Marriage equality is the gold standard
Dublin – 7 May 2009
Irish government plans to introduce British-style same-sex civil partnerships have been condemned as “retrograde, divisive, second best, discriminatory and sexual apartheid” by LGBT rights and Green Party parliamentary candidate Peter Tatchell.
He was speaking at the Marriage Matters for Lesbian and Gay People In Ireland symposium in Dublin on 7 May 2009, organised by the National Lesbian & Gay Federation of Ireland and attended by delegates representing Ireland’s LGBT organisations.
A keynote speaker at the Symposium, Mr Tatchell stressed that it was up to Irish LGBT people to determine their own legislative goals. But expressing his personal perspective he was highly critical of the Dublin government’s decision to press ahead with civil partnership laws, instead of taking the “simple, fast and low-cost” step of amending the marriage laws to allow same-sex couples to marry.
He told the Symposium:
“The proposed Irish civil partnership legislation is a big mistake and an insult to same-sex couples. It is a rejection of marriage equality. Separate laws for gay people are not equal laws.
“Civil partnerships will reinforce the ban on same-sex marriage and thereby reinforce discrimination. They will extend discrimination by denying heterosexual couples the right to have a civil partnership. This is not equality. It is sexual apartheid: one law for straights and another law for queers.
“Imagine the outcry if the Irish government banned black people from getting married and offered them civil partnerships instead. No one would tolerate such discrimination. Why should LGBT people settle for apartheid-style civil partnerships?
“I urge the Irish government to take a principled stand in favour of equality by ditching its civil partnership proposals and instead bring forward legislation to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples.
“Civil partnerships are not good enough. They are second best. Same-sex couples deserve the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Creating one law for gays and another for straights is a retrograde, divisive step.
“I urge the Irish government to not follow the flawed British system of civil partnerships. Let Ireland lead the way and outdo the Brits by giving full civil marriage rights to its lesbian and gay citizens.
“Equality has always been our goal. We should settle for nothing less.”