"We must become unavoidable": 10 years of the Marriage Referendum

RTÉ News​

22-05-2025

The Marriage Equality Referendum of 2015 changed things for the LGBTQ+ community, and reshaped Irealnd's conversation around love and acceptance, but a decade on, there are still many fights to be fought on the road to true equality.
I spoke to five prominent LGBTQ+ individuals about the impact of the referendum on their lives, and what is to come next.
President of Trinity College Dublin Students' Union, Jenny Maguire, is an LGBTQ+ activist who has spoken candidly about her experiences as a young trans woman growing up in Ireland. With marriage equality in place for much of her life, she reflects on the importance of reaffirming Ireland's support for the LGBTQ+ amid rising tides of oppression.
What did the Marriage Equality Referendum mean to you at the time?
During Marriage Equality I was in first year of secondary school, and it was significant for me because it brought the discussion and existence and lives of queer people to the forefront of the national conversation. When signs were going up and ads were playing and debates were happening, I could contribute without feeling like I was outing myself.
I will never forget the memories of both of my parents bringing me to the polling stations and going in with me and voting yes. Getting to exist in that, celebrate that, and see all the public support after the fact, even now, I smile thinking about it. It was truly transformative to my own self esteem as a young queer person at the time.
How do you think things have changed for the LGBTQIA+ community in the decade since?
We can best see the change by looking not just at ourselves but abroad as well. If you look at the Rainbow Map, the UK in 2015 ranked number 1 in Europe for LGBT rights; they now place 22nd. I think this is indicative of a broader cultural shift, a focus and a concerted effort by [some] conservative groups to demonise the LGBT community overall by looking and targeting the trans community.
When the first bathroom bills were introduced in North Carolina in the United States, sports associations and wide areas of public life boycotted events in the state; now it is a common occurrence. The dial has been shifted away from us and yes, we are seeing this in laws and attempts by various states to suppress the LBGT community, but the most damaging effect is the cultural impact it has, and the permission it provides to those wishing to cause us harm on the streets, in workplaces and every area of public life.
The sense of hope and joy I had ten years ago is gone. Instead, my hope exists in spite of the world around me, not because of it.
What do you think will be the most prominent issues facing LGBTQIA+ people in the next decade?
We need to reacknowledge the political nature of our queer organisations. The tactics of how we are working and have worked over the past ten years has not been to defend our rights, we have been taking our rights as a given, whereas we now see that that needs to be restrategised.
Prides need to be taking on protest matters, holding politicians to account, and advocating without apology for our community. This is something we have been doing, but it's something we need to step up and demand with our full chests. Whether it's full recognition of queer families in Irish law or LBGT healthcare, whether that is access to PrEP or trans healthcare, these are all issues that are not getting the national attention they need.
During the HIV crisis, groups like ACT UP made themselves unavoidable. We must become unavoidable and unignorable.
Zeda the Architect, aka Oyindamola Animashaun, is a visual artist, stylist, curator, and creative director working across Ireland's fashion, arts and cultural sectors. Intersectionality and diversity are key components in her work and something she hopes that institutions will fight for, not pay lip service to.
Ten years on from the marriage equality referendum, what are the conversations we need to be having in 2025 that we were not having in 2015?
In 2015, we were fighting to be recognised; in 2025, we should be talking about how we're being supported. Marriage equality was a massive step, but it didn't solve the layers of systemic discrimination that queer people - especially trans people, Black and POC queer folks, working class queers - still face every day. We need to talk about safety, healthcare access, mental health, housing, and how queerness intersects with race, gender, and class. Intersectionality, folks, ya know? I hope we all realise that visibility isn't enough if it's not followed by meaningful change.
You create spaces for other people to thrive and support important causes and conversations via markets, talks and events. How important is Pride to you as a space for the community?
Pride is complicated. It's joyful, vital and also irrevocably political. I love the sense of community it brings, especially for those who might not feel seen the rest of the year. But I also think Pride should be a time to reflect, hold space for those still on the margins and push back against the commodification of queerness. Looking at you, brands.
For me, creating events and gatherings that centre real stories and connection feels like an extension of Pride, one that doesn't rely on sponsorship or rainbow flags, but on care and community.
As someone at the forefront of the Irish fashion space, has the LGBTQ+ community informed your personal style?
Absolutely, queerness gives me permission to be expansive. I think it's about refusing to shrink yourself or dress to make others comfortable. I'm drawn to fashion that tells stories, challenges binaries and honours both fluidity and tradition. Irish fashion is often seen through a very narrow lens, but there are so many queer designers, stylists, and creatives shaping the scene. My style will forever be a nod to that: playful, political, sometimes bold, sometimes soft, but always intentional.
Where do you see Ireland moving in the next decade in terms of acceptance?
I see potential. I see younger generations who are bolder and more open. But I also see pushback from institutions, from conservative politics, from people clinging to a narrow definition of "Irishness." The next decade will test us. Are we willing to move from performative inclusion to actual transformation? Will we listen to queer people who are migrants, disabled, neurodivergent, older, or not in the public eye? If we can centre care, creativity, and intersectionality…then, maybe. But we can't be passive. Change needs to be fought for.
PJ Kirby Galang married the love of his life, Jose, last year. One half of the I'm Grand Mam podcast, the Cork native reminds us that despite ten years of marriage equality, there are still essential causes to fight for when it comes to equality and recognition.
What was the significance of the Marriage Equality referendum to you at the time?
I moved to London when I was 20 and in the closet, and I came out that year because of the anonymity of the big city and I saw queer people being unapologetically themselves. I had gay friends for the first time, I had none of that in Cork. I had come out to my family and friends, and thankfully, they were accepting, but Ireland as a whole, I felt that London was much safer.
After a difficult year personally, the campaign for the Yes Vote was happening, and I felt a little bit removed being in London, but I could feel the love for the community coming from Ireland. When the Yes came through, it felt like my home was saying, 'you are welcome back anytime and we accept you for who you are.' That was such a powerful thing. When I moved away, I thought I might never come back, but then when the referendum happened, it felt 'oh, maybe I could.'
How do you think things have changed for the LGBTQIA+ community in the decade since?
Speaking personally, I feel much more accepted, but I am also a white cis gay man, so I have a lot of privilege there. I think gay men in particular in the community have the most privilege and suffer the least homophobia, though that homophobia still exists and I do experience it, be it online or a comment on the street, but I generally feel safe.
That being said, I have noticed a growing divide in recent years. Before, I would be able to speak to someone with homophobic views and have a discussion with them as to where that stemmed from, but now people are more radicalised, and there is more hate.
We can't take anything for granted; just because we have made progress, it doesn't mean it can't be undone.
What changes need to be made or issues need to be focused on for the next decade when it comes to equality and acceptance?
The trans community is being singled out and villainised. Trans people have always been here, and they always will be here. It is ten years since marriage equality but it is also ten years since the Gender Recognition Act, but nobody is asking me questions about the Gender Recognition Act, they are all asking me questions about Marriage Equality - and maybe that's because I'm a gay man who has gotten married and won't shut up about it!
But I feel like we made a huge step towards equality in that, and that should be celebrated this week also. Protecting our trans and non-binary members of the community is a focus we need to have, and banding together to stand up for those people.
On the other hand, we also need to focus on equality for children. For the past ten years, while some members of government have been patting themselves on the back for marriage equality, LGBTQ+ parents across Ireland have been fighting so that their children can have an equal legal connection to each parent. In some cases, there is only one parent on the birth certificate, and the other one can't be on it because of the current legislation.
A great non-profit organisation that's campaigning for change is Equality For Children, and we need to get behind them. All they want is equal rights for the children of LGBTQ+ families.
Leanne Woodfull has found her voice as an activist through her social media platforms. Online political activism does not come without costs, especially when 'influencing' is so tied in with being a blank slate for brands. The Marriage Equality referendum was the spark that changed the trajectory of her work, with her online space reflecting her real life convictions.
What was the significance of the Marriage Equality referendum to you at the time?
The referendum was my first foray into activism in general. It shaped me as a person. I had a platform, and I knew I had to use it for good, and that was my first opportunity to hone in on that. I hate the idea of having a platform and only using it for ego, followers and monetary gain, I always had a drive to use it for good and for something lasting. I wasn't perfect; I was still learning a lot throughout the referendum, but it shaped who I am as a person. It's something I am quite proud of, the referendum changed my life as a lesbian and as an activist, and finding the confidence to stand up for what I believe in.
Did the referendum cause any change in how you felt about your sexuality?
It totally changed things. I was very detached from it, and thinking about my own sexuality during the referendum wasn't at the forefront of my mind. You'd think it would have been a trigger for that, but it wasn't! It took me a few years to begin exploring that side of myself, that reality. However, the safety, joy and hope of the referendum contributed to me eventually coming out. It contributed to feeling safe and secure.
How do you think things have changed for the LGBTQIA+ community in the decade since?
Things have changed so much, it feels like whiplash. Between the marriage equality referendum and the Repeal the 8th referendum, my early 20s were a hopeful era, a joyful few years where it felt like everything was going towards a more inclusive world, but that has not been the case. Now, the world, the politics and the people around me, as we all know, [seem to be] shifting toward homophobia, transphobia and far-right ideologies.
It's difficult to articulate the feeling, but we were on a forward trajectory as a minority, and now there has been this bounce back. You see people's rights being taken away and a regression happening around you. I'm a white, cisgendered femme-presenting woman so the privilege is there, but I don't feel as safe walking around Dublin holding hands with a woman as I did a few years ago.
What do you think will be the most prominent issues facing LGBTQIA+ people in the next decade?
Changes have occurred in so many pockets of the community, globally, not just in Ireland. The sentiment of Pride being a protest is more prevalent than ever at the moment with rights being taken away in every corner of the globe at the moment. I don't want to instil fear in people, but we need to be aware of how fast these ideologies are spreading and affecting our rights and the laws that protect us. Allyship is essential, and allies need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Arriving in Ireland as a teenager, Meri Hernandez found her place in the LGBT+ community on a journey of self-discovery, as she pushed back against outdated ideas about women who love women. She has gone on to create a safe space online for members of the community under her handle @Irelandsfavouritegay
Having moved from Spain to Monaghan as a teenager, how did growing up in a small town shape your experiences with coming out?
Growing up in a small town like Monaghan after moving from Spain as a teenager presented both challenges and unique experiences in my journey of self-discovery and coming out. When I was 15, I already had my first experience with a girl, but I remember rationalising it by telling myself, "I am only in love with that one girl, I do not find any other girls attractive." It was a way to deny and not fully accept myself.
After finishing school, I moved to Letterkenny in Donegal to study Law, and during college, I kept my attraction to girls largely to myself. That was until one day, a lecturer discussed the Marriage Equality Referendum and assigned us to write about it. Writing that piece was nerve-wracking because I feared that being too outspoken would "out" me as a lesbian.
Can you describe what you remember most vividly from the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015?
When the day of the referendum arrived, and our lecturer asked what we thought about it, I was amazed and relieved to see how open and supportive my classmates were. Seeing their enthusiasm and support for the referendum, and then witnessing the joy when it passed, made me feel like I was in a safe space to explore my identity. This pivotal moment empowered me to join the LGBTQIA+ society at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, where I finally found my tribe.
You have documented a vibrant life in the LGBTQIA+ community via your TikTok, what have the highs and lows of this been?
I wanted to ensure representation for the LGBTQIA+ community in Ireland and to be a source of support and visibility for others on a similar journey. Unfortunately, the hate I've experienced has been frightening at times. However, the highs have far outshone the lows. Thanks to the platform I've built, I've created a community that is incredibly supportive, teaching me that embracing who you truly are is the most powerful and liberating thing you can do.
As I reflect on my path, I am reminded that authenticity breeds strength, and in the face of adversity, living your truth not only transforms your life but also inspires others to do the same.