Love has no Gender- Valentines Protest for Gay Marraige Rights

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature Friday February 15, 2008 00:15 by Paula Geraghty mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

You'd want to be desperate to send Bertie a Valentine's card!

Bringing the love...

Bertie was asked to come out to share the love, but he was just nowhere to be seen.
LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered) Rights activists are desperate indeed. Two months ago they held their first public event highlighting the demand for legislation on recognising Gay Marriage. Why on earth would someone want to get married, some may ask. But it's not simply about a ring on a finger, a chance to wear some fine frocks and outlandish hats but about equality.' We want the right to be miserable like straight people' quipped one participant. But marriage isn't just an institution which many reading Indymedia.ie may oppose but it's about enshrining rights.

Related Links: LGBT Noise

If you're gay and your lover or life partner is from outside the EU, how do you stay together. Easy if your straight, get married, get residency status and follow the rest through. If your partner is same sex your relationship has no legal standing. this has a massive impact on adoption rights, inheritance, how you are treated in hospital when the issue of next of kin arises. The integrity of a loving relationship with same sex or transgendered partners is simply not recognised in this state. And it's time this changed.

No one is looking for special rights, just equal rights. NOW!

All images copyright (c) Paula Geraghty