7,000 signatures in favour of a marriage equality referendum delivered to the Dáil

18 Sep 2013

Andrew Hyland, Director, Marriage Equality (Middle), presented Jerry Buttimer, TD, Fine Gael (Right), and John Lyons, TD, Labour (Left), with 7,000 signatures in support of a marriage equality referendum. 

Today, Wednesday 18^th September 2013, Andrew Hyland, Director, Marriage Equality (Middle), presented Jerry Buttimer, TD, Fine Gael (Right),  and John Lyons, TD, Labour (Left), with a letter to present to Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore.  The letter outlines that 7,000 signatures were collected from Friday 30^th August to Sunday 1^st September at Electric Picnic by the Love Action Collective* in support of a marriage equality referendum.

There is a clear mandate for marriage equality and we have asked the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to announce a date for a 2014 referendum.

Marriage Equality believe these 7,000 signatures reflect nationally representative polls demonstrating that 75% of Irish people would vote yes in a referendum to extend civil marriage rights to same sex couples.** Mirroring this statistic, the Constitutional Convention voted by 79% in April 2013 to recommend to Government to introduce marriage equality for same sex couples.

The Love Action manifesto calls on the Government to hold a referendum on the issue of marriage rights for same sex couples at the earliest possible date as a move towards full equality for LGBT people living in Ireland.

Collecting almost 7,000 signatures is extraordinary, but far more important are the stories people shared with us. Young and old, urban and rural, Irish voters believe in this issue and see it as an equality matter for lesbian and gay people living in Ireland that must be resolved.

Visit www.marriagequality.ie for more information.

* LOVEACTION is a collective of organisations and campaigns promoting equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender relationships and families.  The LOVEACTION collective includes BeLonG To, Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), Gay Community News, Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, Marriage Equality, National Lesbian and Gay Federation, and LGBT Noise.

** A 2012 poll conducted by Millward Brown revealed that 75% of people would vote yes in a referendum to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples.