Marchers call for gay marriage

THOUSANDS OF people marched through Dublin’s city centre yesterday as part of a noisy and colourful demonstration that called on the Government to legalise same-sex marriage.

The fourth “March for Marriage”, organised by gay rights group LGBT Noise, was aimed at highlighting discrimination affecting LGBT people and their children.

The Government has announced that the issue of gay marriage will be dealt with through the constitutional convention process, which is due to begin later this year.

However, Anna McCarthy of LGBT Noise said it would take at least a year and a half before this process was completed.

“Marriage equality could be legislated for tomorrow if there was the political will to do so,” she said, to cheers from the crowd.

“A number of eminent lawyers have publicly stated that a referendum is not necessary. Nowhere in our Constitution is marriage defined as being between a man and a woman,” she added.

Another LGBT Noise campaigner, Max Krzyzanowski, told the marchers that civil partnership was not the same as marriage, yet opinion polls showed that the vast majority of people support same-sex marriage.

“The current discrimination affecting children of LGBT parents is of particular concern, and it leaves families vulnerable and segregated under the law.”

The parade, which snaked its way through the city centre, included samba bands, a giant rainbow banner and thousands of cards with the word “equality”.