In May those of us who are Irish citizens will be called upon to vote in the same-sex marriage referendum. This referendum will ask the people of Ireland to decide whether gay people in our society should be allowed to marry the person that they have fallen in love with and thereby enjoy the same civil, legal and social rights currently enjoyed by straight people. In short May's referendum is one which asks the Irish people whether the oppression of gay people in this country when it comes to the issue of marriage should continue or whether we can find it in ourselves to be grown up enough to realize that this sort of oppression should and can no longer be tolerated.
It is important as we head into this referendum to reflect on how it is that in a so-called enlightened and scientific age religion still holds such sway in issues such as this. Unfortunately the Irish Constitution is not a secular one, rather it is one heavily influenced by Catholic dogma, it is not surprising therefore that oppressive laws are still in existence in this country. It is also not surprising given the predominantly Catholic history of Ireland that many still hold fast to the cultural 'norms' that this history has given rise to.
Most of the people that I have encountered who plan to vote 'No' in the referendum cite religion and specifically the Bible as the source of their wisdom on this matter. In doing so, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they pin their wisdom to a book that advocates the stoning of gay people. Thereby these religious individuals are unfortunately not only pro-oppression but it must also be assumed that they stand behind the torture, castration and murder of homosexuals in countries such as Saudi-Arabia today. When confronted with this reality I'm sure many of them would deny this and argue that they certainly don't condone such harsh punishment but they must at the very least acknowledge that in voting 'No' they are simply voting for a more subtle and insidious type of oppression; the type of oppression that allows the oppressor to sleep a little more soundly in bed at night as no blood is shed. But it is a type of oppression that wages psychological warfare on a group of people simply for being who they are. It is the type of oppression that was so heart-breakingly described by our own Panti Bliss from the stage of the Abbey theatre and the type of oppression that the anonymous writer to the Irish Independent last week has lived with so unhappily for 60 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXayhUzWnl0
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/at-60-and-gay-i-can-dream-letter-to-the-editor-31085474.html
In May we will be given the opportunity to put an end to the oppression of the gay members of our society at least in one small area, the institute of marriage. This opportunity is a privilege that should not be taken for granted as it is the opportunity for those of us who have a voice and are being afforded the right to use that voice to stand up for equal rights, the end of oppression and the progress of liberty. Use your voice, use your vote. Vote YES for all of those who have suffered as a result of oppression not just in our society but in any society around the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment