“When gay marriage was last voted on in June there was only a two-vote difference overall, with the motion defeated by just 49 votes to 47”.
Advertisement
Northern Ireland’s Stormont voted today for marriage equality but the move was blocked by The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The four previous votes on gay marriage at Stormont would have fallen on a simple majority basis, regardless of whether a petition of concern was tabled. The politicians have now caught up with the public and voted 53 – 51. Sadly, that isn’t the view of the DUP.
The veto means the motion falls short of getting the necessary support from both major communities.
Speaking after the vote, SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood said: “Today is a significant moment in the campaign for LGBT rights in the North”.
A petition of concern means the implementation of a vote in the Assembly can be dependent on cross-community support.
“The procedure, called a “petition of concern” exists to protect the human rights of minorities”.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has deployed a petition of concern, which prevents a proposal from passing unless it has cross-community backing. He added: “It’s not a rights issue, or an issue of equality…there’s a phoney demand for rights”, and spoke of the “fatuous suggestion that same-sex marriage is the same as regular man/woman marriage”. It seems, for the DUP at least, the answer is yes.
In the Labour Party Irish Society we see through our work with the diaspora in Britain those who have felt the need to move across the water because of the discrimination they face as LGBTs in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland is better than this. Indeed an Ipsos MORI poll published in July 2015 showed 68% support for equal marriage.
“The biblical teaching is clear that marriage is a life-long commitment between one man and one woman”.
The problem is the politicians not the public.
Marriage between same-sex couples will now be recognized by the State and have the same status under the Constitution as marriage between heterosexual couples.
It now remains the only part of the United Kingdom and Ireland where same sex couples are not able to be married.
Previous votes at Stormont have proved controversial, as unionists opposed to legalisation have used a contentious Assembly mechanism to effectively veto it.
Those who voted for equal marriage today should feel pride.
Advertisement
She added: “If a majority of this assembly vote Yes, it would send a powerful message around the globe”, before condemning the attempts by the DUP to block it becoming law.
