About Katherine & Ann Louise
It's a Love Story...
Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan first met in September 1981 as PhD students in the field of Theology at Boston College, in Massachusetts.
At their life-partnership ceremony - October 1982Their friendship blossomed into something deeper, and though they were initially not very open about their relationship, it was not long before they had pledged to spend the rest of their lives with each other. In October 1982, they held a small, intimate life-partnership ceremony to celebrate their love and commitment (see photo, right).
Inside each of their rings was inscribed the phrase "God is Love".
It was not until just after the 30th anniversary of their commitment ceremony in 2003 that they were finally able to have their relationship recognised legally. They were married in an elegant ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Their determination to have their Canadian marriage recognised in Ireland is an inspiration to gay and lesbian couples everywhere. Their legal battle is about much more than taxation regulations and financial benefits.
It is about recognising that love takes many forms, and that one form of love should not be treated as less important than another.
It is about the Irish State, in its constitutional pledge to defend the equal rights of all its citizens, acknowledging that gay and lesbian couples deserve the protection, rights, responsibilities and dignity that civil marriage affords to couples.
It is about equality and human rights: the basic human right to fall in love, and if you so choose, to get married, and maybe raise a family.
Katherine and Ann Louise... on behalf of same sex couples around Ireland, and everyone everywhere who believes in justice, equality and love... thank you for proving that love is worth fighting for. We'll be fighting alongside you, and cheering you on every step of the way.
Read more:
"To The Courts" - Extract from Our Lives Out Loud - In Pursuit of Justice and Equality by Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, published by The O'Brien Press Ltd., Dublin. Copyright © Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan.
Visit The O'Brien Press Ltd. website to buy the book.