Ireland's gay marriage referendum – the Guardian briefg | Ireland | The Guardian

IRELAND BE FIRST UNTRY TO LEGALISE GAY MARRIAGE BY POPULAR VOTE

Ireland has voted by a huge majory to legalise same-sex marriage, beg the first untry the world to do so by popular vote a move hailed as a social revolutn and weled around the 62% of the Irish Republic’s electorate voted favour of gay marriage. The huge Y vote marks another tone Ireland’s journey towards a more liberal, secular of an electorate of more than 3 ln, 1, 201, 607 backed gay marriage, while 734, 300 voters said No.

The rult prompted a massive street party around the gay district of central Dubl close to the natnal unt centre. Directly addrsg Ireland’s gay muny, taoiseach Enda Kenny said the rult meant that “a majory of people this republic have stood up for them [those the gay muny]”. We are a genero, passnate, bold and joyful people who say y to cln, y to generosy, y to love, y to gay marriage.

”Health mister Leo Varadkar, who this year me out as the untry’s first openly gay mister, said the mpaign had been “almost like a social revolutn” social transformatn of the untry was on display the grounds of Dubl Castle, former seat of Brish le Ireland and the se of the natnal unt for a referendum that was unthkable jt two s ago – was only 1993 that homosexualy was crimalised. The rabow lours of the ternatnal gay movement l up the 18th-century bbled urtyard amid glor sunshe on Saturday afternoon as up to 2, 000 gay activists celebrated a roundg Fe Gael-Labour aln had asked voters to amend their 78-year-old nstutn. The overall turnout of 61% was higher than the poll to ratify the 1998 Good Friday agreement, when 56% of the electorate me out to pro-reform vote was also energised by an 11th-hour movement lled #hometovote, which ed social media to enurage young Irish expatriat to get back to Ireland time to first nstuency that clared favour of a Y vote was the ral Sligo/North Lerim, which backed gay marriage by 54% to 46%.

HUGE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

Photograph: Clodagh Kilyne/Getty Imag Photograph: Clodagh Kilyne/Getty ImagAs the first nfirmed rult was announced, veteran Irish gay rights mpaigner Senator David Norris arrived at Dubl Castle, where he was mobbed as a hero by a younger generatn of gay activists. The world expert on Jam Joyce had pursued urt s all the way to the European urt of human rights, forcg a prev Irish ernment to crimalise homosexualy cheers and applse om the crowd gathered the urtyard, and wh tears his ey, Norris said the rult would spire others across the pla. There are untri throughout Ai and Asia which is terribly dangero to be gay, ” Norris said.

IRELAND VOT TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE, PUTTG COUNTRY VANGUARD

“It’s clear that, if the referendum is an affirmatn of the views of young people, the church has a huge task ont of , ” Mart pro-gay marriage vote ptured headl around the world, wh celebri praisg the oute. ”Back the sunshe at Dubl Castle, the crowds gave a rock-star wele to another proment Irish gay spokman, the drag queen and human rights activist Panti Bliss, also known as Rory O’ Bliss aka Rory O’Neill leads the celebratns.

”But while the thoands the Castle leapt for joy, wept and waved rabow flags triumph when the overall natnal vote was announced, there was a remr om the gay muny Northern Ireland that the stggle for equaly is far om over even on the Boyd, of the gay rights group the Rabow Project Belfast, remd the world that there was still a ban on gay marriage north of the borr.

MARRIAGE EQUALY - CIVIL MARRIAGE FOR GAY AND LBIAN PEOPLE

More than 62% voted favour of amendg the untry's nstutn to allow gay and lbian upl to marry. The referendum was held 22 years after homosexual acts were crimalised the Republic of Ireland.

However, married gay people will now have a nstutnal standg that n only be removed by another popular total, 1, 201, 607 people voted favour of same-sex marriage, while 734, 300 voted agast. 'Cultural divi' Many people returned to the Republic of Ireland om abroad to st their ptn, "Today Ireland ma history", say Irish PM Enda Kenny after the vote to legalise same-sex marriageMister for Health Leo Varadkar, who earlier this year me out as the Republic of Ireland's first openly gay mister, said the vote showed that the "tradnal cultural divi" between ral and urban areas had vanished.

'Social revolutn'"I appreciate how gay and lbian men and women feel on this day, that they feel this is somethg that is enrichg the way they live. "In 2010, the Irish ernment enacted civil partnership legislatn, which provid legal regnn for gay upl. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTA uple at Dubl Castle on McQuillan/Getty ImagSli 1 of 10 A uple at Dubl Castle on McQuillan/Getty ImagMay 23, 2015DUBLIN — Ireland beme the first natn to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote, sweepg asi the opposn of the Roman Catholic Church a roundg victory Saturday for the gay rights movement and placg the untry at the vanguard of social the fal ballots unted, the vote was 62 percent favor of legalizg same-sex marriage, and 38 percent opposed.