Ireland gay rights

Senator David Norris has been a member of Seanad Éireann since and was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in Ireland. A Joycean scholar and former Senior Lecturer of English at Trinity College, Dublin, he was a founder of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform in the early s. Note that this fascinating piece is a little longer than our usual posts. I had the unusual experience of having made the transition from being a criminal as a result of being gay to the situation in Ireland where I could now marry another man if I could find one!

Social movements began in the s and continued in the s with protests and sanctions. In , Ireland legalised same sex marriage through a referendum — a global first through popular vote. That same year, the Gender Recognition Act provided an avenue for recognising a change in gender. Then, in , came the partial lifting of the lifetime ban on blood donations by gay men.

In , Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage through a national referendum vote. The Constitution of Ireland, adopted in , was heavily influenced by Catholic social teaching and aligned with the values of the majority of citizens at the time. Article 44 accorded a special position to the Catholic Church as the guardian of faith. Homosexuality and abortion were criminal offenses.

Along with this acceptance, most forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation are now illegal and have been since the s. The gay scene is primarily located within the city center and features dance parties, saunas, and drag cabarets. This huge celebration attracts upwards of 60, visitors every year and is one of the main reasons why Dublin is considered to be the hub for the Irish gay community. While Galway may not have as many predominantly gay venues to party the nights away in, most establishments are gay-friendly so the options seem endless.