gay couple ‘must separate for Scotland marriage’

A gay couple who wanted to convert their Northern Ireland civil partnership into a marriage in Scotland say they were told they would first have to live apart for two years.

In Scotland, civil partnerships can now be converted to a marriage.
A new law came into effect in December.
The couple, who did not want their surnames used, said they were initially told they could convert their civil partnership to a marriage.
They then had set a date for the wedding, they said.
Belfast-born Sean met his partner John, who is from Scotland, in 2000, and they had a civil partnership in Northern Ireland several years later.
“A lot of John’s family couldn’t attend, so we thought for our 15th anniversary we’d get married,” he told BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme on Monday.
‘Dissolve’
John said: “I called the registrar in Inverness to ask them if it was possible to convert our civil partnership to a marriage, and we were advised that it was no problem whatsoever.”
The couple had begun to make plans to get married and had set the date for last Friday, but the registrar contacted them to say that they could not legally marry after all.

Shannon Sickles (left) and Grainne Close arrive at Belfast city hall as the first set of civil partnership ceremonies for gay couples in the UK takes place in Northern Ireland. Photograph: Paul Faith/PA

The first civil partnership ceremony took place in Belfast in 2005, provoking both celebration and protest. The couple were Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close.

“It transpired that it’s actually not legal to change our civil partnership into a marriage in Scotland, because we had a civil partnership in Northern Ireland,” said Sean.
“The advice we were given was that we could dissolve our civil partnership – get divorced to get married – and we’d have to live apart for maybe two years. It was just ludicrous.”
Tom French, from the Equality Network, which ran the campaign for same-sex marriage in Scotland, said: “The current situation in Scotland is that any couple can get married here, although if you are in a civil partnership the only people who can get that converted to a marriage currently are those who had a civil partnership in Scotland.
“The government are looking at this – there was an amendment to the bill made that the Equality Network sought and won that means that soon, hopefully by the summer, couples from other parts of the UK should be able to convert their civil partnership.”
Sean said he hoped the law in Northern Ireland could be changed to allow same-sex marriage.
“If the legislation did change in Scotland and we were able to go over and get married, it would only count in Scotland – if we came back here it wouldn’t be recognised,” he said.

WHAT’S SPARKED THE CORK LGBT ATTACKS?

22/02/2015 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Reprinted from The Out Most:

WHAT’S SPARKED THE CORK LGBT ATTACKS?

WE CAN’T KNOW WHETHER THE ‘CATFISHING’ ATTACKS IN CORK ON LGBTS ARE CONNECTED TO THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY VOTE, SAYS ROB BUCHANAN.

LGBT people in Cork have been the victims of violent attacks by homophobes using gay dating websites and apps to lure them. It appears the criminals are ‘cat fishing’ LGBT people, using fake profiles on popular dating sites like Grindr and Tinder. Locals in Cork believe the attacks are being orchestrated by the same group in Cork, and if so their activities will probably be known on some level to their friends, girlfriends and families.
While the majority of the reports are still anecdotal, and the motivation of the perpetrators has yet to be established, one thing is for sure: greater caution needs to be exercised by users of dating apps, not only in the Cork area but across the board. The safety of locations for meeting should be considered, along the level of intoxication you are under, before venturing out in to the unknown.
The nature of the beast is that people will continue to use apps out of necessity, despite the associated risk. The odds of us gays finding a one-night stand, let alone a partner, amongst the general public are statistically lower, given our numbers. Many of us don’t live near gay bars or it’s less than easy for us to identify compatible partners at mainstream venues. Dating Apps are sometimes the only way that isolated or shy LGBT people can make any connection at all with members of their community, even if they would never dream of using the resource for sex or dating.
Those of us lucky enough to live in a city with any kind of gay nightlife might still not want to meet people on the scene, and might feel that by using an app they are able to better screen potential partners. However, hook-up sites and apps only provide an illusion of control. They can provide a false sense of security and familiarity, and people tend to shockingly over-share their personal information, not only in chats but in their profiles. The parameters of profile pics are often stretched by even the most honest of users, so it certainly doesn’t take much for an attacker to willfully mislead and waylay someone in order to get a meeting.
Speculation on Facebook is already rampant that these attacks may be in some way connected to the upcoming marriage equality vote. But until
more information is known, or victims come forward, we cannot be certain. I would ask Outmost readers in the Cork area to please keep their eyes open, watch their friend’s backs and report any suspicious activity to the local Gardaí.

Could one court ruling force Northern Ireland to allow gay marriage ?

15/01/2015 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Gay couple married in England are hoping to have their marriage recognized in Northern Ireland

13 JANUARY 2015 | BY JOE MORGAN

Northern Ireland's gay marriage ban could be overruled this week.

A gay couple married in England could be the key in same-sex marriages being recognized in Northern Ireland.
In a court ruling this week, to be heard at Belfast high court, a decision could lead to the UK as a whole allowing gay couples to get legally married.
The couple, who have asked to remain anonymous, will call on Northern Ireland to make a declaration their marriage remains lawfully constituted where they are living now and should be recognized on Thursday (15 January).
John O’Doherty, director of The Rainbow Project, is backing the couple.
‘We are very happy to support this important legal challenge. While same-sex marriage legislation in Westminster had many positive aspects, we believe that its provision forbidding the recognition of lawful same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland is irrational, contrary to principles of British constitutional law and incompatible with the European convention on human rights,’ he said.
‘We are resolute in our assertion that no one can be married in one part of the United Kingdom and then not married in another.
‘Once a couple is lawfully married in the UK, we contend that their relationship cannot be reclassified as a civil partnership without their consent, which is exactly what the law currently does.
‘The legislation says to lawfully married people that they are no longer married. This is unconscionable and cannot be permitted to continue.
‘Marriage is a fundamental human right, which is now recognised in the UK as including same-sex couples. We will work to ensure that this right is realised for everyone in the United Kingdom and we are confident that marriage equality will be achieved in Northern Ireland.’
Without the ruling, Northern Ireland is expected to be the only main part of the British and Irish islands that ban same-sex marriage by the end of the year.
Ireland itself will be voting in a referendum in May. In the last Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll, it found 71% supported marriage equality in Ireland.

– See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/could-one-court-ruling-force-northern-ireland-allow-gay-marriage130115#sthash.QY9YasKu.dpuf

Gay marriage law comes into effect in Scotland

19/12/2014 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Douglas Pretsell, from Edinburgh, and Peter Gloster, from Melbourne, formalised their marriage in Sydney

Douglas Pretsell and Peter Gloster formalised their marriage in Sydney

Scotland’s new law on same-sex marriages has come into effect.

Existing civil partnerships can now be converted to a marriage and other same-sex couples can give notice of their intention to wed.
The new legislation was used for the first time shortly after midnight when one couple upgraded their civil partnership at the British consulate in Sydney.
The first gay weddings in Scotland will take place on Hogmanay.
Because Australia is 11 hours ahead, Douglas Pretsell, from Edinburgh, and Peter Gloster, from Melbourne, completed the paperwork to formalise their marriage hours before registrars open for business in Scotland.
The couple have been together for seven years and had their civil partnership in August 2010 at Fenton Tower in North Berwick, East Lothian.
‘It’s official’
Mr Pretsell told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “It was kind of coincidental. we weren’t originally intending to be the first at all.
“We sent an email to the consulate asking how long after the weddings came in that we would be able to change our certificate.
“We got an email back from them, asking if we would be able to come in at 11am on the 16th and saying we would probably be one of the first in the world.”

Leanne and Marie Banks signing the documents

Leanne and Marie Banks were one of the first gay couples in Scotland to become married

The couple earlier said: “We always considered our civil partnership to be our marriage, but in the eyes of the law and society it wasn’t held in the same regard.
“Prior to today, same-sex couples were deliberately treated as though our relationships were inferior and not worthy of the same recognition or respect.
“Well, from today it’s official, we are married and we have the certificate to prove it.”
‘Day of celebration’
One of the first gay couples to become married in Scotland were Leanne and Marie Banks.
They were at Dundee Registrars’ office at 08:45 to sign the documents.
A number of other Scots couples, already in civil partnerships, are also planning to make the conversion.
Others wishing to become married must give the normal 15-day notice period, meaning the first weddings can take place on 31 December.
Tom French, from the Equality Network, which ran the campaign for equal marriage in Scotland, said: “Today is both a day of celebration and a hugely important step forward for LGBTI rights in Scotland, both in terms of equality in the law and the way in which same-sex relationships are viewed in society.
“In recent years Scotland has become a leading light on LGBTI equality, with one of the most progressive equal marriage laws in the world, helping to create the fair and equal society we all want to see.”

The first gay weddings in Scotland will take place on 31 December

Colin Macfarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland, said: “Many of the couples celebrating today and in the weeks and months ahead have been together for decades and in a civil partnership since they were introduced in 2005.
“While there is still lots to do before the lived day-to-day experience of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is truly equal in Scotland, this is a day of celebration and we know these ceremonies will be a wonderful early Christmas present for many couples, their friends and families.’
The law on same-sex marriages has already changed in England and Wales.
The change in Scotland comes as a survey revealed a huge rise in support for same-sex marriage over the past 12 years.
More than two-thirds of people (68%) agreed that gay couples should have the right to marry, according to the figures from the Social Attitudes Survey, which tracks public opinions on a range of subjects.
The figure compares with just two-fifths of the public (41%) in 2002.
The 2014 survey suggested fewer than a fifth (17%) of Scots were against same-sex marriage, compared to 29% in 2002.
Younger people were more likely to believe gay couples should be allowed to wed than older Scots, with 83% of 18 to 24-year-olds in favour compared to 44% of those aged 65 and above.
MSPs approved the Marriage and Civil Partnership Act at Holyrood earlier this year.
The Scottish government said the move was the right thing to do, but Scotland’s two main churches – the Catholic Church and Church of Scotland – are opposed.
The legislation will see religious and belief bodies opting in to perform same-sex marriages, and ministers have stressed that no part of the religious community would be forced to hold such ceremonies in churches

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30486804

UK Government launches consultation into future of civil partnerships

26/01/2014 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Reported from Pink News:
The 12-week consultation by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) closes on 17 April 2014, and allows any member of the public to complete and return a form online or as a hard copy to be considered.
During the parliamentary debate around the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act, which will take effect on 29 March 2014, this consultation was tabled as a response to many questions around civil partnerships.
There are several possible outcomes. Some wish for civil partnerships to be opened up to opposite-sex couples, in order to give the option of civil partnerships or marriage to any couple.
Others have suggested that same-sex couples in civil partnerships could be automatically converted to marriage, and civil partnerships could be phased out altogether.
A third option of “grandfathering” the 2004 Civil Partnerships Act, which would mean that gay couples already in civil partnerships would remain so, but no civil partnerships would be issued in future.
A message from Helen Grant, Minister for Equalities, said: “We recently celebrated a historic moment for our society – making marriage available to everyone, regardless of their sexuality or gender. Now all couples will be able to enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate their love for each other and the commitment they wish to make through marriage.
“Over time, the fact that same sex couples can now marry will clearly affect the future of civil partnership. It is right, therefore, to start a review of the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. We are doing so by launching this consultation to seek people’s views on the main options for any future changes.”
A straight couple from London last month announced their engagement, but said that they would get civilly partnered rather than married, in order to push for full marriage equality.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell repeatedly called for the coalition’s equal marriage plans to include civil partnerships for heterosexuals.
He criticised Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities, Maria Miller, for ruling out the measure during the same-sex marriage debate.
Last year a DCMS spokesperson said: “Civil partnerships were created for a very specific reason – to give same-sex couples access to legal rights at a time when society was not ready to give them access to marriage.
“Now that the time is right to extend marriage to same-sex couples, it is also right that we should consider the future of civil partnerships. There are strong views on both sides of this debate, and we have listened to those views. A proper review will allow us to look at the issues in a considered and thorough way, giving full consideration to the implications of any changes.”