The Irish Referendum – Irish vote overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage
The Irish referendum : a clear majority of supporters have given approval for same-sex marriage . First results in the public counting started on Saturday morning to show a projection of the ” Yes ” camp in the ratio of about 2:1.
The official results were expected in the afternoon (17 clock CET) . 3.2 million voters were registered for the referendum held on Friday. Ireland is the first nation from the world which introduced referendum for the approval of same-sex marriages . The country is predominantly Catholic. In more than a dozen countries around the world and in most US states gay marriage is already legal. Nowhere, however, the people were asked to do so.
Minister Kevin Humphrey said a landslide victory for the Yes campaign ahead . In his district in the southeast of Dublin more than 75 percent of voters would have voted in favor. The leader of the Catholic Church related party Fianna Fail , Michael Martin , said it looks a unequivocal victory for the advocates . In his district Cork proponents accounted for more than 60 percent .
An opponent of gay marriage , John Murray of the Catholic think tank Iona Institute , said his side prepare to the probable defeat before . His colleague David Quinn congratulated the supporters via Twitter already to victory .
It’s about a change of the 77 -year-old constitution that were previously defined marriage as union between man and woman . If a majority for the sex of the spouses will in future no longer play a role . When a failure of the referendum remains the possibility of homosexual couples introduced in 2011 registered partnership in Ireland . These partners offer fewer rights , especially in social services or custody in separations .
If the proponents of gay marriage prevail , this would be further evidence of the declining influence of the Catholic Church . They voted recently as in the Irish referendum in 1980s, when Ireland overwhelmingly voted against abortion and divorce . Total population of Ireland is 4.6 million.
