Just 22 years after decriminalizing homosexuality, Ireland becomes the first nation to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. As votes were still being counted on Saturday, the ‘No’ campaign conceded defeat, and tweeted congratulations to the ‘Yes’ side. The Iona Institute which fought to prevent gay marriage, issued a statement on Saturday, that read in part:
We would like to congratulate the Yes side on winning such a handsome victory in the marriage referendum. They fought a very professional campaign that in truth began long before the official campaign started.
Early tallies showed the referendum appeared to be passing by a convincing margin, with ‘Yes’ votes coming in at approximately a 2 to 1 ratio over ‘No’ votes. A huge crowd had assembled at Dublin Castle to celebrate the results.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Gay rights activists heralded the victory as an important milestone, given Ireland’s strong conservative Catholic tradition. In just a little over two decades, the nation, which remains nearly 85 percent Catholic, went from regarding homosexuality as a crime, to voting overwhelmingly in favor of legalize same-sex marriages.
Approval for the referendum spread across the political spectrum, gathering support from the Labour Party, Sinn Fein, and Prime Minister Enda Kenny from the center-right Fine Gael party.
While Ireland becomes the first nation to legalize same-sex marriages by popular referendum, many other countries have legalized gay marriage through legislative action. Same-sex marriages are now legally recognized in the following countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Argentina, Iceland, Portugal, Denmark, Brazil, England and Wales, France, New Zealand, Uruguay, Luxembourg and Scotland. Finland has also legalized gay marriages, but the law does not go into effect until 2017.
The United States has not yet legalized same-sex marriages nationally, although 37 states and the District of Columbia now allow it. Three of those states — Washington, Maine, and Maryland, passed gay marriage by popular vote. The Supreme Court has the opportunity in June to declare state bans on same sex marriage unconstitutional, thereby paving the way for the United States to legalize same-sex marriages throughout the country. With nations like Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and now Ireland, leading the way ahead of the United States, the time to act is already past due.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
