MEDIA RELEASE: 22ND OCTOBER 2015
‘I Do!’: The Long Journey to Marriage is Over
The Seanad this afternoon (Thursday 22nd October) is expected to complete all stages of the
Marriage Bill (2015). The Bill gives effect to the Marriage Equality Referendum.
“Today is a magical day for the people of Ireland and especially for our lesbian and gay citizens. It
is one of the most important days in the journey to equality for lesbian and gay people” said
Kieran Rose, GLEN Co-Chair.
“Finally, every barrier to full constitutional equality will be cleared. There now just remains a
matter of weeks before lesbian and gay couples can make the most profound of loving commitments
to each other and say ‘I do’ on the same basis as everyone else” said Rose.
“When Irish people voted so overwhelmingly for equality for LGBT citizens in the referendum, they
set a benchmark for the world. Our parliamentarians have honoured the will of the people and have
made Ireland into a beacon of hope for LGBT people everywhere” said Brian Sheehan, GLEN Director
and co-Director of the Yes Equality campaign.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald
TD, and to the Government, for bringing the Bill though the Oireachtas speedily, and to the TDs and
Senators for their overwhelming support for the Bill” said Sheehan.
“We are delighted to see the reduced notice period for existing Irish Civil Partners and other issues
we raised included in the final Bill, such as the legal right to accept your partner as ‘husband, wife or
spouse’, and a lower fee for civil partners to marry” said Sheehan
“There is further work to be done to ensure that the extraordinary support and goodwill of the
Irish people is translated into real change in the daily lives of LGBT people. We can create an
Ireland where this and future generations of LGBT people can achieve their full potential in school, in
work and in wider society on the same basis as all others” said Sheehan.
“GLEN will continue our work to make Ireland one of the best countries in the world in which to be
LGBT” concluded Sheehan.
For further details contact:
Brian Sheehan
Sandra Irwin-Gowran
GLEN
GLEN
www.twitter.com/@glenLGBT
Editors Notes:
(086) 2330417
(087) 7960615
www.glen.ie
1. The journey to marriage is a thirty year journey that began with the decriminalisation of
homosexuality in 1993, and continued through equality legislation and other key legislative
provisions, in particular the groundbreaking Civil Partnership Act of 2010 which for the first time
recognised lesbian and gay relationships. This year the Children and Family Relationships Act was
also passed which recognises and protects lesbian and gay headed families with children for the
first time.
2. The Marriage Bill removes the current obstacles in legislation that prevent a lesbian or gay
couple from marrying. The Bill also protects religious bodies to ensure that, if they choose not
to, they cannot be compelled to marry lesbian or gay couples. Existing civil partners will have the
choice to marry, but may also choose to remain as civil partners all their lives. Marriages abroad
of lesbian and gay couples will be automatically recognised in Ireland when the Bill is
commenced, which will be about two weeks after the President signs the Bill into law.
3. GLEN, Marriage Equality and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties established the Yes Equality
campaign to lead the Yes campaign in the marriage equality referendum, passed overwhelmingly
by the Irish people on 22nd May 2015. Brian Sheehan from GLEN and Gráinne Healy from
Marriage Equality were the co-Directors of the Yes Equality campaign.