Irish civil partnership bill passed

Changes on the ground will happen quickly, however. Gay and lesbian couples that entered into a civil partnership in Northern Ireland, or a gay marriage in the U.S., will have their unions automatically recognized once the supporting legislation comes into force in 2011.

Ultimately, it’s believed, the same legal protections that apply to married couples will apply to those who have entered civil partnerships.

In the meantime gay groups in Ireland believe that their progress toward full equality will be incremental. The Irish government will slouch toward full equality, they say.

The new legislation is a major step forward, but the rights of children of same-sex couples still need to be addressed, Finnegan says, also adding that the bill has not seen an improvement for gay Irish citizens with foreign-born partners.

“There are already immigration possibilities for same sex partners, with or without civil partnerships, it’s a relatively recent change,” a spokesperson from the Irish Department of Justice told the Irish Voice.

Meanwhile, although the Catholic Church bitterly opposed the new bill their calls were unanimously resisted by all political parties, who argued that the new bill was a civil issue and not a religious one.

“It’s quite a move for Irish society toward equality, but its not actually equality,” says Finnegan.

“The majority of cross-party speakers acknowledged that it wasn’t full equality, that it was a step along the road.

“Meanwhile the March For Marriage will happen in Dublin in August. Six-thousand marched last year and they expect even greater numbers this year. That’s a message to the government that we accept that you have acknowledged our relationships, but we’re not going to stop fighting for equality.”

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Nster.com