MarriagEquality Reiterates Call on Government to Upgrade Civil Partnership to Civil Marriage to End Discrimination

21 Jan 2010

Today, as the proposed Civil Partnership legislation reaches the 2nd stage of debate in the Dail, MarriagEquality is reiterating its call for it to be upgraded to a Civil Marriage option for same-sex couples. MarriagEquality argue that Civil Partnership without a Civil Marriage option promotes discrimination towards lesbian and gay people.

MarriagEquality is currently completing a Marriage Audit comparing the rights that flow from marriage to those contained in the proposed civil partnership bill. Preliminary results of the audit indicate that gay and lesbian couples who avail of civil partnership will have significantly fewer rights than heterosexual people who can marry. The Government is not prioritising equality for lesbian and gay families in this proposed legislation.

MarriagEquality is a campaigning group working for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Ireland. The Government's 2006 Colley Report concluded that marriage equality is the only way to give equality to lesbians and gay men in Ireland. In contrast to the conclusions of its own report, the Government insists on progressing with a Civil Partnership Scheme which effectively denies lesbians and gay men equality.

Access to marriage in a civil ceremony will result in equal marriage rights and full legal and social recognition of lesbian and gay relationships and vindicate the rights of children whose parents are same-sex. MarriagEquality believes that it is within the Government's power to legislate for access to civil marriage for same-sex couples and calls on them to do so now. More information can be found on www.marriagequality.ie.

Media Contact: Andrew Hyland, Platinum PR, 087 9088 322 / andrewhyland@platinumpr.ie.