LGBTQ news and entertainment
With 60.5% of voters making their way to the polls (higher than any other Irish referendums), the official numbers for Ireland’s nationwide vote on same-sex marriage were 62.1% voting Yes and only 37.9% No.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: ‘This vote will give hope to millions of same-sex couples around the world who want to marry the person they love.’
Polls showed strong support for the Yes to Equality vote, with the last survey revealing 74% of Irish people were in favor.
BREAKING: Both sides in Ireland’s gay marriage referendum say ‘yes’ side has won resounding victory
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2015
MORE: ‘It’s a very proud day to be Irish’: Ireland vote permitting gay marriage heading toward landslide win: http://t.co/DdN59tmzAI
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2015
From the Associated Press:
Leaders on both sides of Ireland’s gay marriage campaign say advocates of legalization have won a resounding victory with the ballot count still underway.
Senior figures from the “no” campaign, who sought to prevent Ireland’s constitution from being amended to permit gay marriage, say the only question Saturday is how large the “yes” side’s margin of victory will be from Friday’s vote.
An Irish Cabinet minister, Leo Varadkar, who came out as gay at the start of the government’s campaign, says Dublin looks to have voted about 70 percent in favor of gay marriage, while most districts outside the capital also were reporting strong “yes” leads. Official results come later Saturday.
Varadkar said: “We’re the first country in the world to enshrine marriage equality in our constitution and do so by popular mandate. That makes us a beacon, a light to the rest of the world of liberty and equality. It’s a very proud day to be Irish.”
There’s whole lot of happy dancing going on here at The Randy Report – half-Irish here don’t you know 🙂
Ireland becomes the 21st country in which same-sex couples can marry, and the first to do so via nation-wide referendum.
Polls have closed. THANK YOU! We’ll be updating on results all day tomorrow #marref pic.twitter.com/86Vd11jSLc
— YesEquality2015 (@YesEquality2015) May 22, 2015
Tony Perkins, of the virulently anti-gay Family Research Council, tells the audience at this year’s “Watchmen On The Wall” conference that within five years pastors will be dragged from their pulpits “kicking and screaming” if the Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage.
The fear mongering this man whips up knows no limits. Of course, the whole notion he presents here is a load of crap.
Note the very dramatic five second pause at the :30 mark.
Today history is being made as Ireland becomes the world’s first country to hold a nation-wide referendum on same-sex marriage.
The Irish Times is reporting high voter turnout in the urban areas and lower than expected turnout in the rural zones, which bodes well for marriage equality.
Polls close at 10PM local time, which is 5PM on the US east coast.
As Ireland does not have electronic voting, we won’t hear any concrete results until some time Saturday.
Forward.
— Lone Star Q (@lsqnews) May 21, 2015
By a vote of 141-2, the Texas state House passed Bill 2065 which would reaffirm that pastors and churches can’t be forced to participate in same-sex weddings.
LGBT advocates say the Pastor Protection Act is unnecessary because clergy and churches are already protected from being forced to participate in same-sex weddings under the state and federal constitutions as well as Texas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
No same-sex couple has tried to force an unwilling clergy member to officiate their wedding.
Opponents of the legislation are also concerned that pastors acting in a secular role, such as county clerks and justices of the peace, might use the bill as a basis for denying licenses to same-sex couples or refusing to marry them.
The Pastor Protection Act has already cleared the Senate, and Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will sign it.
Gallup Polling reports that support for same-sex marriage has reached all-time highs among both political parties, which overall support now at 60%. This is up from last year’s “all-time high” of 55%.
The numbers break down like this: Democrats at 76% support, independents at 64% and Republicans at 37%.
That 37% for Republicans is up 7% from last year.
Also significant – last year, just 48% of Americans aged 50-64 supported legally recognizing gay marriage. But in 2015, this figure has climbed to a majority of 54%.
Mixed martial artist for Ultimate Fighting Championship weighs in on Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum happening this Friday.
Myself and my team are urging everyone to please VOTE YES TO EQUALITY! Every human deserves equal rights #WeAreAllOne pic.twitter.com/PbyTXNHzKQ
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 19, 2015
#BeMyYes is an online campaign to give voice to those Irish abroad who cannot vote in Ireland’s Marriage Equality Referendum on May 22nd 2015.
Jack and Stefaan share their story:
They’ve loved each other for over nine years. Last year, Jack proposed in the same Galway cinema where they had their first date.
But it’s up to Ireland to say “yes.”
They now live in London and represent the real impact this referendum will have on Irish people’s lives.
They’ve booked a venue in Galway for their wedding next year but will find out on Friday May 22nd if they will be able to live their lives fully and happily in their home country.
According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 56 percent of Republicans would show up for the nuptials of a loved one marrying a same-sex partner.
While this figure still trails the attendance of Democrats (80 percent) and those who identify as independent (70 percent), it contrasts with the anti-gay views expressed by many in the Republican leadership.
In total, 68 percent of respondents said they would accept the same-sex wedding invitation, 19 percent would decline, and 13 percent were undecided.