Michelle Posted May 23, 2015 #1 Share Posted May 23, 2015 DUBLIN — Voters determined to have their voice heard on gay marriage turned out in strength Friday for Ireland's most hard-fought referendum in decades, a contest that pitted the liberal forces of social change against the nation's conservative Catholic foundation. Polls closed at 10 p.m. after 15 hours of voting that featured long-distance trips by Irish citizens, including thousands of emigrants who returned by aircraft or ferry to take part in the world's first national vote on gay marriage. Backers of gay marriage had hoped for high turnout, reflecting strong participation by young and first-time voters. Electoral officials said this appeared to have happened, particularly in Ireland's major urban centers of Dublin and Cork, where many arriving at polling stations declared it was their first time voting. Polling station officials said Ireland could top 60 percent turnout nationally for the first time since the country narrowly voted to legalize divorce in 1995, but was unlikely to reach the 68 percent achieved when the Irish voted to ease access to foreign abortions in 1992. Results will be announced Saturday. cont... http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/yes-or-no-ireland-decides-whether-to-legalize-gay-marriage/ar-BBk6UBg On a side note, I didn't know divorce was illegal in Ireland until 1995! Ya learn something new every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted May 23, 2015 #2 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It will be interesting to see the outcome. My guess is that it will be approved. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted May 23, 2015 Author #3 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It will be interesting to see the outcome. My guess is that it will be approved. I don't know. Ireland is the most Chrstian country in the world and until recently a woman couldn't get an abortion unless her life was at risk and sometimes not even then. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occult1 Posted May 23, 2015 #4 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) I don't know. Ireland is the most Chrstian country in the world and until recently a woman couldn't get an abortion unless her life was at risk and sometimes not even then. I am inclined to agree with that. As you said, Ireland only made divorce legal in 1995... So this is a very Conservative country and unless thing have changed, a generational shift of perspective or something than I will have to remain skeptical of a YES victory.. But the youth vote could've made a difference, if mobilized. I do hope for it though, because gay are people too, whatever a religion may say. Edited May 23, 2015 by samus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likely Guy Posted May 23, 2015 #5 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It'll pass. If not tomorrow, then within the majority of their lifetimes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imaginarynumber1 Posted May 23, 2015 #6 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It'll pass. If not tomorrow, then within the majority of their lifetimes. As well it should and most other countries should follow suit. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likely Guy Posted May 23, 2015 #7 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) "Let us overthrow the totems, break the taboos. Or better, let us consider them cancelled. Coldly, let us be intelligent." - Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Edited May 23, 2015 by Likely Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Br Cornelius Posted May 23, 2015 #8 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Look like yes will win. Great day for Ireland. The yoke of catholism is broken. Br Cornelius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Wearer of Hats Posted May 23, 2015 #9 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Well colour me surprised. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Br Cornelius Posted May 23, 2015 #10 Share Posted May 23, 2015 The Catholic Church has absolutely no moral credability in the antion at the moment. It may do so again in the future if it stops trying to bully people away from the people's conception of moral decency. We are not the stereotype pious nation that people imagine - we are a nation of anarchists at heart. Br Cornelius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaturtlehorsesnake Posted May 23, 2015 #11 Share Posted May 23, 2015 huh, this feels odd. not used to seeing good news, I guess. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acute Posted May 23, 2015 #12 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I'm not in Eire, so I didn't vote on this, but Ireland didn't legalise homosexuality until 1993, so I think they are a little behind the times. The 'no' lobby came out with some interesting arguments regarding constitutional law, but I don't know enough about it to make a judgment. Saying that, you can never have too much equality, can you? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Posted May 23, 2015 #13 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) congrats Eire Edited May 23, 2015 by hellwyr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She-ra Posted May 23, 2015 #14 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I was just discussing this with Norbert. It has passed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acute Posted May 23, 2015 #15 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I was just discussing this with Norbert. It has passed It hasn't passed yet, but it is going that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She-ra Posted May 23, 2015 #16 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) It hasn't passed yet, but it is going that way. Oh I thought I just read something that said it did online. Oops. I will go check that out again. Sorry. Not enough coffee yet Ahhh...I see what I did: Ireland same-sex referendum set to approve gay marriage I read the title as "Approved" my bad...carry on. Hope it passes though that would be excellent news From here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32856232 Edited May 23, 2015 by She-ra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acute Posted May 23, 2015 #17 Share Posted May 23, 2015 We all make mistakes! I'm sure it will be a YES later on today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Br Cornelius Posted May 23, 2015 #18 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) My county voted NO, so I live in an Island of intolerance is a sea of equality. Most of the arguments used by the No camp were red herrings concerning surrogacy and adoption rights. These are none legislated areas at the moment but best practice as applied makes absolutely no distinction regarding the partnership of parents just so long as all parties are in agreement. There were a few cases where a surrogate mother renaged on her contractual obligations to a gay couple and the courts had to get involved - but this could just as easily have happened to a heterosexual couple. The No campaign had no legitimate arguments and indulged in some fairly nasty conspiritorial smear tactics. The only position that they had which was legitimate was to argue that you disagree on religious moral grounds - but they didn't use that much prefering to imply that the state was diluting parental rights by stealth. Its entirely unsurprising that the No campaign has lost spectacularly. Br Cornelius Edited May 23, 2015 by Br Cornelius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Border Collie Posted May 23, 2015 #19 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Go Ireland! 62%. Respect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted May 23, 2015 #20 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Go Ireland! 62%. Respect. Which given the amount of priests, nuns, employees of the catholic church and members of Opus Dei means that nearly every normal Irish voted yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Br Cornelius Posted May 23, 2015 #21 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Even conservative America is widely accepting of Gay Marriage despite all the hubbub in the right wing. Its a vote loser so expect the GOP to be advocates very soon. An interesting article on the state of America: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/03/the-religious-rights-failed-gay-marriage-backlash/284496/ Br Cornelius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoofGardener Posted May 23, 2015 #22 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It doesn't really matter Br Cornelius. Your rules - like ours (currently) are made by Europe, not by the Dail or by public refferenda. The commission hath spoken; same-sex marriage is to be allowed. Now knuckle down and obey the dictats of your Masters ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Br Cornelius Posted May 23, 2015 #23 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It doesn't really matter Br Cornelius. Your rules - like ours (currently) are made by Europe, not by the Dail or by public refferenda. The commission hath spoken; same-sex marriage is to be allowed. Now knuckle down and obey the dictats of your Masters ! We have a constitution which means that only the citizens can decide. Marriage is enshrined in the constitution so any change to its definition must be put to a referendum. It has nothing to do with Europe. Br Cornelius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She-ra Posted May 23, 2015 #24 Share Posted May 23, 2015 So it was approved? I read this... DUBLIN — Ireland became the first nation to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote, sweeping aside the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church in a resounding victory Saturday for the gay rights movement and placing the country at the vanguard of social change. With the final ballots counted, the vote was 62-to-38 percent in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. The turnout was large — more than 60 percent of the 3.2 million people eligible cast ballots, and only one district voted the measure down. Government officials, advocates and even those who had argued against the change said that the outcome was a solid endorsement of the constitutional amendment. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/world/europe/ireland-gay-marriage-referendum.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=span-ab-top-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoofGardener Posted May 23, 2015 #25 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) We have a constitution which means that only the citizens can decide. Marriage is enshrined in the constitution so any change to its definition must be put to a referendum. It has nothing to do with Europe. Br Cornelius Weeeell.... it SORT OF has to do with Europe. The Irish People are obliged to permit same-sex marriage due to the EU integrating the European Council Human Rights framework into a European Directive. They can have a refferendum if they wish (and they did), but if they voted "no", then the Dail would be compelled to ignore their wishes, on pain of - ultimately - being suspended from the EU. Still, they voted 'Yes', gawd bless 'em, so such a confrontation was avoided. Edited May 23, 2015 by RoofGardener 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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