Homosexuality in Ireland

Geographical location of Ireland

Homosexuality has been legal in Ireland since 1993. A lesbian and gay movement in Ireland has existed since the early 1970s.

history

The ban on homosexual acts was incorporated into Irish law in 1922 with the adoption of the British so-called Labouchère Amendment . While the corresponding article was abolished in the UK in 1967, it remained in Ireland.

Ireland's lesbian and gay movement emerged in the early 1970s. In 1974, the Irish Gay Rights Movement was founded, creating infrastructures for homosexuals and combating anti-homosexual laws. The first Gay Pride demonstration also took place in the 1970s.

David Norris , one of the founders of the IGRM, sued the Supreme Court unsuccessfully in 1983 against the illegalization of homosexuality, whereupon he and his lawyer Mary Robinson took to the European Court of Human Rights . After the ruling in the Norris vs. Ireland , the criminalization of homosexuality is a violation of Article 8 of the Convention on Human Rights . In 1993 homosexuality became legal.

Legal situation

legality

Homosexual acts are legal in Ireland. The age of consent is 16 years for both homosexual and heterosexual sex.

Anti-discrimination laws

Sexual orientation discrimination is prohibited by law under the Employment Equality Act of 1998 and the Equal Status Act of 2000.

Recognition of same-sex partnerships

The coalition of Fianna Fáil , Progressive Democrats and Green Party , which has been in power since spring 2007, sought the legal approval of civil partnerships. On July 16, 2007, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern declared : "We will legislate for Civil Partnerships at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of this Government."

Polls found that 84 percent of the Irish population are in favor of legal recognition of gay couples. In June 2008, the current Irish government launched a legislative initiative to allow civil partnerships . The bill was introduced by the government in parliament in June 2009 and should come into force at the end of 2010. The Irish House of Commons approved on July 1, 2010 and the Irish Senate approved on July 8, 2010. The law was signed by President Mary McAleese on July 19, 2010 and entered into force on January 1, 2011.

With a referendum on May 22, 2015, a referendum passed a constitutional amendment and thus the opening of marriage to lesbians and gays . On October 22, 2015, the Dáil Éireann and the Seanad Éireann passed the executive law on opening marriage in Ireland.

Donating blood

Gays have not been allowed to donate blood in Northern Ireland since 1981. As the Minister of Health Michelle O'Neill announced in 2016, the ban is to be abolished on September 1 of the same year to the effect that blood donation by homosexual men should be possible again, provided that they had previously lived celibate for a year.