Cuffe promises Civil Unions Bill by July
Posted by Maman Poulet on 04 Jun 2009 at 06:00 am | Tagged as: Marriage Equality, Same Sex Partnerships
A Tweet sent by Green TD Ciaran Cuffe last night in reaction to another US state legalising same sex marriage. So we have a whiff of a date for the publication of legislation on civil unions in Ireland. And we hear about it a day before the local and European Elections. Of course all the Noisers and Marriage Equality crew will be saying it’s not marriage – there I’ve said it all for them.
Everyone else can start hurling stuff on is there going to be protection for families, or is the tax and social welfare side of life going to be recognised. Or ‘published but when debated’? And of course all the cynics will be going ‘24 hours before an election civil unions makes an appearance albeit it in a tweet in reaction to something that happens far away from Europe!’
Any stories from the canvass – canvasser or cavassed on lgbt issues in this campaign?
Did anyone mention
- Public safety, well lit streets and Joint Policing committees which represent all the community,
- European Union membership, European Parliament debates and importance to the lgbt comunity?
- Local government funding and ensuring lgbt groups are recognised as minorities?
- Social housing and anti-social behaviour and how it affects lgbt tenants?
- SIMs Policies (Social Inclusion Measures)
- How lgbt friendly is the local library?
- Will your local council work with the LGBT community to provide better public spaces for events like Pride?
- Support from Council Arts Officers for LGBT community arts events
Ah yes lgbt issues other than what we call our relationships and when will the government finally make good on it’s promise to recognise them.
Come on someone must have taken their head out of their navel?
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My bet is it languishes in committee for months and will not be law before the next election, as Dermot “save God from libel” Ahern prevaricates.
Looks like they’re promising suns, moons and stars over in St Michael’s Estate too:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=89548028547
How kind to throw a bone to the poor queers! Is the campaign going so badly you need us now? Funny that. Politicians don’t normally care an iota about GLBT issues…
In a week where Poodle and I have experienced three homophobic attacks against our home, part of me would prefer more money for adequate policing and a protective wall (are ya listening Fingal) opposite our home to keep the criminals out rather than money for pretty wedding dresses. But hey, why should I choose? To quote the lovely gal, “I want it all, I want it right now” Chantelle/ CBB!!!
Wasn’t that Bill due last March?
I don’t believe Deputy Cuffe, to be quite honest. He has no say, and no influence in the coalition – he’s a party spokesperson and no more. The Greens will push for their top one or two items on the Government agenda, and LGBT rights are not one of them.
Anything more from Tweetie Green?
Oh, I should say, no stories from canvassers on the doorstep… not a lesser-spotted politician in sight.
Must be endangered species, we should have them preserved in jars or stuffed, no?
I have seen this argument before- make a big list out all of the current deficiencies when it comes to full LGBT equality and complain that none of these are being tackled. And you’re right. There are many existing inequalities beyond gay marriage. But have you ever stopped to consider that it will remain a list without mobilization and engagement of the lGBT community? Do you think the current empowerment that we seem to be seeing could be happening without the a ‘champion’ inequality like the lack of recognition of same-sex relationships? Lets step down off the pedestal here. The revitalisation of a dormant Irish LGBT community (and it is not restricted to Ireland) seems to be happening and we should be celebrating that. I’m excited. I have never seen anything like it. All of my friends are excited. Maybe you should try joining the excitement?
I’m glad S is excited. Perhaps I’m just older and a little more jaded. I’ve spent half my life straddled between the LGBT scene in Ireland and in the UK, just over half of that was in Ireland before I moved back to the UK last year. I’m at a loss to see what S or any other self respecting human being who happens to be L, G, B or T could be excited about either side of the water.
Are we even sniffing at equality, no. Our “civil rights” movement seems to completely focussed on our “right” to “marriage, whether the majority of us want to fashion our relationships in that way or not.
Where the sops that will be handed out are still being dangled in Ireland, has any serious thought been put by those self styled movements into the rights of children, parents?
It all reads like something for the wealthier boys and girls to take advantage of from where I’m sitting. And how many voices are talking about privileging the single and those who don’t own property – who might actually be in more need of tax breaks!
As Sean R points out, homophobic abuse and violence is on the way up. It regular. Persistent. Draining. We’ve all learned so many tactics to live in a heterosexist and homophobic society few of us even recognise it for what it is, happy just to glean a few crumbs of (maybe one day) small approval from the masters table.
MP rightly points to the wider issues which are facing LGBT people than the narrow one which has dominated the agenda for so long. When will our basic human right for peace and equal treatment in our homes, schools, workplaces, and by service providers be seen as a priority?
How many of us have more difficulty in finishing education, gaining quality employment, avoiding ill health and poverty, purely because we are LGB or T? That’s something I’d like to see change well before I think of donning a fluffy white frock and paying €€€€€ for everyone to come celebrate my coupledom!
While we focus on a single issue the way we have done, and those like me have supported it as part of the wider push for equality, we do ourselves no favours. It’s gone on too long now, fight for your marriage equality by all means, but lets put some energy (and some cash all you hoarding so called representative organisations) into the wider equalities work that needs doing, because we are simply too easy a target with a narrow agenda.
Watch your backs for the Christian right is all I can say. Along with the far right making such inroads in the UK and Europe these elections there is significant activity from such groups as the Christian Party. In the UK they fielded candidates in all areas of England and Wales and got significant minority numbers voting for them – numbers the BNP would be proud of and look where they’ve got to!
Christian Party
The National Results for England and Wales
North East 7,263 1.20%
North West 25,999 1.60%
Eastern 24,646 1.54%
East Mid 17,907 1.50%
West Mid 18,784 1.30%
London 51,336 2.90%
South West 21,329 1.40%
South East 35,712 1.50%
Yorkshire 16,742 1.40%
Wales 13,039 1.90%
Perhaps there is too much focus on same sex marriage among the LGBT community. I have absolutely no problem with that. People are active and engaged in that campaign. The people complaining about the prominence of the marriage debate in our community are entirely free to start campaigning for things they deem more important. I get the impression from some of the comments that people expect their own concerns to be magically taken care of without expending any effort themselves. Personally I’m single but I am absolutely delighted that the gay marriage campaign is so active. It makes such a refreshing change from the apathy that has recently characterised the queer community.
Sunday Business Post
21 June 2009
Bill heralding gay civil unions set to be published
By Niamh Connolly Political Correspondent
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern told The Sunday Business Post that he would soon seek cabinet approval for the bill, which will also extend legal rights and protections to same sex couples in the area of inheritance, tax and pension entitlements.
The commitment to civil partnership rights was included in the Programme for Government under pressure from the Green Party. However, there was concern that the legislation had drifted, and the party pressed for its inclusion in the forthcoming review of the programme.
Ahern said that the commitment to give state recognition and protection to civil partnership was a key part of the programme.
This commitment, he said, would be “implemented in full through the forthcoming Civil Partnership Bill, which I will publish within weeks”.
The bill is expected to go second stage debate in the Dáil in the autumn, and will be enacted by the end of the year.
The legislation will allow same-sex couples over the age of 18 to enter into legal partnerships, provided they give three months’ notice of their intention. This means that the state’s first same-sex civil ceremonies could take place early next year.
Some sections of the gay community have criticised the legislation as not going far enough, as it does not make it legal for same-sex couples to marry or adopt children.
Sources said the government had to balance its commitment to reform against concerns expressed by some in Fianna Fáil, that the legislation could pose a threat to the “special status” of heterosexual marriage under the constitution. Green Party whip Ciaran Cuffe, who had pressed for the introduction of the bill, welcomed the move, saying it was an important aspect of his party’s social agenda. He said the Greens “supported full equality and it’s a goal we’ll continue to pursue”.
http://www.thepost.ie/post/text/story.asp?document_id=42607&category_name=&version=print
[...] the city as well as between the canals. I mentioned during last years local and European elections that there were lots of issues beyond recognition of relationships that need to be addressed by elected and unelected officials and it’s very encouraging to see [...]