#YesEquality

by Danielle Mc Mahon

Last weekend my wife and I attended the launch of Amnesty International's 'Let's make history, vote yes' campaign in Dublin City. This campaign has been launched in support of the upcoming referendum here in Ireland  in which the citizens of this little country will have the option to vote Yes or No for marriage equality.
As it stands homosexual couples in Ireland can be legally recognised through civil partnership but not civil marriage.
I realise that for many people this may not be a big deal but for the homosexual community it is. This is just one more thing which tries to set us apart, which tries to brand us as being different, which discriminates against us and our human rights, in a legal fashion.
Standing in front of the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell street surrounded by people from all walks of life I felt safe. I kissed my wife, held her hand and enjoyed the moment. In the past number of weeks we have been shouted at in quite an aggressive manner whilst holding hands as we walk down the street. This is not okay. Being verbally abused in any situation, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, is not okay, it is frightening and frustrating.
Since Sunday I have been thinking about this referendum constantly. I have been reading all of the news, following all the news feeds across social media and starting the conversation with family, friends and colleagues about the upcoming referendum.
Yesterday as I took my break at work I sat down with my coffee and flicked through the newspaper. The following headline caught my attention immediately; 'I am a liberal but I will be voting No in referendum'. Already annoyed by the contradiction in the headline I read on. I am almost certain that any of my colleagues who saw me reading must have thought I was loosing my mind. I shook my head, tutted and laughed at the idiocy of the article. This article is one of hypocrisy, the writer claims to be a liberal and avid supporter of women's rights and those of 'the gays'. I am sorry, Sir but any body who supports 'the gays', as you so flippantly put it, would not even contemplate coming out and voting No for marriage equality in May. If you are such a supporter of ours, but cannot get your narrow mind around the difference between civil marriage and partnership, stay home, do not vote.
An excellent point was made last Sunday, those who are voting No in the referendum will come out to vote. For those who are voting Yes there is no room to be complacent, do not sit back and think 'Oh sure everybody else is voting Yes, I don't need to go'. You absolutely do, every single person who is ready to stand up and say Yes to equality for all Irish citizens needs to get up and go to vote on May 22nd.
I will be voting Yes not just for myself but for future generations. My wife and I hope to start a family in the future and it saddens me to think that at this moment in time I could not even contemplate raising my children in this country. This saddens my greatly as I love the Irish culture, the language, the beauty of this Emerald Isle, but I would not feel accepted or recognised as a family in my own country as this point in time. I hope that a Yes vote in May will help Ireland take the step in the right direction that it so desperately needs to take. This referendum is not just about marriage equality, it is about human rights, it is about protecting all of Ireland's citizens and putting an end to discrimination and inequality.
I am hoping that my family and friends will join me on May 22nd 2015 and vote Yes, this refernedum represents so much for so many, for me it is representing hope, the hope that finally my wife and I will be accepted and legaly recognised in this country.