http://www.starobserver.com.au/community/2008/08/27/with-arms-wide-open/1356 Australia's leading gay and lesbian news source Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:07:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://www.starobserver.com.au/community/2008/08/27/with-arms-wide-open/1356#comment-3343 Danny McMackin Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:17:12 +0000 http://www.starobserver.com.au/?p=1356#comment-3343 Great article Lyndon, as always! I'm happy to see that our current government in Ireland (most likely championed by the inclusion of the Green Party in government for the first time) has included legislating for civil partnerships in the program for government, signed off by the heads of all three parties which entered into government. However, the community in Ireland still continues to call for full equality, including marriage. As it stands, the institution of 'marriage' is protected under the Irish constitution, which has been the basis for any rulings against challenges to law as it stands. I hope that cases such as the 'KAL' case: Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan's fight to have their Canadian marriage recognised in Ireland (currently on appeal with the supreme court), pressure from the introduction of civil partnerships in the UK and hopefully some kind of legislative move by the EU to recognise same sex couples, any and all of this should help to bring equality and protection to same-sex couples, which will be in everyone's interest. And hey, we could even get it before Australia!! How weird would that be? lol Great article Lyndon, as always! I’m happy to see that our current government in Ireland (most likely championed by the inclusion of the Green Party in government for the first time) has included legislating for civil partnerships in the program for government, signed off by the heads of all three parties which entered into government. However, the community in Ireland still continues to call for full equality, including marriage. As it stands, the institution of ‘marriage’ is protected under the Irish constitution, which has been the basis for any rulings against challenges to law as it stands. I hope that cases such as the ‘KAL’ case: Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan’s fight to have their Canadian marriage recognised in Ireland (currently on appeal with the supreme court), pressure from the introduction of civil partnerships in the UK and hopefully some kind of legislative move by the EU to recognise same sex couples, any and all of this should help to bring equality and protection to same-sex couples, which will be in everyone’s interest. And hey, we could even get it before Australia!! How weird would that be? lol

]]> http://www.starobserver.com.au/community/2008/08/27/with-arms-wide-open/1356#comment-1236 William Brougham Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:39:50 +0000 http://www.starobserver.com.au/?p=1356#comment-1236 “Sydney has been better than expected. I am free to do whatever I want."...unless of course you wish to have a civil ceremony or bring your same sex partner on a student visa, investment visa or retirement visa etc. Apart from that Sydney is a mighty damn fine place and I love it too. “Sydney has been better than expected. I am free to do whatever I want.”…unless of course you wish to have a civil ceremony or bring your same sex partner on a student visa, investment visa or retirement visa etc. Apart from that Sydney is a mighty damn fine place and I love it too.

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