All eyes turn to Dundalk on the political front this weekend. They have a conference blog (looking forward to hearing from the Green Party Gay and Lesbian bloggers this weekend!) And they have a conference flickr stream as you can see from Minister Gormley’s smiling face.
And they have guest speakers…including Ann Louise Gilligan and Katherine Zappone from Marriage Equality. Not sure what the story on the children’s rights issues is…Still going on about the M word though!
Delegates are also hearing tonight from Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan of Marriage Equality Initiative, who are holding a question and answer session with a number of speakers.
Mr Gormley said the forthcoming Civil Partnership Bill may not contain everything the Green Party wanted but said it was a significant move in the right direction and would not have come about without his party’s participation in Government.
Equality campaigner Ms Gilligan and her partner Katherine Zappone are pursuing a Supreme Court case for recognition of their Canadian marriage. She told delegates that marriage is about the freedom to choose to marry the person you love.
I’m in London this weekend where they have Civil Partnerships and childrens’ rights and the sky did not fall in – far far away from Dundalk…though I did get an invite as a blogger 
Missing the motion where the Green’s will complain according to today’s Irish Times (subs required)
The Greens will also strongly support “the fundamental and unquestionable human right” of same-sex couples to marry and complain about “the continuing failure” to treat them equally. Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan is working on a Civil Partnerships Bill, which will given legal, property and pensions protections to same-sex couples, but not allow a marriage ceremony. Urging Mr Lenihan to draft such legislation, the motion said a constitutional amendment should be put to the people if it is found in the future that the legislation breaches the existing Constitution.
You’ve misread that last paragraph “The Greens will also strongly support “the fundamental and unquestionable human right�? of same-sex couples to marry and complain” the right to complain being for “same-sex couples” who are married. Which in a sense is what marriage is really all, about the right to complain in the expectation that someone has to listen. The Greens aren’t intending to complain about anything.
If a junior coalition partner “complain”, does anyone hear [ok translating leaves and distant forest doesn't quite work!] But this is just crap to pretend that you’re not the same as the government of which you are part!
It’s nice that the Greens are inviting the KAL speakers, they’re articulate (as per the Late Late Show), and they look, safe, sane, respectable,etc.However, civil partnership/ unions, is apparently what is on the agenda, and that would include the recognition of foreign jurisdiction same-sex marriages, and that leaves me wondering why there is a focus on a ‘done deal’. Or are we gettig something other than what was promised, on the back page of the Programme for Government? (I get the feeling the last paragraph was added as the document started to print!)
As this is almost over and done with, I want to start hearing about what comes after same-sex partnership. If people or activists think marriage should lead the gay movement to pack up and go home, then they’re mistaken. We need a generation (our generation) to make equality into a living part of our lives. Legislation can only change laws, we now need to change values, hearts and minds and crucially that means more than nice people getting married: it means being more open to diversity.
If I start hearing all different all equal, that would help, and I don’t want to hear ‘all married, all respectable, and screw anyone who doesn’t fit that model’ … we should be bigger than that!
Suzy have you any info on what other speakers from the lgbt sector were at the conference? Anybody speaking about the effects of the forthcoming legislation on people who don’t want to marry or be seen as married?
The greens have elected a communications adviser to Marriage Equality onto their NEC