The Irish Same Sex Marriage Referendum

The Republic of Ireland held a referendum on same-sex marriage on May 23, 2015.

Dublin crowds celebrated the referendum result on 24 May 2015

The electorate voted to amend the constitution to permit same sex marriage.

The final result was:

Yes – 1,201,607 (62.1%)
No – 734,300 – (37.9%)

The turnout was 60.5%.

First Same Sex Marriage in Bolivia

First same-sex marriage officially approved in Bolivia
For the first time in Bolivian history, a gay marriage was officially recognized.

48-year-old economist David Aruquipa and 46-year-old lawyer Guido Montano came out of the civil registry office, where they had returned empty-handed many times, this time with official marriage certificates.

Aruquipa “Of course we are happy to be the first and to pave the way. But also this brings a lot of responsibility. “What we have achieved is only a first step towards the day when the diversity of Bolivia can fully reveal itself,” he said.

For 3 Years Legal Struggle

The couple, who met in the capital La Paz in 2008 and have lived together since then, first officially applied to get married in 2018. However, the authorities rejected their applications, citing Article 68 of the Constitution, which states that marriage can only be made between heterosexual couples.

However, the couple appealed to the Constitutional Court of Bolivia against this decision. The Constitutional Court reversed the rejection of the couple’s marriage application last week. As a result, the civil registry office officially registered the marriage in compliance with the Constitutional Court’s decision, and thus, for the first time in Bolivia’s history, a same-sex marriage was officially recognized.

The Netherlands became the first country where the marriage of same-sex couples was officially accepted with the enactment of the law that accepted same-sex marriages in the Parliament in 2000, and Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen had married four same-sex couples on April 1, 2001, when the law came into effect.

Nana Akufo-Addo: Marriage Equality won’t be Legalized in Ghana

Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that same-sex marriage will not be legalized in Ghana under his presidency.

Speaking at St. Micheal and All Angels Cathedral in Asante Mampong during the installation of the Second Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana, the President said he won’t legalize same-sex marriage in the country.

“For same-sex marriage to be legalized in Ghana, it will not happen in my time as President,” Nana Addo said at the ceremony.

This President’s comment comes in the wake of pressure on the government to come clear and state its position on activities of persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex. (LGBTI+)

The opening of an LGBTI+ office at Ashongman in Accra has sparked a national debate as to whether Ghana will legalize LGBTI+.

Whoi is Nana Akufo-Addo?

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who is the current president of the Republic of Ghana. He has been in office since 7 January 2017.He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the Kufuor-led administration. He is also currently serving his second term as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Ongoing Debate of Same-Sex Marriages

Look it up in the dictionary, seriously: it’s “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law” or “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage” or even simply put an “intimate or close union.”

You won’t find any inherent ‘Christian’ origin to the word. In fact, according to the Merriam-Webster, the word was first used in the 14th century. Think about the origins of God’s Word, and you can surmise that the actual English word of ‘marriage’ wasn’t obviously used! It’s a translation.

So…. That being said, why are people still arguing like little children over a ‘word?’

You have your traditionals, mostly religious, taking ownership of the institute itself, and same-sex couples wanting the right to use the word as well. The fact is this: a marriage is a marriage, regardless of same sex or traditional man and wife. What you call it doesn’t matter. Look at the dictionary again.

For Lord’s sake, we’re not going to call them ‘unions’ or anything, or else we’ll have to change a bunch of other things: holy matrimony to legal union, getting married to getting ‘unioned,’ marriage vows to union promises (because you know the religious rite would be all over the word ‘vow,’ too).

Get off the high horse with the ‘marriage is from God’ stuff and let it go. Homosexuals have every right to get ‘married’ as anyone else, right? Let’s not twist and confuse the system anymore by injecting more lingo into something that should be simple (after all, marriage is a lot of things but simple!).

Same Sex Marriages & Marriage Equality

A socially or legally recognized union of two people of the same social gender or biological sex is called a gay marriage. Countries have legally formalized marriages of same-sex couples. Recognizing such marriages has become a political, moral, civil rights, religious, and social issue in many countries. Many conflicts have arisen over allowing these couples to marry, whether the term marriage or civil union be used, or be granted limited rights or equal rights.

An argument supporting marriages of the same sex says that denying legal access to benefits and marriage discriminates based on their sexual orientation. Another supporting argument is that physical, psychological, and financial well being are all enhanced by being married. Also the children of these couples will benefit if raised by both parents in a recognized legal union that is supported by society. Court documents state if gay women and men are singled out as being ineligible to marry it stigmatizes them and invites discrimination of the public against them. Other arguments state that there are social consequences of gay marriages, parenting concerns, tradition, and religious grounds.

Gay marriages are legal in Belgium, Argentina, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. Mexico City, USA and more.. performs gay marriages but has to have recognition of all the Mexican states. Attitudes towards gay marriages range from praise, to indifference, toleration, and prohibition. Some opposers argue that religious freedoms will be eroded, and while good for a couple, the rights of children are undermined. Some supporters think the government should not regulate personal relationships.

Where Is Gay Marriage Legal?

Gay marriages, often also referred to as same-sex marriages, have been a contentious issue all over the world, especially in countries, where both the debate and debaters are to interact at a very public forum. Over the years, many arguments have been put forward in support of and against the legalization of gay marriages, each based upon by a volley of opinions coming from different schools of thought.

When examining the nature of debate over the question of legality regarding gay marriages, there are three main generic divisions within which the arguments regulate – biological, social and religious. If we consider the biological debate, the arguments from each side are not unexpectedly novel or unique. Those opposed to gay marriage argue that homosexuality is against the natural norms of procreation. The male and female species are anatomically designed to interact physically in harmony to lead to the creation of human off-springs. In that sense, the sexual interaction between the same sexes is against the laws of nature, and thus unacceptable in the social context of a healthy living community. On the other hand, gay activists propose that for those people who do not consider the lack of ability to procreate a set-back in any way, a homosexual relationship and its legal acceptance should not be an issue. While there are multiple sub-clauses to these arguments as well, the gist of the divergence lies in the question of procreation.

The social and religious facets of this debate concerning same-sex marriages are largely so interlinked. People of the Catholic religious tradition belief that homosexuality is against the tenets of the Bible. Thus, those involved in gay relationships are in complete violation of the Christian religious ideology.

l. Therefore, homosexuality and its legal sanction is not in any way a rejection or violation of any religious sensibilities. Either way, since there is no way in which to come upon an interpretation of the Bible that shall be acceptable to both the anti-gay and pro-gay sects of the agenda, it is hard to reach any nature of conclusion on this aspect of debate.

The social aspect of the debate on homosexuality is somewhat linked with both the biological and religious debate. Those who are not in favor of legalizing of gay marriage argue that since homosexuality is ‘unnatural’ and ‘a desecration of Christian Dictates’, legalizing same-sex unions shall lead to the spread of this socio-sexual anomaly in society. Providing legal sanction to same-sex marriages shall cause more and more people to believe that homosexuality is not a deviation from what is healthy and desirable, thus leading to the degradation of society. Those in support of the legalizing gay marriage argue that sexual orientation may be either an inherent preference or a personal life-style choice. Either way, any free individual should be at liberty to indulge in a relationship of homosexual nature, just as people can free have heterosexual relationships. Since gay people are not in any way less human than heterosexuals, and nor do their relationships have lesser or more sanctity than those of the latter, there is no reason why their marital union should not be illegal.

While there is no end to the debate on homosexuality and its legal sanction. While the judicial response has been varied in different regions, there is a general trend of homosexuality gaining more acceptances over the past decade.

1. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages.
2. Belgium followed suit in 2003 and granted equal rights to same-sex married couples.
3. Canada, In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
4. Spain, Also in 2005, a closely divided Spanish parliament agreed to do the same.
5. After South Africa‘s highest court ruled the country’s marriage laws violated the constitution’s guarantee of equal rights, parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2006.
6. In 1993 Norway allowed gay couples to enter civil unions, but it took until 2008 for a Norway to pass a gender-neutral marriage law.
7. In 2009, Sweden voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
8. Iceland‘s parliament voted unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010.
9. Portugal has also allowed same-sex marriage since 2010, after legislation was originally challenged by the country’s president.
10. In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage.
11. Denmark‘s legalization came in 2012 after Queen Margrethe II gave her royal assent to the proposed legislation.
12. Uruguay passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage in 2013.
13. In 2013, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific to legislate for same-sex marriage.
14. President Francois Hollande signed a measure legalizing marriage equality in France in 2013.
15. Brazil’s National Council of Justice ruled that same-sex couples should not be denied marriage licenses in 2013, allowing same-sex marriages to begin across the country.
16. England and Wales became the first countries in the UK to pass marriage equality in 2014.
17. Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favor of of legalizing same-sex marriage later in 2014.
18. Luxembourg overwhelmingly approved legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed and to adopt children that went into effect in 2015.
19. Finland approved a marriage equality bill in 2014.
20. Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote in 2015.
21. Greenland, the world’s biggest island, passed same-sex legislation in 2015.
22. The United States Supreme Court made marriage equality federal law in 2015.
23. Colombia became the fourth Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2016.
24. In 2017, Germany became the 15th European country to allow same-sex couples to wed.
25. In 2017, nearly all of Malta‘s parliament voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
26. Australia legalized same-sex marriage in 2017 after lawmakers enacted the will of the majority of citizens who overwhelmingly voted for the measure by postal vote.
27. Taiwan made history on May 24, 2019, becoming the first place in Asia to pass laws on marriage equality.
28. Ecuador‘s highest court approved same-sex marriage in a 5-4 ruling.
29. Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage on May 26, 2020.

The column contains personal comments.

Gay Marriage Facts: What you need to Know about Same Sex Marriage

It used to be men and ladies. Presently, society considers a third sex which we generally allude to as gays. Throughout the years, gay individuals are battling for acknowledgment in the general public and also enabling them to wed whoever they pick in view of one’s established certification of balance. While a few preservationists contradict to this thought, there are numerous libertarians who are going down this support, regardless of the possibility that it takes conveying this up to Congress or the Highest Court of the Land.

Definition of Gay Marital Union

Otherwise called same sex marriage, gay person union is a marriage between two people of the same organic sex or sex personality. At the end of the day, it is the union amongst man and man or lady and lady as indicated by their own particular individual freedom and individual inclination.

Marriage among gay can be performed either through a common function or religious setting as there are different religious gatherings that help gay person marriage and permit same sex wedding services.

Same Facts about Homosexual Marriage

Marriage should be a union amongst man and lady. In any case, that is not the situation here. Throughout the years, more nations are gradually perceiving and authorizing a similar sex conjugal unions and notwithstanding giving advantages and equivalent get to like relational unions amongst man and lady. The accompanying demonstrates the distinctive gay marriage facts:

Acknowledgment of same sexual orientation marriage as a common right has turned into a political, good, social and religious issue among a great deal of nations. That is the reason the main laws permitting same sexual orientation unions were just authorized amid mid 2000.

Netherlands was the main nation to permit gay person marriage when same sex conjugal union bill was passed and turned into a law on April 1, 2001 with 3.6% of the aggregate number of relational unions ascribed to gay couples. In any case, the quantity of strange marriage dropped throughout the years with just 1,100 couples getting hitched on 2005.

As of April 2013, there were just twelve nations that legitimately perceive and permit same sex couples to wed – Argentina, Belgium, Uruguay, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, Iceland, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Norway.

Albeit a few nations on the planet don’t permit execution of marriage among same sex couples, there are other legitimately perceived unions permitted, for example, common organization, common union or residential association. In spite of the fact that there is as yet a different status, this sort of union offers benefits and lawful outcomes of marriage in spite of the non-execution of the function.

By the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association, the budgetary, physical and mental prosperity of couples of a similar sex are upgraded by marriage, in this manner making it helpful for kids to be raised by gay accomplices. Additionally considers even demonstrate that gay guardians are fit and competent as hetero guardians wherein the youngsters raised will be mentally solid and composed. The Roman Catholic Church is among the greatest religious division who contradicts and pledges unequivocally against same sex marriage.

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Same Sex Gay Marriage Diversity

Diversity means difference or unlikeness or the opposite of same. Men and women are perfect examples of diversity. In fact, men and women are called opposites. Sexism and racism are examples of zero gender or zero race diversity, respectively.

The US constitution codifies a requirement for equal treatment (equality) of certain classes of people. Men and women are two such classes of people. Diversity of classes must exist for there to be equal treatment of those classes (equality). Equality, in this context, does not mean without any differences. Equality means treating diverse kinds (classes) without partiality when there is no purpose for partiality.

Homosexuality is the opposite of diversity. ‘Gay marriage‘ is called same-sex. Same (i.e. homo) is the opposite of diverse. In fact, homosexuality is diversity-intolerant, by definition. The opposite sex is always rejected by a homosexual person, when it comes to ‘love’, without regard to the individual merit of that person, just because they are of a different gender! Homosexuality is genetic gender-bias or preference. Since there is zero gender diversity in any same-sex union, same-sex unions also contain zero gender equality. As a result genders are sex-segregated into male and female dominated institutions. “Separate is seldom, if ever, equal”.

On the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, that outlawed race-segregation, sex-segregation was instituted via same-sex marriage by the Massachusetts SJC!

Even though gay folks might be nice people, they are twisting the meaning of diversity beyond recognition apparently because it makes society feel more accepting of homosexuality. The ‘Goodridge’ same-sex couple seem like nice people, but they unabashedly say on public television: we do not need a man. Imagine two white people saying: we do not need blacks! There would be an unimaginable uproar in society.

same-sex-gay-marriage.com/diversity/diversity.html – 2004