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Ireland has first-in-world national referendum on gay marriage [Update: Yes Wins]

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Raxus

Member
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Count of one box from Wicklow

51 gays voted no.
/s
 
I'm glad it turned out great. I know so many Irish people from Ireland(one of my my best friends married one). I'm glad most of the the young people voted for it. Gives me hope. Time is on our side as the older stubborn people die off. It's macabre to say so but in some cases, there is really nothing else you can do but to wait for the older generation to pass on.
 

RangerX

Banned
So proud of my fellow citizens now it looks like an overwhelming yes. The fact that homosexuality was only discriminated in 1993 shows just how far we have come. I'll meet some of my friends that this directly affected for a drink later on to celebrate. They are no longer second class citizens. Its supposed to be a republic after all.
 
I see something like this and I'm like "holy shit, world, how is this remotely an issue?"

Like, I can see some issues that actually need discussion, like how exactly to improve social norms for women and minorities, and how to get people to see things from the perspective of the aforementioned groups. What issues are prevalent, and what can be worried about later.

I can see that. But gay marriage? What is there to take to a vote? What is there to discuss? There's nothing* less complicated in my eyes.

*Not at the moment
 

Maledict

Member
I've known a few gay guys from Ireland, and I can only imagine the impact this passing will have on them. Ireland will have come so very far, so very fast it's almost like another world compared to how things were even 10 years ago.

Arguments about voting on equality aside, the message this sends to gay people in Ireland, young and old, is unbelievable. The entire country can hold its head up high with pride right now.
 

HylianTom

Banned
Very proud of my 50% Irish heritage right now.

Same here.

I think of my grandma today. She was Irish American, very devout Catholic.. but her attitude towards gay folks deviated sharply from the Church's position. Even decades ago, she said she regarded gay men as gifts from God to their families. I never got to come out to her, but her words were very comforting through my youth.
 

Heartfyre

Member
Great news to wake up to.

I've been surprised not only by the international media attention, but also by the tone of it. The phrase "conservative, Catholic Ireland" had been bandied about quite a bit, and I was surprised that that was how the world still saw us. If you're simply considering referenda results from the 1990s, then I understand, but such a conception is so out-of-date and unreflective of Irish society today, and I'm hoping the message that this result sends across the world is that the international community have to change their perceptions.

In case people are wondering why it had to go to a vote in the first place, marriage and the make-up of the family are defined in the Irish Constitution in a stroke of 1939 Catholic authoritarianism. We've been having yearly referenda to clean up the content of it and bring up up-to-date with modern Irish society.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
Count faster, Ireland. I want to see the scale of the crushing defeat of NO. :3
 

ivysaur12

Banned
A tally of 22 percent of the boxes again suggests that the Yes campaign will win the Marriage referendum.

This tally has a good mix of urban and rural voters.

Only 2 boxes with a No majority have been tallied so far – one was in Drogheda and one in Dundalk. In the Drogheda box there were 152 No votes and 150 Yes votes and 2 spoilt votes!

At the moment with 13,240 votes counted, the Yes vote is on 64.5 percent and the No vote is on 34.6 percent with less than 1 percent of votes spoilt.

Jesus christ.
 

Booser

Member
Cavan / Monaghan represent! I actually don't know how my parents voted but every single person I know, bar one, voted yes. That's gotta be good
 

RangerX

Banned
Great news to wake up to.

I've been surprised not only by the international media attention, but also by the tone of it. The phrase "conservative, Catholic Ireland" had been bandied about quite a bit, and I was surprised that that was how the world still saw us. If you're simply considering referenda results from the 1990s, then I understand, but such a conception is so out-of-date and unreflective of Irish society today, and I'm hoping the message that this result sends across the world is that the international community have to change their perceptions.

In case people are wondering why it had to go to a vote in the first place, marriage and the make-up of the family are defined in the Irish Constitution in a stroke of 1939 Catholic authoritarianism. We've been having yearly referenda to clean up the content of it and bring up up-to-date with modern Irish society.

Yeah agree with this. I genuinely didn't think other countries still saw us like that. I don't think I know anyone in my family, group of friends or extended family and acquaintances that could be labeled that way. Theres still plenty of people who nominally describe themselves as catholic but the church's influence on society has long been eroded.
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Immediately once the official result is out.
There could be an appeal. That could delay the president signing it into law. Not sure if that would affect marriages happening. But it doesn't sound like the leading no campaigners are eying an appeal.
 
Really am hoping this will send a proverbial slap to the North to get its shit together, but as mentioned, it will never happen with the DUP still in charge. But as is, South shows North it's the best part of Ireland. <3
 

ivysaur12

Banned
There could be an appeal. That could delay the president signing it into law. Not sure if that would affect marriages happening. But it doesn't sound like the leading no campaigners are eying an appeal.

All signs point to that they've given up an accepted the inevitable.
 

Kenai

Member
Fistbump from across the pond for Ireland.

Hopefully the holdouts in he U.S. and elsewhere get with the times too.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
Really am hoping this will send a proverbial slap to the North to get its shit together, but as mentioned, it will never happen with the DUP still in charge. But as is, South shows North it's the best part of Ireland. <3

Except for the whole abortion thing.
 

Par Score

Member
Fantastic news from and for Ireland. I agree that matters of equality and basic rights shouldn't be subject to popular vote, but having visible, provable, overwhelming backing from the public will do wonders for LGB people on the Emerald Isle.

Now NI just needs to get it's act together, and Australia for that matter.

Also -- Ireland needs electronic voting.

Electronic voting is a bad joke that should never get anywhere near a proper election. The extent of it's use in, for example, the US presidential election, is utterly horrifying.
 
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