Northern Ireland: Protests take place at Assembly as equal marriage measures fail again
Northern Ireland’s Assembly on Monday voted narrowly to reject legislation to legalise equal marriage in the country.
Out ofĀ 95 MLAs who voted, 42 voted in favour, and 53 voted against the bill.
As well as the measure failing in the Assembly, pro-marriage equality demonstrations also took place as the vote went ahead.Ā Protests took place at the Stormont Assembly, as well as in Londonderry, in favour of legalising equal marriage.
The proposed motion was being pushed by Sinn Fein following an overwhelming voteĀ in favour of a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland.
A petition of concern requires a motion to have a majority of support from unionist and nationalist Members of theĀ LegislativeĀ Assembly (MLAs) in order to progress.Ā As the DUP has the most MLAs of any party their petition is effectively a veto against same-sex marriage.
Canon Charles Kenny theĀ Secretary of Changing Attitude Ireland, which last week sent a briefing note which presentedĀ secular and faith based arguments in favour of the reformĀ to all members of the Northern Ireland Assembly,Ā vowed to continue to fight for marriage equality inĀ NorthernĀ Ireland.
Kenny said: “TheĀ year is drawingĀ nearer when the love and justice expressed in the gospels will win out and sweep away the faith-based prejudice against gay and lesbian couples”.
