Down Council backs gay marriage proposal

Down Council backs gay marriage proposal

15 August 2012 - by Joanne Fleming

GAY marriage has been approved by Down Council.

At a meeting of the local authority on Monday, Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors voted in favour of the concept while the DUP and UUP voted against and Alliance abstained.

While Stormont has no plans for such legislation, local parties have been formulating policies on the issue. Westminster is consulting on whether to allow gay couples in England and Wales to marry, while in Scotland the government has announced plans to bring forward a bill on the issue.

Sinn Fein’s Stephen Burns, who brought the motion, said for his party it was an equality and human rights issue.

“What the churches do is a matter for the churches,” he said. “Gay couples have the same right to marry as any other couples.

“Civil partnership is not the same as marriage. All citizens have the same right under the law to profess their love and commitment.”

Mr. Burns’ opening remarks were interrupted by DUP councillor Garth Craig who said under European legislation it was not a human rights issue.

His party colleague William Dick went on to unequivocally reject the proposal, arguing it was “a source of great shame” and not in the “best interests of society”.

“This motion is absolutely pointless,” he said. “Down District Council has absolutely no jurisdiction over this particular issue.

“We support the traditional definition of marriage, that being marriage between a man and a woman. I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of people in this district agree with this position.

“This is not an equality issue, there is no legal right for gay marriage.”

The UUP’s Walter Lyons agreed that marriage was “sacrosanct”. “Marriage is between a man and a woman,” he said.

The SDLP’s Eamonn O’Neill began by appearing to support the traditional view of marriage, and noting that he himself was a Christian and a practising Catholic.

He said he understood the issue unearthed a “deeply held and highly emotional response in many people” and stressed his party recognised the importance of religious belief as part of the fabric of society.

Councillor O’Neill concluded by saying, however, that the SDLP supported the motion on the principle of equality.

“We firmly believe that this is yet another clear example of the need for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland as proposed in the Good Friday Agreement,” he said.

Councillor Patrick Clarke said the Alliance Party had a strong history of supporting equality and human rights and would come to a decision on the issue of gay marriage at its next meeting in September. He therefore abstained from the vote as did independent councillor Terry Andrews, who said he continued to object to recorded votes on any topic.