Erin go bragh! Ireland Forever! In first-ever public vote, a nation resoundingly approves gay marriage.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Sat May 23, 2015, 04:35 PM - Edit history (2)

(Note: this applies only to the Republic, the largely Catholic country. Northern Ireland is still engaged in US-style culture wars on gay rights, and is the only part of the UK where gay marriage isn't legal.)

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/23/europe/ireland-referendum-same-sex-marriage/

Dublin, Ireland (CNN)Same-sex couples will soon be able to walk down the aisle in the Emerald Isle.

Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote on Saturday -- and what a popular vote "yes" was in the landmark referendum that will change the nation's constitution.

With votes tallied from nearly all of Ireland's 43 parliamentary constituencies, the measure will sail through with more than 60% of voters approving, according to official results.

Roscommon-South Leitrim, a rural section in the middle of the country, was the lone constituency not to approve the measure.

More than 1.8 million Irish voters participated in the election, about 60% percent of the total electorate in the majority Catholic nation.

SNIP

[RKP5637]

1. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. My gradmother fled Ireland in the early 1900s because of poverty and the Church.

She wasn't gay but was considered a "bad girl" and shunned and scorned by the priests and the community.

No crucifixes or Madonnas in our house until my mother married a Catholic.

[pnwmom]

3. Most Irish-Americans fled for one reason or another. But it's a different Ireland today.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Indeed it is.

Casting off those shackles took a long time. Next up, the right to choose for women.

[mopinko]

5. that's what i keep thinking.

how bout a referendum for that?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. I think it's coming.

One of the opposition speakers (anti-gay, pro-life) warned that it won't be long that abortion is legalized if the pro-gay marriage referendum passes with a large majority.

[mopinko]

9. well, they do say that about everything.

i remember when they were foaming at the mouth insisting that the era would lead to legal abortion. to which i said, no duh.

[sabrina 1]

7. Once the rid the nation of Imperial power, amazing how oppressive centuries of

Imperial occupation is, Ireland was free to be what they had been centuries before.

Imperial oppression of Ireland, the ME, Africa, S. America resulted in the same kind of natural reaction that all oppressed people seem to engage.

An attempt to cling to their cultures one of the first targets of Empires. That generally includes language, religion, customs that otherwise would never have remained static, in a free country.

In Ireland eg, the destruction of Ireland's native language included making it illegal to speak. It survived thankfully, but is still only beginning to recover.

Go raibh maith agat, Eire!

[hifiguy]

8. Amazing.

Not even close - 60%+. Bravo, Ireland!

[WillyT]

10. K & R !!!