WAY TO GO IRELAND !!

lyndausvi

Click

It looks like they are going to approve same-sex marriage.  Early reports have it that 60% of the vote was yes. 

This was the first country to use a popular vote to pass the issue.   This is also one if the most popular elections in Ireland since allowing divorce in 1995.

Woohoo!

WinstonsGirl

One article on my FB said Ireland was the first country to legally recognize same sex marriage nationally, and I was like Um, hello??  Canada??   But then I realized they were badly trying to say the first with a referendum.  I'm happy they voted that way, and that it doesn't appear to be super close

photokitty

That's awesome! Makes me extra proud to be Irish. Here's hoping SCOTUS rules in favor of gay marriage in my state.

southernbelle0915

Finally!! Now why can't the US catch up? Hopefully the supreme court ruling is favorable. It's long over due and it's not going away, no matter how hard the social right pushes back.

hellohkb

Very cool! I hope they soon become a little more lenient with their reproductive rights laws soon after this.

laceykeo

If only Northern Ireland would wake up and accept the pride.

They look a bit sick now, completely surrounded by accepting countries.

mj8215

Good for Ireland! I grew up in Germany and always thought of the environment as very progressive and supportive of gay rights. But the Ireland referendum has prompted me to look into the "fine print" and turns out that, while same sex partnerships are recognized and a lot of rights are granted, the status is not the same and is not considered "marriage" (more like a "civil union" - does not allow joint adoption or provide pensions for widowers)... which is really sad and I feel bad not having been aware of it while growing up... I think the fact that in "public life" gay partnerships are completely accepted (for example there are several high ranking openly gay politicians, including the mayor of Berlin), it makes it easy to not realize that the legal rights are not actually the same.   

So, hopefully this will stimulate a public discussion and  similar rulings in other European countries (and eventually the US!!). 

vikinganna87

This was huge!  I think it's awesome that some Irish citizens living abroad returned home just to vote.

julieanne912

Mah peeps!  This is very good news and hopefully sets a precedent for others to follow.  My aunt and uncle (mom's sister and brother) are dual citizens and hoped to be able to go back for the vote, but were not able to.