Irish Same-sex marriage vote: How a Minority achieved a Majority

Posted on August 11, 2017 
Filed under Culture wars, Resources

how_a_minority_achieved_a_majority(Originally posted 24 May 2015.)

“For years leading up to Ireland’s civil partnership legislation, a small nongovernmental organisation (NGO) – the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) – along with its many supporters and collaborators, worked quietly and methodically toward this day. …

In 2005, GLEN received a sizable long-term grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies that allowed GLEN to increase its organisational capacity and to pursue its ambitious advocacy strategy for advancing equality for gays and lesbians in Ireland.

The story of how Ireland’s landmark legislation was achieved for same-sex couples holds insights and lessons for any advocacy group trying to achieve legislative change…”

– This PDF document, available on The Atlantic Philanthropies website, charts how minority groups were able to achieve the goal of Civil Partnership in Ireland back in 2010.

See also: Catalysing LGBT Equality and Visibility in Ireland (PDF).

Related:

Asking questions about funding for referendum campaign – Irish Times, 9th May 2015:

“The only acceptable narrative is that this is a benign grassroots movement, because if we admitted that it is instead a slick, elite movement of highly educated professionals funded from abroad we might have to admit we were skilfully manipulated. And that could not be true.”

Editorial Comment from Anglican Mainstream, 23 May 2015:

“This is a sad day for all who have campaigned and prayed for Ireland to hold the line on keeping the definition of marriage as an exclusive covenant between a man and a woman for life.

The result is not a surprise, because of orchestrated cultural change, huge disparity in resources between the Yes campaign (backed by government, media and American dollars), and the aggressive vilification of any individuals courageous enough to speak up for historic sexual morality, the sanctity of marriage and the bedrock of biological families.”