As you may know LGBT Noise have recently launched their new Ministry of Protest.  According to the group this new initiative was set up to remind  the new government that justice delayed is still justice denied: Civil Marriage is the only equality option.

The programme for government has been agreed by Fine Gael and Labour.  Same-sex marriage is one of a number of issues to be reviewed by a committee which will report back in 12 months. With no clear commitment to marriage equality, Noise and their supporters took to the streets in protest again, on Saturday 12 March, to remind the new government that equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will no longer be put on hold.

Noise highlights the incoming government’s promise to amend the Civil Partnership Act 2010 to ‘address any anomalies or omissions, including those relating to children’.  Noise organiser Fionnagh Nally says

While we recognise that the passing of the Civil Partnership Act has granted essential rights in areas such as pensions, taxation and social welfare, it shamefully omits any recognition, rights or protection for same-sex parents and their children, and makes children strangers in law to their non-biological parent. In the tragic event of a biological parent dying, for example, a child could be taken away from its other mum or dad.

Noise asserts that these glaring omissions in the Civil Partnership Act could be amended immediately by allowing access to Civil Marriage to all citizens and residents of Ireland.  Louise Fitzgerald of Noise says

The choice of Civil Marriage must be opened up to every Irish resident, if our new FG/Labour government is truly committed to a society built on egalitarian principles.

Toward that end Noise organised a flash demo at the GPO in Dublin earlier this month, the demo was attended by 100/120 people with some short speeches about the current state of play with the two new parties and a call to everyone to keep fighting for full equality.  You can see some photos on Facebook here.

Noise plans future mini protests as well as their big march to keep the momentum up and the message alive that Civil Marriage is the only equality option. While the Civil Partnership Act is progress they are pushing the message that this is not good enough, as we are still denied many essential rights and protections.

Noise also announced their next March for Marriage which will be on Sunday 14th of August.  As many people as possible are needed to come out and support this march, Noise are again asking us to bring family and friends to show the new government that LGBT people will only be satisfied when true equality is achieved.

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