Irish voters make history gay marriage referendum | Ireland | The Guardian

Contents:

• HUGE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE
• IRELAND VOT TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE, PUTTG COUNTRY VANGUARD
• IRELAND SAME-SEX REFERENDUM SET TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE
• WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT IRELAND'S HISTORIC REFERENDUM ON GAY MARRIAGE
• IRISH VOTERS MAKE HISTORY GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM
• HISTORIC VOTE IRELAND ON GAY MARRIAGE

HUGE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

After all, Ireland, a tradnally nservative Catholic untry, only crimalized homosexualy 1993. Mister for Health Leo Varadkar publicly revealed he was gay for the first time durg the mpaign and lled the w a “historil day. Mr Varadkar revealed publilly durg the referendum mpaign that he was gay.

“I would like to have seen that the rights of gay and lbian men and women uld have been rpected whout changg the fn of marriage.

Senator Filma Healy Eam, who also mpaigned for a No vote, said the referendum “for me was never anti-gay”. She said she had swched her vote om Y to No simply bee of her ncerns around nstutnal change and s effect on a child’s No advocy group Mothers and Fathers Matter exprsed “warm ngratulatns” to the Y si but said that one three Irish people - the vote rat - were not reprented by the polil mpaigner and Fianna Fáil Senator Averil Power said gay mpaigners who told their stori on the doorsteps of voters had “helped to change Ireland for all of ”, not jt the gay said she had seen many of them rced to tears by the experience they had durg the mpaign.

IRELAND VOT TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE, PUTTG COUNTRY VANGUARD

Senator David Norris, who fought om the 1970s to 1993 to have homosexualy crimalised, weled the rult.

“I believe that by the end of today gay people will be equal this untry.

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.

IRELAND SAME-SEX REFERENDUM SET TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE

'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. 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 world.Some 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 society.Out 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]”.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT IRELAND'S HISTORIC REFERENDUM ON GAY MARRIAGE

We are a genero, passnate, bold and joyful people who say y to cln, y to generosy, y to love, y to gay marriage.”Irish puty prime mister and Labour lear Joan Burton add: “The people of Ireland have stck a massive blow agast discrimatn.”And quotg the late Amerin polician and LGBT rights activist Harvey Milk, she said: “Hope will never be silent.”Crowds celebrate the landsli y victory at Dubl stle. And I’m so proud to be Irish today.”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”.The 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 victory.The 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 vote.The 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 vote.The first nstuency that clared favour of a Y vote was the ral Sligo/North Lerim, which backed gay marriage by 54% to 46%.

IRISH VOTERS MAKE HISTORY GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM

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 1993.To 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. “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 add.The pro-gay marriage vote ptured headl around the world, wh celebri praisg the oute.

Osr Wil would be so proud.”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’Neill.Panti Bliss aka Rory O’Neill leads the celebratns.

HISTORIC VOTE IRELAND ON GAY MARRIAGE

‘I am dnk on y … It’s not that Ireland has changed today, but that Ireland has nfirmed the change that we already knew had happened.’ Photograph: Fran Veale/Rex ShutterstockIn high heels, blon wig and tight drs, Bliss said: “I am dnk on Y … It’s not that Ireland has changed today, but that Ireland has nfirmed the change that we already knew had happened.”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 island.Gav 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.“To the people of Ireland, we offer our thanks. 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.

Ireland crimalized homosexualy only 1993, the church domat the tn system, and abortn remas illegal except when a mother’s life is at risk. At the same time, homosexualy is illegal across much of the Middle East and gay rights are unr renewed attack Rsia and parts of rults showed wi and ep support for a measure that had domated public disurse and dner-table nversatn the months before the vote on Friday.

Supporters celebrated gathergs and on the streets, wh the rabow lors of the gay rights movement and Y vote buttons nspicuoly on display. ”ViotranscripttranscriptIreland Legaliz Gay MarriageIreland has bee the first natn to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote, sweepg asi opposn om the Roman Catholic Church a roundg victory for the gay rights movement.