Irish Official Promotes Civil Partnerships

[Khephra]

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland should legalize civil partnerships between unmarried couples, including homosexuals, but not pursue full-fledged "gay marriage," Justice Minister Michael McDowell said Saturday in his first major policy speech on the matter.

Ireland has become one of Europe's most prominent legal battlegrounds on the matter after a lesbian couple launched a lawsuit this month against the country's tax collection agency for refusing to recognize their 2003 marriage in Canada. Married couples can claim a special income tax credit.

An all-party committee of lawmakers this month also launched public hearings into possible reforms to family law in Ireland, a predominantly Roman Catholic country where homosexuality itself was outlawed until 1993.

McDowell declared that the government today was "unequivocally in favor of treating gay people as fully equal citizens in our society." But he said the current heavy public focus on whether to extend full marriage rights and responsibilities to gay couples "is too narrow."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-ireland-gay-marriage,0,699570.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[LynnTheDem]

1. WAY TO GO, EMERALD ISLE!!!

Canada is leaving the USA in its dust...Ireland is leaving the UK in its dust...

WAY TO GO, PROGRESSIVE NATIONS!!!

Boooo hiiiiiiiissssss to all the REGRESSIVE nations.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. A few days ago the UK passed into law what Ireland is now talking about

Stonewall is celebrating today’s House of Lords decision to introduce Civil Partnerships for same-sex couples – the key vote was won by 251 votes to 136.
...
Stonewall had lobbied strenuously for passage of the Civil Partnership Bill. At Third Reading in the House of Commons on 9 November, MPs supported the Bill by 389 to 47. Michael Howard was among MPs who voted for the Bill. Today’s Lords’ Consideration of Commons Amendments was the Bill’s final stage in parliament.

“We’re delighted that the House of Lords has rebuffed those peers who indulged in offensive sneering at Britain’s lesbian and gay population,” said Ben Summerskill. “For the first time, the front benches of all three major political parties have backed equality for gay people. That represents a hugely positive change.”

The first registrations under the new Civil Partnership Act 2004 will not take place until next autumn. Once the Act receives royal assent, it will require extensive amendments to be made to the tax and benefits systems as well as training for registrars. It will be possible to hold civil partnership ceremonies in exactly the same venues as civil weddings, from registry offices to stately homes.

http://www.stonewall.org.uk/stonewall/media_releases/victory_civil_pa.html

It's not marriage, but neither is what Ireland is talking about. From the government press release:

A range of important rights and responsibilities will flow from entering a civil partnership, helping same-sex couples to organise their lives together. Provisions in the Act include:

* a duty to provide reasonable maintenance for your civil partner and any children of the family;

* civil partners to be assessed in the same way as spouses for child support;

* equitable treatment for the purposes of life assurance;

* employment and pension benefits;

* recognition under intestacy rules;

* access to fatal accidents compensation;

* recognition for immigration and nationality purposes.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3778292

[noamnety]

2. One good outcome of this election

The world hates Bush. This might help them rebel against policies like gay marriage bans, just to thumb their nose at America.

[veggiemama]

3. 'Tis grand news indeed, but please don't mistake McDowell for a "good guy"

He's a total wingnut who's using this issue to help reinvent the Ahern gov't and to distract the Irish from more pressing issues that are under his purview. For example, McDowell wants to build US-style "super-prisons" in Eire--something we DON'T need here. And he's got a real problem with some of his judges--a certain Brian Cowan, amongst others.

And for anyone here who knows Irish history, McDowell's grandfather was Eoin McNeill, the person who countermanded the orders for the 1916 Easter Rising--a fact McDowell's quite proud of.

[struggle4progress]

5. Thanks for the tip. eom