Galway West TD Derek Nolan is to host a marriage equality event in the Harbour Hotel next Monday,(Nov 3 ) ahead of a planned referendum on the issue next spring.
Speaking about the event, Dep Nolan said, “Marriage equality is the civil rights issue of our time and it is vital that we stand together and support the referendum next year. This meeting will kick off a campaign that will secure marriage rights for all citizens in this country.
“The referendum is an opportunity to send a message to the people of Ireland, and the rest of the world, that our country is one that is accepting of all people, and their basic civil rights.
He went on to say that a key principal of human rights law is universality which means that ‘all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights.’
“Essentially, this makes the argument against any form of discrimination, on any grounds, and this should be the central focus of any debate on marriage equality.
“By being denied marriage, gay and lesbian people in this country are being discriminated against and that is not the kind of society that we should be looking to build in Ireland. Irish people should enjoy the same rights across the board, regardless of their sexuality,” he added.
“Ultimately, marriage is about love. It is about committing to spending the rest of your life with one person. We do not have any right to judge someone’s love, and dictate who marries who, and who doesn’t. That is an attitude which is based on intolerance and a fear of social progress.”
The guest speaker at the event will be the Minister of State for New Communities, Culture and Equality, Áodhán Ó Ríordáin TD who said, “I am delighted to be coming to Galway to discuss this issue and I know that Deputy Nolan has done a lot of great work with LGBT groups locally.
“This meeting is an excellent opportunity to give the people of Galway a platform to discuss the issues at hand in an open and frank way, and to begin a discussion about how we go about securing marriage equality in Ireland, once and for all. “
The meeting will take place on Monday, November 3 at 8pm in the Harbour Hotel, Galway. For further details or to register for the event please contact the office of Derek Nolan on 091 561006.
