Articles concerning LGB issues recently in the press include:
Irish Times - 27 Jan 2009
LEGISLATION THAT recognises same-sex partnerships has been included in the list of Bills the Government intends to publish before Easter.
The Civil Partnership Bill, which gives recognition to same-sex relationships, has been included in the legislative programme for the spring session announced yesterday by Government Chief Whip Pat Carey.
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Irish Times - 11 Dec 2008
BRUSSELS – The majority of EU states, including the Republic of Ireland, deny same-sex partners of EU citizens the full right to move to join them as they do not recognise homosexual unions, the European Commission said yesterday.
“If a union is recognised in one member state, then another member should in principle accept that union,” justice commissioner Jacques Barrot told a news conference. EU citizens have the right to live in any of the union’s 27 states with their family but that does not apply in all states to the registered partners of homosexual citizens.
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Irish Times - 24 Oct 2008
IT IS NOW six months since Ministers formally decided to legislate for a range of legal rights for cohabiting heterosexual and same-sex couples, as promised in the programme for government. And while work on drafting sections of the Cohabiting Bill are said to be "well advanced", the commitment to legislate for civil partnership "at the earliest possible date" may be losing traction because of its financial implications.
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Irish Times - 6 Sep 2008
THE DEPARTMENT of Social and Family Affairs has said it is undertaking a review of all social welfare codes, including those that may discriminate against same-sex couples.
Responding to complaints against Iarnród Éireann for enforcing rules that exclude same-sex partners from travelling free with over-66s who carry a travel pass, the department said the scheme generally only allowed the “spouse” of a person with a pass to travel free on public transport. “The definition of spouse [Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005] does not extend to partners in a same-sex couple,” a spokeswoman for the department said.
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Irish Times - 16 Aug 2008
From laid-back Paris to party-loving Bangkok, there's a spot to suit everyone, writes Michael Luongo
CALL IT THE PINK EURO, the pink pound or the pink dollar, but one thing is clear: the global economic downturn has not affected gay travel.
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Irish Times - 29 Jul 2008
A RECOMMENDATION that the Department of Education take a lead role in tackling the bullying of gay and lesbian students has been welcomed by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen).
The National Economic and Social Forum’s fifth periodic report published yesterday noted “with concern” continuing homophobic bullying in many schools.
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Irish Times - 2 Jul 2008
THE FIANNA Fáil parliamentary party gave broad support to the Government’s approach to the Civil Partnership Bill last night, after personal contributions to the debate by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to calm any concerns.
The parliamentary party debated the issue in response to a motion from Senator Jim Walsh that called for nothing to be done in the Bill that would lessen the special status of heterosexual marriage as set down in the Constitution.
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Irish Times - 27 June 2008
A GROUP of Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators is seeking to reverse a Government decision to allow gay and lesbian couples register their relationships with the State.
A party motion put forward last night by Wexford-based Senator Jim Walsh demanded that nothing should be done in the upcoming Civil Partnership Bill that would in any way lessen the "special status" enjoyed by heterosexual marriage under the Constitution.
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Irish Times - 24 June 2008
The long-awaited Civil Partnership Bill moved a step closer today after the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform unveiled the outline of the Bill.
The Government had pledged to publish legislation last March that would extend many of the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples, but a number of legal problems have delayed progress on the Bill.
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Irish Times - 16 June 2008
Ireland’s Catholic bishops have restated their opposition to gay marriage today, claiming that “sexual differentiation is intrinsic to our understanding of the sacrament of marriage”.
In a statement, the bishops said they had addressed the issue of the Christian theology of marriage at a meeting last week.
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Irish Times - 23 May 2008
THE SACRAMENT of marriage should not apply to same-sex couples but they should be allowed to have civil partnerships that are recognised by the church, a recently retired Church of Ireland bishop and a senior Catholic theologist both told a conference on same-sex marriage yesterday.
Most Rev Michael Mayes, recently retired Anglican Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, said while he had no problem with the recognition by society and the church of intimate, stable, same-sex relationships, he still had a difficulty with the use of the word marriage.
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Irish Times - 20 May 2008
OPINION: 'We fell in love - an intense, involuntary emotional attraction and desire no different for opposite sex or same sex couples . . .', write Ann Louise Gilligan and Katherine Zappone.
OUR LIFE-PARTNERSHIP spans the divide of two centuries. We met in 1981 as two young doctoral students, both arriving at the same time in the unfamiliar town of Boston, one of us from Dublin and the other from Seattle. We came to study education and theology at one of the renowned academic establishments for these disciplines, Boston College.
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Irish Times - 22 Apr 2008
IF WE can't even decide whether vitamin supplements are good for our children - judging by one report last week by Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark - we can forget about relying on the raft of studies since the 1970s about same-sex parenting, despite the fact that the resulting data is overwhelmingly supportive.
Social science, religion, law and politics are colliding with dangerous results, even though nearly 40 years of studies on children of gay parents predominantly conclude it's the quality of care that counts.
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Irish Times - 18 Apr 2008
ANALYSIS: Legislating on the issues of same-sex couples and sperm donation can no longer be avoided, writes Carol Coulter .
CONCLUDING HIS High Court judgment on the guardianship application of a sperm donor on Wednesday, Mr Justice John Hedigan called for the legislature to give urgent consideration to the existence of same-sex couples, in a situation where they wish one of them to bear a child.
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Irish Times - 17 Apr 2008
A GAY friend of a lesbian couple who donated his sperm to one of them, resulting in the birth of a boy now aged almost two, has lost his landmark High Court bid for guardianship of the child and has also been refused access.
In rejecting the man's case yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan said the welfare of the child was best served by remaining with the lesbian couple and by the man having no guardianship or access.
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Irish Times - 02 Apr 2008
GAY EQUALITY groups have given a mixed welcome to new civil partnership legislation that will extend many of the benefits and legal obligations of marriage to same-sex couples.
The Irish Times reported yesterday that the heads of a new Bill are being finalised under which same-sex partners will be able to avail of marriage-like benefits in a range of areas such as property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax.
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Irish Times - 01 Apr 2008
THE GOVERNMENT is finalising legislation on civil partnerships that will extend many of the same benefits and legal obligations of marriage to same-sex couples, writes CARL O'BRIEN , Social Affairs Correspondent.
However, it will not provide any right for same-sex couples to be considered as joint adoptive parents, despite a strong campaign by gay equality groups.
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Irish Times - 24 Mar 2008
THE GOVERNMENT will publish its legislative proposals recognising civil partnerships, including same-sex unions, by early next month, The Irish Times understands.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan and Minister for the Environment John Gormley both promised last November the Government would publish the "heads" of a bill recognising partnerships by the end of March.
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Irish Times - 24 Mar 2008
THE GOVERNMENT will publish its legislative proposals recognising civil partnerships, including same-sex unions, by early next month, The Irish Times understands.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan and Minister for the Environment John Gormley both promised last November the Government would publish the "heads" of a bill recognising partnerships by the end of March.
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Irish Times - 20 Mar 2008
A GROUP working for gay and lesbian rights in the Church of Ireland yesterday called for the Government to bring in legislation to ensure that civil partners are given the same entitlements as spouses in pension schemes.
Draft legislation on civil partnerships is expected from the Government by the end of this month. Civil partnerships between same-sex couples are currently not recognised in this State.
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Irish Times - 15 Mar 2008
FAMILY LAW judges will have to rule on issues relating to the new Irish family in the absence of legislation on questions like same-sex parenting, according to a leading family lawyer.
Inge Clissman SC was speaking at a conference on children's rights and the law in Trinity College on Thursday night.
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Irish Times - 15 Mar 2008
AMERICA: LIKE MANY married couples in their 50s, Annie Rogers and Íde O'Carroll are thinking about retirement. The pair plan to move from Amherst, Massachusetts, to Lismore, Co Waterford, where they already have a house.
Íde, who is Irish, runs an international social research consultancy that takes her to Ireland for work, often for months at a time. Annie, who teaches psychology at the nearby university, spends as much time as she can in Ireland but, as a US citizen, can only stay for three months at a time.
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Irish Times - 19 Feb 2008
The introduction of legislation allowing civil marriage for same-sex couples does not have the majority backing of the Government, a Green Party TD said.
Deputy Ciarán Cuffe said he and his party backed marriage equality but did not have the support in Government of the majority partner. "At the end of the day politically it boils down to six versus 78," he said.
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Irish Times - 19 Feb 2008
A same-sex couple calling for an amendment to the Civil Registration Act to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples say they are seeking equality rather than special treatment.
Paul Kenny and Mark McCarran have been in a relationship for almost three years, and while they are happy together, the couple still want an opportunity to have the same rights as their heterosexual friends.
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Irish Times - 18 Feb 2008
A report to be published today has found a very high uptake of mental health and emotional support services by gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
The report also found that almost half of the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people surveyed had not revealed their sexuality to their GPs or practice nurses during the previous 10 years.
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Irish Times - 16 Feb 2008
Same-sex parents hope that talking to TDs about civil union in advance of next month's Heads of Bill will have an impact, writes Róisín Ingle
Seventeen-year-old Clare O'Connell knew exactly the message she wanted to get across to her local TDs when she and her family met them to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage in Leinster House earlier this week.
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Irish Times - 05 Dec 2007
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan yesterday ruled out the
prospect of a referendum to allow for gay marriage, insisting that
such a move would be divisive and unsuccessful.
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Irish Times - 28 Nov 2007
The Iona Institute (letters 21st Nov.) seems to have a strangely reductive view of marriage, and why the state should recognise it, says Christopher Robson of GLEN
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Irish Times - 17 Nov 2007
Denying gay marriage is a device by conservatives to champion their own ideas by denying the rights of others, argues Quentin Fottrell.
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Irish Examiner - 7 Nov 2007
Columnist Stephen King calls on the government to live up to its commitment to legislate for civil partnerships
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Irish Times - 5 Nov 2007
In April 2006, the Taoiseach, speaking at the opening of new offices of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, made an eloquent and apparently sincere statement on full equality for gay men and lesbians: "Our sexual orientation is not an incidental attribute.
To Read Editoral
Irish Times - 29 Oct 2007
The Government has announced plans to give legal recognition to same-sex couples but the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Brian Lenihan, has ruled out gay marriage as being in conflict with the Constitution.
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Irish Times - 29 Oct 2007
Plans to grant legal recognition to same-sex couples should be based on principles of equality and introduced as soon as possible, according to the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen).
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Irish Times - 29 Oct 2007
Legislation to give full legal recognition to same-sex couples is to be reintroduced in the Dáil this week by the Labour Party in a Private Members' motion.
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Irish Times - 17 Oct 2007
An increase in the number of suicidal young gay men highlights the importance of properly-funded support
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Irish Times - 8 Sept 2007
Political Analyst Noel Whelan urges Government to implement Civil Partnership Commitment before the end of 2007.
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Press Release - 31 Aug 2007
Addressing world experts at the International Association of Suicide Prevention Conference in Killarney, the President said the link between sexual identity and suicide had to be addressed.
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Irish Examiner - 18 Jul 2007
The HSE has launched a study into GLBT suicides.
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Irish Times - 17 Jul 2007
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he plans to legislate for same-sex partnerships
"at the earliest possible date" in the lifetime of this Government.
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Irish Times - 16 Jul 2007
A lack of specific services for older gay people is causing "serious concern" to people in their 60s, according to Outhouse, Dublin's gay community centre. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will officially open Outhouse's refurbished centre today.
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Irish Examiner - 08 Jun 2007
Gay rights activists marked the beginning of Dublin's Pride festival by demanding the next government prioritise legislation recognising same sex couples.
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The Sunday Tribune - 03 Jun 2007
THE convention of the 'Hotpress Interview' is that it always needs one answer that will produce a headline . . .
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The Connaught Telegraph - 10 Jan 2007
In a letter to The Connaught Telegraph, Adam Long of GLEN outlines the benefits of The Labour Party Civil Unions Bill.
To Read Letter
Irish Times - 22 Dec 2006
A lesbian couple are to appeal to the Supreme Court against a High Court ruling that they do not have the right to marry here under the Constitution.
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Irish Times - 19 Dec 2006
Transsexuals will be able to have their gender changed in new Irish passports in what will be the first statutory recognition of transgender rights in Irish legislation.
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Irish Times - 18 Dec 2006
Claims that children raised by same-sex parents are worse off than children raised by heterosexual parents, as maintained here last week by Rik Van Nieuwenhove of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, are not supported by research evidence, writes Geraldine Moane
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Irish Times - 18 Dec 2006
The High Court's refusal to recognise the Canadian marriage of Catherine Zappone and Ann-Louise Gilligan will not bring an end to this issue.
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Sunday Tribune - 17 Dec 2006
Romantic Ireland's truly dead and gone , , no wonder the High Court rejected a gay couple's plea to have their union recognised in law, writes Nell McCafferty
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Irish Times - 15 Dec 2006
Ursula Kilkelly, Senior Lecturer in Law at University College Cork (UCC)describes Judge's ruling as 'A Narrow View'
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01 Dec 2006
The Labour Party Spokesperson on Justice, Brendan Howlin TD, has welcomed the
publication by the Law Reform Commission on Rights and Duties of
Cohabitants.
To read Press Article
Irish Times - 02 Dec 2006
The Law Reform Commission's proposals could herald a sea-change in the way relationships between cohabiting couples are regarded in the eyes of the law, writes Carl O'Brien.
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Irish Times - 02 Dec 2006
Government plans to give greater recognition in law to cohabiting couples will not threaten or undermine the institution of marriage,
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell insisted yesterday.
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Irish Times - 27 May 2006
Article by Carol Coulter in the Irish Times on Conference organised by The Equality Authority and others aimed at exploring the options open to Ireland with regard to legal status for same sex relationships.
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Irish Times - 26 May 2006
Irish Times report on how Minister for Justice was heckled by protesters at a conference to discuss the legal status of same-sex couples in Dublin on 26.05.06.
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Irish Times - 20 May 2006
Ireland could be in breach of international human rights conventions in not making any provision for de facto couples, according to new research for the Human Rights Commission.
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Irish Times - 20 May 2006
As a successful ambitious country, Ireland should now apply its "can-do" approach to social reform, including recognition of gay and lesbian relationships, writes Kieran Rose
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Irish Times - 20 May 2006
I've been a teacher for 27 years, and I've been "out" as a gay man to my colleagues for more than 10 years. I've worked through many of the issues that other gay teachers have still to face.
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Irish Times - 20 May 2006
A new group in the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) is giving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered teachers a voice. It's a voice that hasn't been heard before. It certainly hasn't been listened to. Louise Holden reports on a struggle for equality
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Irish Times - 20 May 2006
One of the less attractive characteristics of adolescents is their capacity for clannishness and inflicting verbal pain on those whom they perceive to be different. Individuals so judged - too thin or too fat, too tall or too small, too this or too that, it does not really matter to the dynamic at play - are frequently targeted by groups of their peers for no good reason.
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Irish Times - 19 May 2006
Homophobic bullying is a prevalent problem in second-level Irish schools, according to a report published today, writes Áine Kerr.
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Irish Times - 19 May 2006
One of the less attractive characteristics of adolescents is their capacity for clannishness and inflicting verbal pain on those whom they perceive to be different. Individuals so judged - too thin or too fat, too tall or too small, too this or too that, it does not really matter to the dynamic at play - are frequently targeted by groups of their peers for no good reason.
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Irish Examiner - 22 Apr 06
THE Government is committed to bringing in legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has insisted.
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www.loadzajobs.ie - 25 Apr 06
Though Ireland has moved on dramatically in terms of equal opportunities, sexuality is still a grey area in the changing culture of the workplace. Lisa Matassa reports
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Irish Examiner - 22 Feb 06
Hi my name is Kevin. I am 18, and I ’m gay.
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Irish Examiner - 22 Feb 06
When details of what The Sun dubbed a “sordid” ad on a gay website were splashed across newspapers last month, the Gorey councillor
who placed it was in little doubt as to the challenges facing Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
Anne and her daughter Joan live in Dublin. Joan is 24, and came out to her family (Anne, father Tom and sister Barbara) at the age of 21.
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
Communicating with a son or daughter who is coming out is all about being open-minded, says Louise O’Donovan of Parents’ Support. Her son, now 33, came out in his late teens.
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
As Irish society becomes more tolerant of diversity, so business appears more comfortable targeting the gay market with specific products and services.
A potentially lucrative niche, the purchasing power of this sector is commonly referred to as the pink pound.
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
In this month’s Gay Community News (GCN), editor Brian Finnegan describes a telling trip to the cinema in Dublin
During a particular scene in rom-com The Family Stone, an uptight character played by Sarah Jessica Parker repeatedly offends her
partner’s gay brother and his boyfriend, going down in flames with the clanger: “Well, I’d want my baby to be normal.”
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
MORE than half the public supports some form of gay marriage, according to a new poll which shows 51% of adults are in favour of giving legal status to gay partnerships.
The Irish Examiner/Red C survey on attitudes to homosexuality also reveals that exactly half of Irish adults would be happy to allow gay people to adopt children on the same terms as heterosexuals.
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Irish Examiner - 21 Feb 06
DRAMATIC changes in Irish attitudes to homosexuality and the rights of gay people — as revealed in today’s Irish Examiner/Red C opinion poll are to be warmly welcomed.
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Irish Times Article - 18 Nov 05
Gráinne Close and Shannon Sickels will make history in Belfast next month when they become the UK’s first lesbian couple to be legally recognised as civil partners.
They tell Brian Finnegan what it means to them.
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Breaking News Story - 09 Dec 05
A new EU directive due to come into effect in April will require partnerships recognised in other non-EU countries to be also recognised in Ireland,
an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday. While the directive does not explicitly state what type of partnership this may be, it does not rule out the
possibility that homosexual unions may also be included.
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Letters to the Irish Times
Madam, - I write in response to Breda O'Brien's column last Saturday on the Catholic Church and homosexuality. Ms O'Brien says she does not believe
the Vatican instruction banning homosexuals from seminaries is homophobic or hate-filled.
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Article by Niall Crowley - 06 Dec 05
The Vatican document on homosexuality and the
priesthood raises questions about the capacity of institutions controlled by the Catholic Church to fight discrimination and promote equality, writes Niall Crowley.
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Breaking News Story - 06 Dec 05
The Government is likely to introduce a new civil partnership law which would provide legal recognition for tens of thousands of same-sex or cohabiting couples,
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell signalled yesterday.
To Read Article
