Sweden - Gay Marriage Now Legal In.....

[EllieBee]

I'm so sorry, ElleBee. Strep is really serious in an adult, isn't it? (I had chronic strep throat as a kid but outgrew it. I must be full of antibodies!) Please feel better soon...

Back OT, I support the right of any church to determine whom it will marry and who may use its facilities. To my knowledge, nobody is even questioning such things in civil rights terms.

Whether the Catholic Church, say, can deny equal rights to employees is another matter. I'm not sure how that issue has been handled in states with non-discrimination laws and marriage equality. I see no reason why they should get a special right to judge an employee's personal life.

Thanks, strep is icky no matter what age...but it is the one time I welcome antibiotics.

I agree that a church has a right to decide it's own tenets and interpretations.

I would never expect to bully a church into doing something for me that they found against their beliefs. But also I would expect a church not to impress their beliefs on the relationships of anyone not asking to be married in their church.

Live and let live.

 

[Cappuccino]

We had our referendum today, I voted yes. We won't know the results till tomorrow but the turn out was high, which is probably a good sign for the yes campaign.

 

[CuriousGuy]

We had our referendum today, I voted yes. We won't know the results till tomorrow but the turn out was high, which is probably a good sign for the yes campaign.

Yay ! I look forward to the procreation and continuum of happy families nation wide

 

[Nova]

Yay ! I look forward to the procreation and continuum of happy families nation wide

Is that sarcasm? Happy families aren't "procreated", they are made with love and care. And that's true of gay people as well as straight people, families with biological children and families with adopted and/or step-children.

 

[CuriousGuy]

Nah. No sarcasm thus no lecture on happiness and family structure necessary.

 

[Cappuccino]

The counting of the votes has started over here in Ireland. Early indications are that the Yes vote has won, but its early days yet, only about 10% of the votes have been counted.

 

[Cappuccino]

Well, its all over bar the shouting - Ireland has voted to legalise gay marriage. The exact margin won't be known till later on, but its looking like about 60-40 in favour.

Ireland has now become the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, which makes me very proud to be Irish.

 

[Nova]

The counting of the votes has started over here in Ireland. Early indications are that the Yes vote has won, but its early days yet, only about 10% of the votes have been counted.

.
Are ya'll counting on your fingers or what?

(Just kidding: we in the states usually get our results quickly, but not without controversy.)

 

[Nova]

Nah. No sarcasm thus no lecture on happiness and family structure necessary.

I'll take your word for it. No lecture from this quarter. Thanks for the clarification.

But for everyone's benefit, I can't help alluding to one real-world example. My father died a couple of weeks ago; I had seen or heard from him only 4 times in 40 years, each time briefly. Thanks to the Great Recession of 2008, my 48-year-old stepson had to move back home and has lived with me for 7 years. Which is my "real" family?

 

[Nova]

Well, its all over bar the shouting - Ireland has voted to legalise gay marriage. The exact margin won't be known till later on, but its looking like about 60-40 in favour.

Ireland has now become the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, which makes me very proud to be Irish.

You should be proud, Cappy! Good for ya'll! (I'm a little proud myself, though my people were Scots who only spent a century or two in Ireland, before moving on to the U.S.)

I've always wanted to visit. My friends tell me it is stunningly beautiful. (I've been to Scotland and was astonished.)

Now I can visit with a clear conscious.

A PRO VOTE BY PLEBISCITE! It is so rare that a majority votes for minority rights without court or legislative interference! This is truly a momentous day!

I pray the conservative members of the SCOTUS take notice...

 

[LaborDayRN]

Well, its all over bar the shouting - Ireland has voted to legalise gay marriage. The exact margin won't be known till later on, but its looking like about 60-40 in favour.

Ireland has now become the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, which makes me very proud to be Irish.

:applause:

 

[EllieBee]

Well, its all over bar the shouting - Ireland has voted to legalise gay marriage. The exact margin won't be known till later on, but its looking like about 60-40 in favour.

Ireland has now become the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, which makes me very proud to be Irish.

It makes me proud to be of part-Irish heritage. Well done, Ireland! :rockon:

 

[Cappuccino]

.
Are ya'll counting on your fingers or what?

(Just kidding: we in the states usually get our results quickly, but not without controversy.)

Lol, it always takes ages in Ireland, I don't know why. Btw, the final vote was 62% in favour, 38% against, so a clear majority in favour.

 

[Nova]

The Irish flag is flying proudly on my FB page. LOL.

 

[Cappuccino]

The Irish flag is flying proudly on my FB page. LOL.

:cheers:

You'll have to come and visit the land of your ancestors now! Its a shame you weren't here yesterday, there was a brilliant atmosphere in Dublin. Hundreds of people crowded into the courtyard of Dublin Castle waving rainbow flags and cheering as the results came through, and Ireland's only openly lesbian Senator proposed to her girlfriend live on national television.

It was like a sudden, mass outbreak of national happiness. I'm afraid we all had sore heads this morning though.

 

[Nova]

...I'm afraid we all had sore heads this morning though.

Isn't that every morning in Ireland? (Sorry, couldn't resist. It's an old American stereotype, probably started by teatotalling Scots like my grandparents.)

 

[EllieBee]

Isn't that every morning in Ireland? (Sorry, couldn't resist. It's an old American stereotype, probably started by teatotalling Scots like my grandparents.)

Ah, but the hair of the dog.......honestly, my Irish family peeps aren't real drinkers, but they do joke about it.

That said, YAY EIRE! Thanks for showing the rest of us how it is done!

 

[Nova]

Let's all welcome Greenland to the 21st century! :happydance:

Per the link below, Greenland (pop. 57,000) is an independent kingdom within the border of Denmark. It adopted Denmark's domestic partnership some years ago, but declined to go along when the Danes legalized gay marriage in 2012.

Yesterday, however, the Greenland legislature voted UNANIMOUSLY (that's what the report says!) to legalize gay marriage and bring the island's laws in sync with those of Denmark.

http://www.towleroad.com/2015/05/gr...-approves-same-sex-marriage-and-adoption.html

 

[Cappuccino]

I think the whole of Western Europe will have marriage equality in the next five years or so. The only hold outs left are Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The Swiss are already planning a referendum and the other three are under government parties which are considered conservative on social issues by the standards of their own citizens.

Eastern Europe will take a bit longer, but the eastern states who are in the EU can only be influenced for the good by the direction their fellow EU members are taking.

 

[Donjeta]

Well it's not gay marriage but a step in the right direction:

Mozambique Decriminalizes Homosexuality
One of the most tolerant African countries in regards to homosexuality, Mozambique will mark a major milestone on June 29, when homosexuality becomes legal.

http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2015/5/31/mozambique-decriminalizes-homosexuality