Friday, July 2, 2010

Ireland

Ireland joined the growing group of countries that offer national recognition of same sex couples with passage of the Civil Partnership law. So the country that many of my ancestors came from, that was very conservative until recently, with laws against divorce and abortion, has now jumped ahead of the US in recognizing at least partial equality for gay and lesbian couples. I wonder why the Democratic party here, whose leader, our President, claims that he supports granting the same rights to same sex couples that married heterosexual couples have, hasn't introduced some form of national civil partnership. The Democrats want our votes and our money for their elections this fall, but where is their support for us? Maybe I should become a Green. I really agree with more of their agenda than the Democrats', but a vote for the Greens takes one away from the Democrats, which is almost the same as voting for a Republican - look at Florida in 2000 (thanks Ralph Nader) for proof.

2 comments:

  1. the US will get there, slowly and kicking and screaming the whole way, but you guys will get there.

    And empty promises are cheap, but they may yet be kept, and at least your leader acknowledges the LGBT community and voices his support, and doesn't try and reverse your legalization of same sex marriage, or pull funding from the Pride Parade.

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  2. He won't introduce any kind of civil partnership for two reasons:

    The LGBT community that supported him so fully will say it's a compromise where there can't be one -- marriage or nothing.

    The rightwing nutjobs will be even more against this not only because they're bigots, but because it goes against the 10th amendment and the state's right to define any kind of marriage/union/partnership.

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