Referendum date marks countdown to equality for all Irish citizens

20 Feb 2015

Friday, 20th February 2015: An Taoiseach’s announcement that his preferred date for the Marriage Equality Referendum is May 22nd is ‘monumental’ and marks a countdown to equality for all Irish citizens says the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network and Marriage Equality. The three organisations urge Irish people to save-the-date and to start personally asking their family, friends and extended network to vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum.

Mark Kelly, Director, Irish Council for Civil Liberties said, “Irish people are being given a chance to create an Ireland where our citizens are valued equally. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for first time voters and the established electorate to end the discrimination which many lesbian and gay people living in Ireland continue to experience.”

Grainne Healy, Chairperson, Marriage Equality, said, “Marriage is important to Irish society, it’s a secure foundation for committed and loving couples. Everyone should be free to marry on those terms. A yes in this referendum is a yes to lesbian and gay people being full participants in Irish society, and fully equal in the eyes of their fellow citizens. Every single vote counts in this referendum, not one person can be complacent.”

Kieran Rose, GLEN Chair said, “This referendum is about lesbian and gay people for the first time gaining full citizenship in the Irish constitution. The referendum, if carried, will complete the remarkable 25-year journey to Constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people in Ireland. The proposed wording would ensure that existing marriages and future marriages of men and women are not altered in any way; it would extend civil marriage to now include lesbian and gay couples”.

More information can be found on www.iccl.ie, www.glen.ieand www.marriagequality.ie