Video: What if same-sex marriage causes the apocalypse in Ireland?
A video released by a rights group has joked about the coming ‘apocalypse’ if same-sex marriage is passed in Ireland.
Short film Armagayddon, produced by LGBT Noise, imagines life if equal marriage becomes law after Ireland’s anticipated 2015 referendum.
In the film, a couple warn: “Back in 2015, Ireland had a referendum on marriage equality. We thought at best it would be close.
“As far as we knew there were maybe five or six gays operating in Ireland at that time… we figured if it was just them, things would stay they way they were.
“But it was their friends, non-gays, normal people… they marched, they voted, loads of them!
“If they hadn’t voted, everything would have been fine, but they did, and everything changed. So much equality, Ireland was completely unrecognisable.”
It is eventually revealed that nothing in the outside world has changed and that society has continued as normal, when the couple’s gay neighbour Adam – who is married to a man named Steve – brings them groceries.
The advert concludes: “Marriage equality – it’s not the end of the world, lads.”
Polls indicate that around 75% of the Irish population support equal marriage, but Irish referenda have a history of unpredictable outcomes, due to fluctuating turnout and powerful religious lobbying groups.
Justice minister Alan Shatter said: “[It’s about] one simple thing… which is whether people of same sex should be allowed celebrate a ceremony that’s called marriage as opposed to a ceremony called civil partnership. There is no other issue that will arise.
“So as we head into 2015, there will be one issue and one issue only: Do you believe individuals should be allowed to enter same-sex marriages or should we discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation and deny that to them?”
