A Clare-based LGBT rights campaigner says the spirit of the Marriage Equality movement must be harnessed to prevent a further step back in attitudes towards the trans community.
Ireland is set to mark the 10th anniversary of the historic bill this week.
This Thursday May 22nd will mark 10 years since the Marriage Equality referendum passed by a near two-thirds majority.
The hugely significant moment in recent Irish history saw the country become the first in the world to legalise gay marriage.
Quare Clare’s Orla Vaughan says the outpouring of good will at the time of the referendum was overwhelming.
Since the passing of the vote, almost 6,000 same sex couples in Ireland have gotten married and 2016 saw the highest peak in the number of newlyweds, when over 1,000 couples tied the knot.
In that time, 83 same sex ceremonies have been held in Clare, with 15 of those celebrated last year.
Ennis born former priest, author and activist, Bernárd Lynch says the right to marry elevated the LGBT community to the status of ordinary people.
It’s claimed serious regression has been seen worldwide in the democratic freedoms of the LGBT community though, particularly in the area of trans rights.
Concerns have been raised in some quarters over a recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK defining the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, while in the US transgender people have been described as “the thin end of the wedge” in a culture war.
Clare native and member of the national LGBT Federation, Adam Long says although Ireland is strong on the principles of trans rights, the country rank at the bottom of healthcare facilities available to transgender people.
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