The SDLP has been challenged over its stance on gay marriage, after one of its council leaders declined to toe the party line during a vote on the issue.
Despite the official SDLP policy of supporting gay marriage, its leader on the Causeway Coast and Glens council abstained on the matter on Tuesday night, and then refused to explain why when asked.
Sinn Fein accused the SDLP of trying to “ride two horses”, and revealed that it will soon bring another motion to Stormont asking MLAs to back gay marriage.
It will be the fifth such motion since 2011, something which the DUP described as a bid to “flog the same dead horse”.
On each occasion the matter has come up at the Assembly, MLAs have rejected it – with the most recent such rejection coming just four months ago.
When a pro-gay marriage motion came before a committee of Causeway Coast and Glens councillors on Tuesday, only one out of its three SDLP councillors was present – group leader Maura Hickey.
Asked why she abstained, Councillor Hickey politely told the News Letter: “I don’t wish to comment at this moment in time, if that’s alright.”
By contrast, the very same night the SDLP’s Newry branch was hosting a tribute event to PA Mag Lochlainn, a veteran gay campaigner who died in 2012.
When it comes to the differing approach shown towards gay marriage by SDLP members across the councils, Sinn Fein said last night: “Their hypocrisy on this issue knows no bounds…
“This is not the first time that the SDLP has attempted to ride two horses on the issue and their failure is another let down to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.”
When Sinn Fein’s criticisms were put to her, SDLP Causeway Coast leader Maura Hickey she said: “Again, I don’t wish to comment on it at this moment in time.”
She added that the other two SDLP councillors who could have voted at Tuesday’s meeting (Orla Beattie and Stephanie Quigley) had been on holiday at the time.
She would not comment on how they would have voted if they had been present.
The SDLP’s party headquarters said last night: “The SDLP remains committed to marriage equality with robust protection for faith groups.
“This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly, where a majority of SDLP MLAs continue to vote in favour of the change.
“Since its inception, the SDLP has believed in the power of persuasion and we will continue to make the case for equal marriage and pursue equal rights for the LGBT community.”
Fellow SDLP Causeway Coast councillor Gerry Mullan said: “Obviously it’s a very, very emotive issue, and one people will have very, very strong personal views on.
“And whilst the party may have a line on issues, individuals at the end of the day are free, and given the freedom, to decide which way they want to vote themselves.
“So this is obviously a case of Maura having her own very strong opinions for either religious or moral grounds. And I am happy to support her and her own personal view, but it may not well reflect the position of the party itself.”
His own view is that he supports gay marriage.
Asked about Sinn Fein’s criticisms, he said: “They would say that. They’re playing politics with it obviously, as usual.”
Although the Causeway Coast motion supporting gay marriage failed, it will come back to the full council, possibly as early as next Tuesday.
At that stage all councillors – not just those from that one committee – can debate the matter and vote.
Meanwhile Sinn Fein’s pledge to bring the matter to Stormont yet again was derided by the DUP last night.
Chief whip Peter Weir MLA noted it had been voted down on each consecutive occasion it had appeared.
Mr Weir said: “It’s hard not to see this as a certain form of Groundhog Day, with people trying to flog the same dead horse.”
He noted that the make-up of the Assembly has barely changed since 2011, and added: “When something has been brought forward for the fifth time with the same people, I would assume the result would be the same.”
“Little Rascals” and “Full House” star Blake McIver finds lasting love and expresses his support for marriage equality in the video for his latest tune, “This Is Who We Are.”
“When I was a small boy, I never thought there’d be/That perfect, happy ending for anyone like me,” McIver sings in the mid-tempo, country-tinged ballad as he cozies up to a handsome co-star. “Now I want them all to see, the strength of you and me.”
The song is reminiscent of his talent show duet with Darla. (OK, maybe not, but we can dream.)
In keeping with the song’s message, the clip concludes with the two men tying the knot amidst a sunny Californian landscape and surrounded by friends and family.
McIver, who is openly gay, wrote in a Facebook post that he was inspired by his relationship with his grandfather when he wrote the song. “He passed away before I had the opportunity to come out to him,” he wrote. “I’m not saying it would’ve been a particularly easy conversation, but his unconditional love of me was never a question in my mind. …As we celebrate the massive victory of the Supreme Court ruling, let us not forget our brothers and sisters who are still facing daily discrimination for being exactly who they are.”
A regular fixture on Bravo’s “The People’s Couch,” McIver made headlines in 2013 when he revealed his new toned, sexy look on Instagram. He’s focused heavily on music since then, releasing a steamy music video for “Wish I Didn’t Need You” before suiting up for a version of the Christmas classic, “O Holy Night.”
A rally in support of gay marriage in Belfast last month
10:00Monday 06 July 2015
An overwhelming majority of Northern Ireland people now support gay marriage, a poll has suggested.
The Ipsos MORI survey found that 68 per cent of adults in the Province back the right of same-sex couples to marry.
The News Letter published a brief summary of the findings in Saturday’s paper.
We can now reveal more data.
The survey found that 82 per cent of the 16 to 34 age group support gay marriage, dropping slightly to 75 per cent among 35 to 54-year-olds, and falling sharply to 47 per cent of anyone older than that.
Support was highest in greater Belfast, at 75 per cent, and in other areas it dipped to 63 per cent support.
There was much higher support among Catholics (75 per cent) than Protestants (57 per cent).
Ipsos MORI broke down support by political affiliation. Support ranged from 80 per cent of Sinn Fein voters, to 79 per cent of Alliance voters, 61 per cent of SDLP voters, 49 per cent of Ulster Unionist voters, and 45 per cent of DUP voters.
Some people who saw Saturday’s report have asked about details for which we had no space, such as sample size.
Ipsos MORI say they asked 1,000 adults aged over 16 across Northern Ireland. Interviews were carried out in person from May 20 to June 8.
The data was weighted to match the population profile.
The pollsters say no other group commissioned the survey.
They asked the same question their London team asked in England prior to the 2013 law change there: “To what extent do you agree that homosexual couples should be allowed to marry each other?”
Prior to the Republic’s referendum, surveys over-estimated support for gay marriage by around seven per cent compared to the final 62 per cent Yes vote
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court extended gay marriage rights to couples in all 50 states.
By Cristina Maza | Christian Science Monitor – 17 hours ago
Same sex marriage is now legal in every state in the United States after a historic Supreme Court ruling declared that the right to marriage equality is enshrined under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
In what marriage equality advocates have called the most important civil rights case in a generation, 5 out of 9 court justices ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. This means the remaining 14 states that did not recognize same-sex marriage, most of which are in the South and Midwest, will no longer be able to enforce bans on the marriages of gay couples.
The results of this historic case, known as Obergefell v. Hodges after an Ohio man who sued the state to get his name listed on his late husband’s death certificate, mark a long-sought victory for LGBT rights activists who have campaigned for decades in favor of marriage equality.
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves,” Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his closing opinion.
“Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.”
Each of the four opposing justices issued separate dissenting opinions. “This court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us,” wrote Cheif Justice John Roberts.
“If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Roberts said, reading his opinion from the bench. “But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.”
The Obama administration supports same-sex marriage, and many high-profile politicians such asPresident Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took to their Twitter accounts to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision. Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015 Proud to celebrate a historic victory for marriage equality—& the courage & determination of LGBT Americans who made it possible. -H— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 26, 2015
The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side around 3 weeks to ask for the decision to be reconsidered.
According to UCLA’s Williams Institute, which tracks the demographics of gay and lesbian Americans, there are an estimated 390,000 married same-sex couples in the United States. Another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to get married are expected to hear to the alter over the the next three years, the institute says. Roughly 1 million same-sex couples, married and unmarried, live together in the United States.
Henry McDonald Ireland correspondent
Friday 26 June 2015 12.39 BST Last modified on Saturday 27 June 2015 00.01 BST
Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles became the first gay couple in the UK to enter a civil partnership at Belfast city hall in 2005. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
First couples in UK to enter civil partnerships delighted with result of legal battle, saying religious views should not affect public policy
The first two couples to become civil partners in the UK have won the right to have the same-sex marriage ban in Northern Ireland subjected to judicial review.
A Belfast high court judge ruled on Friday that Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles, and Charles and Henry Flanagan-Kane, should be granted the review, which is set for the autumn.
Both couples’ civil partnership ceremonies were held at Belfast city hall, just a short distance from the high court, 10 years ago.
The review is likely to be held in November, alongside several other legal challenges taken by gay couples in the region, and who are backed by the Rainbow Project, an LGBT rights organisation.
Neither couple was in court for Friday’s ruling but their barrister and senior counsel representing the Northern Ireland regional government were present to hear Mr Justice Treacy say that he had read the case papers and had already satisfied himself that the matter should proceed to judicial review. “The applicant has an arguable case,” he said.
Members of the Rainbow Project and Amnesty International were also in court. Others supporting the legal challenge included the former CEO of the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast Dawn Purvis and the actor Nuala McKeever.
Outside court, solicitor Mark O’Connor issued a statement on behalf of both couples: “We are delighted that we have been able to get over the first hurdle in relation to the judicial process and that the judge today has granted leave for us to bring this judicial review.
“We are thankful that the judge has made that decision today. We believe that religious policy and religious views shouldn’t be affecting public policy. Thankfully today the judge appears to have accepted that there is an arguable case to answer … and hopefully we will have success in the future in relation to this matter.”
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Prior to the hearing Grainne Close had said: “This is not a religious issue, it is a human rights issue. That is why we are going to court.”
Close said she and her US partner had been inspired by Ireland’s overwhelming vote in favour of gay marriage last month and the joyous scenes that greeted the result of the referendum at Dublin castle.
The Rainbow Project’s director, John O’Doherty, welcomed Treacy’s ruling. “We are pleased that this case is progressing and that it will likely be heard alongside our client’s case challenging the failure of the Northern Ireland government to recognise their lawful marriage.
“The current illogical patchwork of marriage laws created by the Westminster government is placing LGBT people in Northern Ireland at an inexcusable disadvantage and we hope that the courts will agree and find that there must be a harmonisation of marriage laws across the UK.”
A Sinn Féin motion on marriage equality was defeated in April, with 47 Northern Ireland assembly members voting in support, but 49 unionists against. Even if there had been a small majority in favour, the Democratic Unionist party would have exercised a special veto drawn up under devolution.
The petition of concern rule allows any party to veto legislation if it can argue the law would not have sufficient cross-community or Protestant/Catholic support.
Earlier this month, 20,000 trade unionists staged a rally in Belfast city centre to support gay marriage in Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK where LGBT couples cannot be married.
Amnesty International said the ban has turned Northern Ireland into a “discriminatory backwater for the gay and lesbian community”.
Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close, and Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane, the first UK couples in civil partnerships, pursue legal battle over full marriage equality
A rally calling for same-sex marriage to be made legal, in Belfast, earlier this month. Sinn Fein has called for a referendum on the issue in the province. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
An American woman and her partner, who were the first couple in the UK to have a civil partnership ceremony, are to challenge Northern Ireland’s ban on gay marriages.
Shannon Sickles, a US citizen, and Grainne Close made history a decade ago when they were the first gay couple to have a civil partnership in Britain, sealing their union at a ceremony at Belfast city hall.
Now the couple are taking part in a legal case to overturn the bar on LGBT couples getting married in Northern Ireland. They will launch their legal case on Friday morning.
Shannon Sickles (l), and Grainne Close at Belfast city hall in 2005. Theirs was one of the first gay civil partnerships in the UK. Photograph: Paul Faith/Press Association
Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where there is no gay marriage equality. The deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, has suggested a regional referendum – similar to the one that passed in the Irish Republic last month – on gay marriage.
Sinn Féin and other parties have made repeated attempts to legislate for gay marriage equality in the Northern Ireland assembly, but their proposals have been voted down by unionists. The evangelical Christian wing of the Democratic Unionist party has mounted fierce opposition to introducing gay marriage equality in the province.
Close and Sickles will be joined by a male couple, Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane (previously Christopher Flanagan and Henry Kane) in seeking a judicial review of the ban.
On her Facebook page, Close posted on Wednesday: “This year, December 19th, 2015 Shannon and I, along with Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane, will celebrate 10 years of our civil partnerships.
“Northern Ireland was the first place in the UK to recognise civil partnership legislation and is now the last place in the UK and Ireland to recognise equal marriage.
“On June 26th, 10am in the high court, the four of us are bringing a legal challenge for a judicial review of the legislative prohibition preventing us from entering into civil marriage.”
“Our barrister, Laura McMahon, will argue that to bar equal marriage is a fundamental discrimination of our rights under the European convention on human rights, which is without justification.”
Henry Kane (R) and Christopher Flanagan had a civil ceremony on the same day in 2005 in Belfast. They are also fighting the ban on gay marriage in the region. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
She added: “You will hear the arguments from DUP and other religious groups (all the same that have been played out in the Irish referendum) that we have civil partnership, so why marriage?
“The fact that we have to stand in a different queue from opposite-sex peers when it comes to having our relationship recognised by the state is itself indicative that we are treated differently.”
The Rainbow Project, one of the main gay rights organisations in Northern Ireland, said it will attend the hearing in Belfast this Friday, in solidarity with the couples.
“Anything that tests the legal basis of Northern Ireland’s ban on civil marriage is a positive step,” said John O’Doherty, the Rainbow Project’s director. The organisation has been planning to launch its own legal challenge, based on human rights legislation, this autumn.
Earlier this month, thousands attended a rally in Belfast organised by the trade union movement and Amnesty International, calling for gay marriage equality in Northern Ireland.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has backed the campaign to lift the ban, claiming that it not only violates European human rights law but also equality legislation contained within the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Here’s our daily round-up of the marriage equality / LGBT rights stories that don’t warrant a full posting on the blog, or that we didn’t have time to add. We’re able to get more news and analysis to you this way every day – enjoy! HISTORY: Slate looks at how TV talked about gay marriage 25 years ago. full story POP CULTURE: Black rights activist Rachel Dolezal, who was outed as a white woman earlier this month, has revealed she is bisexual. full story POP CULTURE: Queerty profiles Big Brother contestant Audrey Middleton, an attractive 25-year-old digital media consultant who is also transgender. full story POP CULTURE: Miley Cyrus is partnering with Instagram to launch #InstaPride, a campaign that celebrates the lives and stories of transgender and gender-expansive individuals all over the world. full story POP CULTURE: Actress Susan Sarandon has revealed that one of her sons blurs gender lines – and likes to wear dresses on stage with his band. full story AUSTRALIA: Marriage equality is still 14 MPs short, but the undecideds could easily make up the difference. full story FRANCE: The Advocate looks at the spike in anti-LGBT violence after marriage equality was passed, and wonders if it will happen in the US too. full story INDIA: The government has asked the Supreme Court to define “transgender”, saying that it cannot not enact landmark ruling recognizing trans people if it does not know what the word means. full story ISRAEL: Deputy leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Kamal Khatib attacked the same-sex marriage of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in an online screed, but leading Arab Israelis have taken him to task full story LITHUANIA: After Lithuania re-introduced mandatory services, conscripts are being asked questions to determine their sexuality – like if they like flowers. full story TAIWAN: Taipei is the second Taiwanese city to recognize same-sex partnerships.full story UK: Tory MP Michael Fabricant chided the government for having ‘no research’ supporting the gay blood ban. full story UK: A Bishop has testified at a tribunal to say that the marriage of a Church of England clergy member to his husband is “sinful and unwholesome”. full story UK: The Bishop of Buckingham Dr Alan Wilson has defended same-sex marriage during a tribunal today, saying the idea that marriage should be between one man and one woman is “a lousy definition”. full story UK, NORTHERN IRELAND: Actor and gay rights campaigner Sir Ian McKellen has called for Northern Ireland to “catch up” on same-sex marriage. full story USA: A study says that many millennials aren’t ready to marry, but they want the right to. full story USA: Now that most state legislative sessions have come to a close for this year, observers have differing assessments on the efforts aimed at stopping a series of religious freedom bills seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination. full story USA: At a time when private health insurance companies and state Medicaid programs are beginning to cover the costs of gender transition related surgery, the supply of surgeons qualified to perform the highly specialized surgeries is falling short of the demand. full story USA: The crimes against humanity lawsuit against Scott Lively began yesterday with his Liberty Counsel lawyers demanding more information from the plaintiffs, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). full story USA: On same-sex marriage, Jeb Bush told Sean Hannity: “I believe in traditional marriage. I hope the Supreme Court rules that way.” full story USA: Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Wednesday he’s open to the idea of openly transgender military service, but it “would depend on the role” for those troops. full story USA: Bush also said he would serve as a witness at a same-sex wedding if he were asked. full story USA: As it did in 2012, today NOM will ask all GOP presidential candidates to sign its hate pledge promising to support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. full story USA, IDAHO: The city of Bellevue, Idaho Monday passed a non-discrimination ordination that will provide protections for LGBT people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. full story USA, INDIANA: Today, a new poll revealed Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s deeply damaged political reputation continues to decline over two months after signing into law an anti-LGBT “religious refusal” bill – a law that put LGBT Hoosiers at risk of discrimination, causing an overwhelming outcry from fair-minded people and businesses demanding the bill be fixed. full story USA, MARYLAND: A woman in Baltimore recently found herself in the middle of a pretty bizarre crossfire when she reportedly received a note from some of her neighbors (or, probably just one who is bluffing), stating that her yard is too flamboyant for the innocent eyes of children. full story USA, MICHIGAN: Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow says he’s preparing to accommodate gay and lesbian couples who want to marry immediately after the Supreme Court ruling. full story USA, NEW JERSEY: What went on inside JONAH’s so-called “conversion therapy clinic” is being made public at trial, and it’s not pretty. full story USA, OHIO: Two Ohio counties (Cuyahoga and Portage) have announced that they’re prepared to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples if the Supreme Court strikes down the state’s ban on gay marriage. full story USA, PUERTO RICO: The First Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled against 13 Puerto Rico lawmakers who wish to intervene in a case challenging the territory’s ban on gay marriage. full story USA, TENNESSEE: Gov. Bill Haslam says state officials are discussing how to proceed should the U.S. Supreme Court rule same-sex marriage legal later this month in a case involving Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. full story USA, TEXAS: The newly launched Texas Wins campaign–a multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort–aims to increase the number of LGBT Texans protected by local nondiscrimination ordinances. full story
Daniel Hurst Political correspondent @danielhurstbne
Monday 15 June 2015 09.10 BST Last modified on Tuesday 16 June 2015 02.39 BST
Advocates slam ‘desperate’ letter from Catholic bishops warning children ‘same-sex friendships’ are very different from ‘real marriages’
Gay rights activists stand next to a banner as they listen to speeches during a rally supporting same-sex marriage in Sydney on 31 May. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
A booklet warning that “same-sex friendships” are very different from “real marriages” has been distributed directly to school students around Australia as part of the Catholic church’s lobbying against changes to the Marriage Act.
The wide distribution of the pastoral letter from the Catholic bishops of Australia has angered supporters of same-sex marriage, who say they are shocked at the discriminatory message it sends to vulnerable young people who are coming to terms with their sexuality.
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The letter is part of a conservative pushback against what appears to be growing momentum for same-sex marriage to be legislated in Australia.
The latest Fairfax Ipsos poll, published on Monday, showed public support for changing the Marriage Act stood at 68%. The poll results coincided with the resumption of debate in the lower house on the marriage equality bill proposed by the Labor leader, Bill Shorten.
The Catholic pastoral letter, titled Don’t Mess With Marriage, was published online by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in late May, but since that time has been distributed directly to students in numerous schools.
It is understood Catholic schools in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and South Australia are among those to have distributed the letter. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said it was left up to bishops in individual dioceses to decide how to distribute the letter.
The document urges people “of goodwill to redouble their support for the institution of marriage” and to make their views known to their parliamentary representatives.
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The letter says the Catholic church “opposes all forms of unjust discrimination” but supporters of changing the Marriage Act “get things the wrong way around” by appealing to equality and non-discrimination.
“We must treat like cases alike and different cases differently,” it says. “Only women are admitted to women’s hospitals and only children to primary schools.”
The letter says it is “gravely unjust” to “legitimate the false assertion that there is nothing distinctive about a man and a woman, a father or a mother” and to “ignore the particular values that real marriage serves”.
The letter says the church’s traditional view of marriage is that it goes further than an emotional union and “involves a substantial bodily and spiritual union of a man and a woman” that is ordered “towards the generation and wellbeing of children”.
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“This is true even where one or both spouses are infertile: they still engage in exactly the same sort of marital acts as fertile couples, ie that naturally result in a child,” it says.
“On this traditional view what allows for this special kind of union between a man and a woman in marriage is precisely their difference and complementarity. Their physical, spiritual, psychological and sexual differences show they are meant for each other, their union makes them whole, and through their union ‘in one flesh’ they together beget children who are ‘flesh of their flesh’. They share the sameness of humanity but enjoy the difference of their masculinity and femininity, being husband and wife, paternity and maternity.
“Same-sex friendships are of a very different kind: to treat them as the same does a grave injustice to both kinds of friendship and ignores the particular values that real marriages serve.”
The letter argues messing with marriage “is also messing with kids” and “gravely unjust to them” – but adds that the church’s stance on marriage “is not to demean those other friendships or the individuals concerned”.
“We all know and love people with same-sex attraction. They are our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours. They need love and support like anyone else. But pretending that their relationships are ‘marriages’ is not fair or just to them. As Christians we must be willing to present the truth about marriage, family and sexuality and to do so charitably and lovingly.”
Australian Marriage Equality, the group that is spearheading lobbying efforts in favour of changing the Marriage Act, described the booklet as a “desperate” measure that would alienate bishops further from the next generation of Catholics.
The group’s national director, Rodney Croome, said bishops’ decision to “preach to a captive audience of children says that they know they’ve lost the debate”.
“The fact that the bishops have asked for this material to be distributed to students shows how completely out of touch they are with the strong support for marriage equality amongst young people and also the vulnerability of young gay people and the children of same-sex couples in their schools to the prejudice and discriminatory attitudes in the material,” Croome said on Monday.
“This material devalues and degrades and discriminates against the relationships that young gay people in Catholic schools aspire to enter.
“A 15-year-old at a Catholic high school in Australia today wants to believe that they can find love, they can find an enduring relationship in their life. There are many people in society that tell them that that won’t happen. The law tells them that won’t happen and now they have their own school telling them that shouldn’t happen.”
While an increasing number of Coalition MPs and senators have been prepared to add their voices to the ‘yes’ column, conservative members of the government have sought to head off the change by warning Tony Abbott against allowing a free vote.
Rightwingers in the Liberal party have told the prime minister that abandoning the long-held party position that marriage is between a man and a woman would anger the party’s base, and that frontbenchers should quit their positions if they felt strongly enough about supporting a change.
The deputy Labor leader, Tanya Plibersek, who co-sponsored Shorten’s bill, told parliament on Monday it was time to “remove this last great inequality from same-sex couples”.
“In a few years’ time, the notion that two men who love each other, or two women who love each other, could be barred from the social and legal status that marriage confers, will seem as anachronistic as marriage laws which prevented Aboriginal Australians marrying whom they chose,” Plibersek said.
But the Liberal MP Philip Ruddock, a former attorney general, told parliament it was “extremely disappointing” that Shorten had pursued his bill in a political manner. He pointed to separate efforts, supported by several Liberal MPs, to work together on a cross-party bill co-signed by all sides of politics.
Ruddock also pointed out that at the same time as the Coalition was being urged to allow a free vote, senior Labor MPs including Plibersek were pushing for their own party to be bound to vote for same-sex marriage.
Plibersek told Sky News she still stood by her position of a binding “yes” vote for Labor, but would not say whether she would actively pursue the policy at the party’s national conference late in July.
The following interviews were undertaken by Swiss TV Station SRF on the run up to the Marriage Equality vote and the interviews start about 2 minutes into the report and is in German
Dear Friends
Did your heart melt when Ireland voted for equal marriage? What an awesome victory for love and equality. But across the border in Northern Ireland, thousands of loving gay couples are banned from marrying: they’re told their love isn’t worth as much as straight couples.
Some politicians in Northern Ireland haven’t yet made up their minds on gay marriage. If we can show them that equality is getting huge, mainstream support, it could persuade them to vote for equal marriage the next time it comes to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Our partners in Northern Ireland have asked us to build a giant petition in the next few days, to boost media coverage of a mass rally for equal marriage they are organising in Belfast on Saturday. Every voice is needed to bring undecided politicians on board. Sign and share now:go.allout.org/en/a/n-ireland-marriage
Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where gay marriage is still illegal. England, Wales and Scotland have allowed it since 2014. But a survey in Northern Ireland in 2013 showed 59% of people want marriage equality – and it’s likely to be even more now, after the Yes Vote south of the border. We’re seeing a pro-equality tidal wave. Since the Irish Yes vote, a cross-party group of Westminster MPs has called for action on equal marriage in Northern Ireland. And Belfast City Council just passed a motion in favour of marriage equality.
All Out’s partners in Northern Ireland – Amnesty International, The Rainbow Project and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions – have joined together to seize this huge political opportunity. They’re holding a mass rally in Belfast on Saturday 13 June. If thousands of All Out members from around the globe back their call for equal marriage, we can show that the world is watching. It could be enough to convince undecided politicians to support LOVE. Sign now:go.allout.org/en/a/n-ireland-marriage
Just last week, a petition from All Out members helped get two anti-gay judges removed from Argentina’s courts. And our 285,000-strong petition against a proposed anti-gay law in Northern Ireland is one of the reasons why the law is stalled. Now let’s unleash our power to win equal marriage in Northern Ireland: Add your name: go.allout.org/en/a/n-ireland-marriage
Thanks for going All Out,
Andre, Guillaume, Rose, Julia and the rest of the All Out team.
P.S. All Out depends on small donations from members. Every individual donation goes to powering groundbreaking global campaigns. It also means governments and corporations can’t tell us what to do because we won’t take their money. Will you help keep us strong? Click here now to chip in: go.allout.org/en/a/ps-donate
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All Out is mobilising millions of people to build a world where no person will have to sacrifice their family or freedom, safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love.
By Cristina Maza | Christian Science Monitor – 17 hours ago
court justices ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. This means the remaining 14 states that did not recognize same-sex marriage, most of which are in the South and Midwest, will no longer be able to enforce bans on the marriages of gay couples.
The following interviews were undertaken by Swiss TV Station SRF on the run up to the Marriage Equality vote and the interviews start about 2 minutes into the report and is in German
