Marriage equality motion for Belfast City Council – SF supports Dublin Pride

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

Sorcha Berry writes in the July An Phoblacht about marriage equality: ‘A civil right, not a religious act’

AS PEOPLE across the world mark Pride with LGBT groups and individuals, families, friends and supporters (including Amnesty International), Belfast City Sinn Féin Councillor Mary Ellen Campbell says has a motion before Monday night’s council meeting on marriage equality.

Follow Mary Ellen on Twitter (@mecca3ie) for updates.

Santana Hernandez Power and Sorcha Berry pick up a copy of 'An Phoblacht' ahead of Dublin Pride 2012

Meanwhile, writing in the July edition of An Phoblacht (out now), Sorcha Berry writes about marriage equality: ‘A civil right, not a religious act’.

“Civil partnerships are good – but they don’t amount to equality for same-sex couples in Irish society,” Sorcha says.

The young Sinn Féin activist points out that campaigns group Marriage Equality has found more than 160 differences between civil marriage and civil partnerships.

“Some opponents of marriage equality protest that civil partnerships ‘are basically the same thing’. To me, ‘basically the same’ is evidently not the same. And if it is almost the same, then why not go that little bit further and make it the same?

“Whatever one feels about marriage in general, be it religious or civil, it is imperative that the same treatment is given to opposite and same-sex couples to solidify and demonstrate that they are on the same level of legal and social recognition.”

Sorcha’s full article can be seen by online subscribers to An Phoblacht – just €10 for 12 monthly issues