Marriage Equality Comes To Ireland In Landslide Vote
Ireland is poised to legalize same-sex marriage after yesterday's historic vote, the first time a country has embraced marriage equality through a popular referendum.
Votes are still being tallied, but in urban areas like Dublin, "Yes" voters outnumbered those against two-to-one. In Cork, 60% voted to legalize marriage equality.
The results "make us a beacon, a light to the rest of the world of liberty and equality," said Leo Varadkar, the Cabinet minister who came out as gay at the start of the government's efforts to expand marriage rights. "It's a good day to be Irish."
Voters were asked whether or not to add an article to the Irish constitution stating, "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex."
While polls indicated strong support before Friday's election, the strong influence of the Catholic Church in Ireland was always a wild card.
But even those campaigning against the measure admitted the results were clear: "I'm not at all surprised by that to be honest with you," said Irish Sen. Ronan Mullen, who opposed the measure.
Varadkar, who is watching results in the Irish capital said not a single district reported a majority of "no" votes yet.
Insiders credit a creative and impassioned campaign by the Yes on Marriage activists, including PSAs, ads and social media blitzes, and the mobilization of young people.
"Most of the young people I canvassed with have never knocked on a door in their lives," said John Lyons, one of the four openly gay lawmakers in Ireland's 166-member parliament. "This says something about modern Ireland. Let's never underestimate the electorate or what they think."
