Ireland has been the first country to vote on marriage equality in the E.U. due to our requirement for a referendum on any change to the constitution. We voted for divorce, for automatic citizenship to babies born in the country and now we've voted for marriage definition. Let's step back a moment...
Ireland is an obsessively catholic country - and I mean that with a little c. We passed unmarried mothers to convents where babies were taken from their mothers and sold or neglected, the mothers left to slave away until they were signed out. The last Magdalene Laundry closed in the mid-90s. It took almost two decades to pass before we began to unearth the scandal of child abuse and mass graves the church had dismissed and ignored. The heavy dependence of our culture on the church meant that being gay was only decriminalised in June 1993 (alongside the decriminalisation of suicide or attempts there of) and trade of birth control was banned until 1979 (after which it was legalised on prescription to 'legitimate' families). In 1995 Ireland were given the chance to introduce divorce and it said 'YES!' (with a margin of .28%), we haven't had too many big steps since that day.
Today is the day I will hear my nation roar and I can only hope my voice is not drowned out. I've never much cared what someone else would vote but I could not comprehend anyone holding back the right to happiness and legitimising family units. Marriage in Ireland rests on property law and is undefined in the constitution but presumed to be heterosexual marriage. Civil marriage also exists but falls under the same ruling and civil partnership is fiscally less beneficial than marriage as well as being unrecognised by adoption agencies (leaving only one parent as the legal guardian). Furthermore, I'm bisexual and I haven't found the love of my life yet... What if it is same sex forevers? How could my own mother deny me the right to a wedding?
The world is watching. Everyone has had a say from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to Australian comedian Adam Hill and we've all done our civic duty by now. Actor Ian McKellen urged Ireland to make history and become the first country to legalise marriage equality by popular vote - can we? Can a little country make a big splash? On the other hand, can we afford a negative result? If the nation says no will tourism continue to exist? Will emigration go on the rise once more? Could a yes vote be the financially responsible way to go?
I can't lie, they haven't finished counting yet. I can breath again, though. Late last night it was believed that due to a high polling turn out in the capital there would be a positive result. The official stance at lunch time now declares the highest voting rate in a referendum in the country's short history and an expected 70-80% yes vote.
I haven't had a reason to be proud of my nation before today.
Well said, Ireland.
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