In a voter referendum on Thursday, Irish voters became the first nation in the world to put marriage equality in their constitution by popular vote. Others have done it through legislative or judicial decisions.
"That makes us a
beacon, a light to the rest of the world of liberty and equality. So
it's a very proud day to be Irish," Cabinet minister Leo Varadkar said. The vote was called a landslide, with 62% voting "yes." Only one if 43 voting districts voted "no," meaning that even in some conservative districts a majority voted "yes." All political parties had supported marriage equality.
This is even more remarkable, given the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, although that has declined since the child abuse scandals.
It's one more bit of evidence for the U. S. Supreme Court to consider in its pending decision on the same-sex marriage cases before them. Those already in favor will look on Ireland's vote as an expression of the people's will and reinforce their decision to overturn state laws that ban same-sex marriage. Those already opposed will see it as an argument for letting the people, not the courts, decide. So it's unlikely to change any minds on the court; and my prediction remains a 6 to 3 decision to overturn state laws, with Kennedy and Roberts joining the four liberal justices.
Ralph
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