As millions around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, LGBT advocates in Ireland are hard at work preparing for May 22, writes Ashley Fowler on the HRC Blog. In a little over two months, Ireland will become the first nation in the world to hold a national referendum for marriage equality.
Irish advocates have joined together to form a coalition working to increase voter registration and to ensure that Irish citizens are well-informed about equality issues. According to the Yes Equality website, “Voting yes in the Marriage Equality Referendum will be saying yes to marriage, yes to equality and yes to strengthening Irish society.”
As a part of their campaign for equality, the coalition has created several videos encouraging Irish citizens who plan to vote yes to start conversations with their family, friends and neighbors who may be less certain. One video documents several students calling their relatives to ask about their views on the upcoming referendum. These conversations reveal the power of personal connection and demonstrate that individuals who know someone who identifies as LGBT are more likely to vote yes on the referendum for marriage equality.
HRC has also demonstrated support for full marriage equality in Ireland by releasing this new t-shirt design earlier in March. HRC encourages members to stand in solidarity with the Irish LGBT community by purchasing the shirt, and net proceeds will be donated to support public education on equality in Ireland. Join HRC on Instagram and share your support using the hashtag #IrishEquality.
