Marriage for all

Let me start this post by stating that I support marriage as an institution. I also believe that everyone should have the right to be legally recognised as a married couple and should have the legal protection and rights that come with the territory.

However, I live in Ireland. A country with rich history, talented creative minds and beautiful landscapes. Like any country, it's not perfect. There are restrictions on rights such as abortion, same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption. Catholicism in Ireland has a lot to answer for. As a result of its influence there has been widespread conservatism at play in this country for decades. So much so, that it infringes on basic human rights.

So you can only imagine the excitement when I read this article from Marriage Equality. It's a step in the right direction. It may just be a step, but it's movement towards equal rights for all couples. The way I see it, love is universal. If you're lucky enough to love another human being so much that you can envisage spending your life with them, and you choose to marry. It shouldn't matter what your gender is.

Change is coming in Ireland in several fronts, change which is long overdue. A Millward Brown study showed that 75% of people would vote yes in a referendum to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples. In the same study 69% of people agreed that being raised in a loving home by loving parents is a more significant factor for a child’s well-being than being raised by a mother and a father.

The people of Ireland have voiced their support for same-sex marriage, now it is time for the government to act.