Latest news with #marriageequality
New York Times
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
A History of Gay Marriage and Migration, Told Through One Relationship
DEEP HOUSE: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told, by Jeremy Atherton Lin As with his excellent debut, 'Gay Bar: Why We Went Out,' Jeremy Atherton Lin's sophomore book, 'Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told,' is a fabulously riveting hybrid memoir and queer history lesson. In his first book, Atherton Lin mapped his coming-of-age onto a chronicle of disappearing gay bars around the world. In this new offering, the American writer shares the story of his relationship with his British partner, who remains unnamed, and uses it as a catalyst for a kaleidoscopic survey of legal flash points regarding gay rights and immigration. 'Deep House' focuses on the challenges faced by transnational queer couples before marriage equality. Not only were such couples denied the ability to wed, but with differing citizenships, they also lost a critical pathway to legally reside together in the same country. Atherton Lin situates these couples at the forefront of the fight for gay rights. He and his partner became one such couple in 1999. The two had met in London three years prior, their immediate attraction intensifying into trans-Atlantic correspondence and eagerly awaited visits across England and Atherton Lin's native California. During one of their stints in the United States, his partner began feeling, with his trip back to London imminent, that he had 'nothing to return to, and everything to stay for,' so he overstayed his tourist visa, and the two began an illicit domesticity in San Francisco. If the travelogue-style 'Gay Bar' prowls through clubs and adventures with thrill-seeking horniness, 'Deep House' is denser and written from a quieter space of contemplation. 'I want to learn how we arrived here together and find out who traveled first,' Atherton Lin writes. 'Allow me to shuffle the cards that were stacked against us.' That shuffling is free-associative and anecdotal, and allows Atherton Lin a flexibility in his storytelling. He bounces between yarns from his own life, capturing his and his partner's days living in basement apartments, working video-store jobs and flirting with polygamy, to surfacing tales of the queer people who came before him, including the committed, American-Mexican couple who had to cross the border to Mexico and back every three months to stay in the United States in the 1970s and the drunk Texas horndogs who accidentally toppled the country's anti-sodomy laws in 2003. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
‘Our family is no threat to another family': first same-sex couple to marry in Ireland say marriage equality ‘isn't finished'
Cormac Gollogly and Richard Dowling wed on November 17th, 2015, making them the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Ireland. They recently celebrated their daughter's first birthday, having fulfilled their long-time dream of starting a family. Ten years ago today Gollogly and Dowling walked down the streets of Dublin, hand in hand, knowing they were now living in the first country to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. 'We didn't feel uncomfortable for once in public being affectionate with one another. We didn't have to hide it and it was celebrated that day,' says Dowling, remembering the joy they felt on that day which he describes as 'like Italia '90 for the gays'. 'Marriage equality isn't finished for us,' says Gollogly, a decade later. Speaking about their journey towards parenthood, Gollogly and Dowling identify some of the challenges faced by Irish couples 'both gay and straight' who want to have children. READ MORE 'Surrogacy and new modern forms of having families are a part of Irish society and all of us are united in needing to meet those needs for the children,' says Dowling. 'The best needs of the child is sacrosanct and really important. Our family is no threat to another family.' [ 'I burst out crying on referendum results day. I realised how exhausted and scared I had been' Opens in new window ] Not long after the night they first met in The George pub, 22 years ago, the couple discussed having children. 'We were about a month together, in the first flights of love and Cormac turned to me and said 'The greatest thanks we can give the universe for the love we share is to have a child and pass that on'. So we always wanted to have a child. 'It took time to get there. We went to the US and did surrogacy in America. We had a very positive experience, thankfully, during the Biden administration.' Their daughter, Kate Rose Dowling Gollogly, is now 17 months old. She is named after her grandmothers: Gollogly's mother Rosemary and Dowling's mother Kate. They live together in a south Dublin suburb, Gollogly working as a lawyer and Dowling in finance. 'Obviously one of us isn't recognised as a parent. The surrogate is essentially Kate's mother on her birth cert,' says Dowling, something they both want to see Irish legislation 'catch up with'. 'In America it's all very clear,' adds Gollogly. 'It's Ireland that has to catch up with what is the legal reality for where Kate is born and where this all happened. The majority of surrogacy families are straight families and where it might be seen by some as a gay issue, we're in the minority,' Gollogly adds. [ Almost 6,000 same-sex couples have wed in 10 years since marriage equality referendum Opens in new window ] They point to Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan's State case for marriage equality – the legal battle for their Canadian marriage to be recognised in Ireland was a significant catalyst for the marriage equality campaign here. 'That was their point: that Ireland needs to catch up legally with the rest of the world.' As well as advocating for LGBTQ+ parental rights, Gollogly and Dowling express concern for the 'intolerance and hate' now directed at transgender people. 'I feel there's a whole lift-and-drop of that kind of intolerance and hate in some ways on to the trans community,' says Dowling, pointing to the recent UK court ruling on gender recognition . 'It's very sad to see it. It's an easy poke at something that they don't want to understand or they don't want to try to understand ... It's a backdoor into discrimination again. It was unnecessary, in my opinion. 'The fight doesn't stop. People need to remember that we need to be visible and we need to be out there marching.'
BreakingNews.ie
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Leo Varadkar: Marriage equality result was best day of my political life
Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the marriage equality referendum results day was the best day in his political life. On May 22nd, 2015, the Irish electorate voted by 62 per cent in favour of same-sex marriage, on a high turnout of 61 per cent. All constituencies voted Yes except Roscommon-South Leitrim, which rejected the proposed amendment by a narrow margin. Advertisement "It was just one of those days where everything came together," Mr Varadkar told Newstalk radio on the 10th anniversary of the event. "I started that day performing the official opening of St Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown, which I'd been able to get funding for as health minister, so I just kind of saw two projects on the one day that were totally different and totally unconnected coming to fruition so it's those kind of days that make it all worthwhile." Mr Varadkar said it had been overwhelming at the referendum count centre. He had anticipated the results would be similar to the divorce referendum in 1994 – that the Yes vote would be stronger in urban areas with a big No vote in rural areas – but that did not happen. Leo Varadkar warned there were going to be setbacks in Ireland and around the world. Photo: Paul Faith/AFP via Getty As the results came in from around the country he said it became obvious that "it was a country that was embracing the idea of equality before the law for everyone, equal rights, freedom, equality of opportunity, and was doing it without a huge rural-urban divide or a class divide." Advertisement Mr Varakdar said the day was part "a wave of progress and liberty and freedom" that Ireland was part of. World Thai same-sex couples to tie knot in 2025 as marri... Read More The former Fine Gael leader, who resigned as taoiseach last year, acknowledged that when he started in politics he had not anticipated how much things would change in Ireland in the space of 10 years. He also admitted that his decision to "come out" had not caused him great angst, but it did cross his mind that it might have an impact on his future career. However, Mr Varadkar warned there were going to be setbacks in Ireland and around the world. "I always say that the arc of history bends towards progress, but it's not a straight line. There are always going to be backlashes. And they're going to be setbacks and sometimes they're gonna be severe. "It's one step forward, two steps back. That's kind of where we are at the moment."
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Varadkar: marriage-equality vote result and hospice opening made my best day in politics
Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said May 23rd, 2015, was the best day in his political life due to the result of the marriage equality referendum and because he performed the official opening of St Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown. 'It was just one of those days where everything came together. I started that day performing the official opening of St Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown which I'd been able to get funding for as health minister so I just kind of saw two projects on the one day that were totally different and totally unconnected coming to fruition so it's those kind of days that make it all worthwhile,' he told Newstalk Breakfast. Mr Varadkar added it had been overwhelming at the referendum count centre. He had anticipated the results would be similar to the divorce referendum in 1994 in that the Yes vote would be stronger in urban areas with a big No vote in rural areas, but that did not happen. As the results came in from around the country it became obvious that 'it was a country that was embracing the idea of equality before the law for everyone, equal rights, freedom, equality of opportunity, and was doing it without a huge rural-urban divide or a class divide – you know all those things that we see so much of now in politics, that day we didn't and that was great.' READ MORE Mr Varadkar said the result 'spurred us on to do other things like for example the Gender Recognition Act later and things like repealing the 8th [amendment on abortion] in 2018 so you know it wasn't just a one-day event, it was actually part, I think, of a wave of progress and liberty and freedom that Ireland was part of'. Mr Varadkar acknowledged that when he started in politics he had not anticipated how much things would change in Ireland in the space of 10 years. He also admitted his decision to 'come out' had not caused him great angst but added it did cross his mind that it might have an impact on his future career. However, Mr Varadkar warned there were going to be setbacks in Ireland and around the world. 'I always say that the arc of history bends towards progress, but it's not a straight line. There are always going to be backlashes. And they're going to be setbacks and sometimes they're gonna be severe. 'It's one step forward, two steps back. That's kind of where we are at the moment.'
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Labour Party moves marriage equality event due to far-right threats
The Labour Party has changed the venue of an event marking 10 years since the referendum on same sex marriage after threats from the far right, the party said. The party issued a notice on Monday afternoon saying the event would now take place in an alternative venue 'due to the threat of protest from far-right actors at the original venue'. Notices about the intention to stage a protest at the event had circulated on social media. The event, entitled 'Ten years of marriage equality – what's next?' is due to be addressed by party leader Ivana Bacik and former leader Eamon Gilmore, who championed the referendum in 2015 whilst tánaiste in the Labour-Fine Gael government. READ MORE The event was due to take place at a venue in Dublin 8 but has now been moved to another city centre venue. Labour declined to officially confirm the location and said it was releasing details only to attendees due to fears for the safety of the venue and those attending. In a notice sent to members earlier, Labour said: 'Unfortunately, due to threats of a far-right protest at the Labour Party Marriage Equality event in Dublin 8 this evening, the venue has had to pull out from hosting the event. We completely understand their concerns and the safety of staff must be paramount. The Labour Party is determined however that our event goes ahead and it will take place in a different location. We have been in touch with those who have registered for the event with details. 'We must stand strong. The far right cannot stop us from coming together to celebrate ten years of marriage equality, and they cannot stop us from asking 'what's next?' for LGBTQ+ rights. The events of the last few days have only served to emphasise the importance of that question. No pasarán.'
