Saturday 23 May 2015

Ireland: Leading The Way Into Equality For All

Well done Ireland
Go Ireland !
Today's post was supposed to be the second part of the Desert Island Favourites mini themes, but there is no way I can ignore what happened in Ireland today.
If you somehow missed it, Ireland are the first country to hold a country wide vote on whether or not to legalise gay marriage.
The Irish people have spoken, and gay marriage is now legal in Ireland - to the people of Ireland, I salute you!
Today is about more than gay marriage - it's about acceptance.
Today is the day that the people of a nation stood together as one and said "It's ok to be different, we, as a nation accept you".
Today is the day that the Irish people told the world "We believe in love above all else. And all love is equal and real, and deserves to be recognised."
Today is the day that a majority Catholic nation stood together and said "Love trumps religion."
Today is the day Ireland proved they truly believe in equality.
Today is the day Ireland showed the rest of the world the way forward.
I sincerely hope that what happened in Ireland today starts a world wide trend. That it makes other countries sit up and take notice. That it touches people across the globe, and makes it possible for other countries to get on board.
I would like to say a massive well done to each and every person who voted "Yes" today. You have truly made a huge positive difference to the country you live in, and you should all be very proud of yourselves and your fellow voters.

By the time this post goes live, I realise everywhere I have said today, it was actually yesterday, but I hope you all still get the points I am trying to make.

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)
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26 comments:

  1. To legalize gay marriage would mean that that tax dollars would be spent on things like survivor benefits to a gay spouse. Just like paying for abortions on government funded health plans, this makes Christians, against their free will, participate in things that are abhorrent to them. Things the Bible clearly states are against the plans and purpose God has for our lives. Things, He clearly defines as sin. I am not forced to buy drinks for anyone (do not be a drunkard). I do not have to allow a couple committing adultery into my home, or finance their rendezvous (thou shalt not commit adultery). There are actually laws that back me up in not lying, stealing or murdering. And I resent any government trying to force me to participate in any one's sin.

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    1. I don't think there's such a thing as survivor benefits here and at present, our health system is largely government funded (I'm in the UK) so that wouldn't apply here anyway. As for sin, I think we will have to agree to disagree on what constitutes a sin. All the examples you give are something a person has a choice about doing. Being gay is neither a sin nor a choice.
      Thanks for commenting :)

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  2. I have to admit, I was a bit shocked because I know the country is mostly Catholic. Good on them though.

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    1. To be honest, I was a little surprised for the same reason. I am so glad the people who voted were able to not allow their personal belief system to stand in the way of love and equality for all! Thanks for commenting :)

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  3. Fantastic post!!! I loved all of it. I think it's so great that here love dies trump religion. Good, it's time! People need to not care who marries who. I love your post.!!!!

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    1. Thank you so much :) To be honest, I've never understand why a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman affects someone unless they are one of the two people getting married! Thanks again!

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  4. Good Post - we are fortunate in that our Country (South Africa) with all its faults and warts recognised and legalised gay marriages years ago. However, Gay marriages and relationships are still not accepted by many people and communities and they don't accept or understand that it is as you say not a sin or a choice, but judging someone is a choice and sin

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    1. Thank you :) Regardless of the law, there will always be bigots and people that won't accept equality. Luckily, I think for the most part, those people are now in the minority here (in the UK). I think some of it is down to a lack of understanding, maybe a little fear of the unknown, and unfortunately some of it is down to religious propaganda. That's why I think its so important that a country where the majority of people are catholic accepting gay marriage is such a good step in the right direction! Thank you for commenting :)

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  5. Thanks for your post. I was very surprised with the outcome of the vote but also very proud (I am not even Irish). I strongly believe that gay marriage should be legal. It was definitely a good day for human rights. Everyone has a different view of what is a sin. The notion of sin is a personal feeling and I feel it is wrong for the religious vanguard to impose their notion of sin on others. The Irish people rejected the views of others being imposed upon them and that is a massive step forward.

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    1. I'm not Irish either, but I also felt proud of each and every "Yes" voter. The Christian religion largely teaches love and acceptance "Love thy neighbour" yet this seems to go out of the window for issues like gay marriage. I agree that everyone has their own beliefs on what sin is, but to me to commit a sin, you have to make an active choice to act in a certain way and being gay isn't a choice. How can it be a sin to be exactly who you were born to be? It is a huge step forward for Ireland, and I hope the rest of the world stands up and takes notice! Thank you for stopping by :)

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  6. Lovely post, very positive! Was amazing to see it all play out with #hometovote trending on Twitter and other social media sites. Go Ireland!

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    1. Thank you :) It was brilliant wasn't it, like watching history in the making!

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  7. I'm really pleased to hear (via your blog!) the outcome of the vote, that's really positive news. I'd heard that the vote was taking place and a few people had suggested they didn't think it would be a majority 'yes', so I'm glad to hear Ireland has voted for equality :-)

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    1. With Ireland being mainly catholic, I think a lot of people, myself included, were pleasantly surprised to hear that the people voted "Yes". It is such a huge step forward! Thank you for stopping by :)

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  8. Fab post and it was indeed a great day for human rights. I hope like you, that it makes people realise that this should be legalised in more places. I'm not religious at all, not even a teeny bit, so I am very glad that it was trumped. Love conquers hey?! Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday

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    1. Thank you :) I'm not religious either but from my understanding the Christian God promotes love and acceptance, so I've never really understood the religious issue with it. Love is love after all. And as you say, love conquers all! Thank you for hosting :)

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  9. Read this the other day and come back via the #bigfatlinky. Great post. I was mixed with this news. Part of me was surprised that they did this when considering the religious background of the country. But actually not surprised as Ireland has always seemed to be the multicultural in so any ways. More than us in the UK. Thanks for linking up with us on the #bigfatlinky hope to see you there this week

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    1. That's true, I think in general the Irish (certainly the ones I have met) are much more open minded and accepting of people than a lot of us Brits. Thank you for coming back to comment! Thanks for hosting and I will definitely be by for the next one!

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  10. Yes! It's fantastic. So delighted the yes vote went through, it's a wonderful example for other countries and the way ahead #momsterlink

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    1. Couldn't agree more! Let's hope other countries take note! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  11. Ah kudos to Ireland! I think that every person should be able to love who they want to love and share their life with whoever they want to share their life with and have the same rights as any other marriage. Thanks for linking up to #momsterslink!

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    1. Me too! Love is love when all comes to all, who cares which gender they are! Thank you for hosting :)

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  12. Great post and so true. I think that everyone needs to get with modern ages already. Love is love no matter what kind it is. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me I hope you are enjoying my blog hop and thanks for all the linky support! #sharewithme

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    1. Thank you :) I totally agree - no one should be judged for being in love, its something that should be celebrated! Thanks for hosting :)

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  13. Wow, that's amazing news! Ireland has hopefully set a trend, and hopefully kicked off a domino effect. Thanks for linking up with #myfavouritepost

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    1. It sure is! I really hope so, if a country that's majority Catholic can do, I really think there's hope for the rest of the world following suit! Thank you for hosting :)

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