Civil Partnership Bill

[parakeet]

Here is a list of adoption agencies: List of State (Health Board) & Private Adoption Agencies in the Republic of Ireland
I think that the names of many of these societies answers your question.

I imagine that most girls and women who give up their babies for adoption would prefer that their child be brought up in a "traditional" family. What do you think?

Perhaps my article 4.1 could be phrased better but surely it is better to have a simple honest piece of legislation than a huge convoluted document that effectively says the same thing.

I don't believe that these people should be allowed discriminate because of their homophobic prejudice and their foolish worldview.

[Tiernanator]

It shouldn't be a civil partnership bill it should be a full equality bill that removes the irrational ban on gay marriage.

totally agree civil partnership is the legal poor relation of marriage and therefore it is discriminatory. Full marriage rights are the way forward but I can't see FFailure taking on the priests.

[SirHenryGrattan]

By what objective assessment would you believe that married couples and civil partners were so different that one would be allowed apply to adopt, whilst the other would be debarred autonmatically?

Any man, gay or straight cannot form a maternal bond with a child. That's objective and valid grounds for debarment. The rights of the child come first and that includes the right to have a mother.

[SirHenryGrattan]

totally agree civil partnership is the legal poor relation of marriage and therefore it is discriminatory. Full marriage rights are the way forward but I can't see FFailure taking on the priests.

It's not just the Priests. California, Florida and other states in the US have held plebiscites to ban gay marriage. In Florida the majority in favour of the ban was over 60%. Opposition to gay marriage is grounded in primeval instincts that recognise marriage primarily as a vehicle for the birthing and rearing of children and Gay men can't have children. Romantic marriage is a relatively new phenomenon.

[TommyO'Brien]

It is an important milestone on the road to equality, but not equality.

The first principle to establish is recognition, and this bill achieves that. Full same-sex marriage is evitable and will come, probably within 5 years. Polls clearly show that same-sex marriage is backed by over 60% of the electorate, and the vast majority of people under the age of 40%. The principle opposing demographic is those over the age of 60, and those people, by definition, are a declining segment as a larger proportion of that demographic die daily than in other demographics. Once the the support hits 70% than the margin is enough to deliver a win. (Usually on social issues, there is a swing to the conservative side or circa 15%. So 62% is not yet a winnable margin. But once it hits 70% it is reasonably guaranteed, and on polling trajectories that 70% may well be hit within 4-5 years.)