Do your straight friends and family think you are equal? Now is their chance to show it!
It’s finally time to announce the next Noise protest: we ask you, your friends, your family and your co-workers to MARCH FOR MARRIAGE in Dublin on Sunday 9th August 2009.

All who attended Noise’s ‘Inequality? RED CARD!’ rally in May - over one thousand of you - will remember Rory O’Neill aka Miss Panti Bliss calling on the community to show its “righteous anger”. You’ll also remember Noiser Eloise McInerney challenging everyone present to carry that anger to the wider community by bringing someone along to the next rally, be they straight, gay, bi or trans. Noise is reissuing that challenge - if everyone who attended that last rally brought three, or five, or even ten people along to August’s march, a message would be sent to our Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that could not be ignored: Ireland’s LGBT community - along with their straight friends and family - demand the equality that is due to every citizen: the right to marry the one we love.

The march will gather at Dublin’s City Hall, Dame Street, and will end with a rally at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on St Stephen’s Green. Speakers at the rally will include Niall Crowley (equality expert and former CEO of the Equality Authority), Patricia Prendeville (former executive director of ILGA Europe) and Brendan Courtney (broadcaster and entertainer).

It’s time to MARCH FOR MARRIAGE - we look forward to seeing you there!

Sunday 9th August 2009 from 1.30pm, Dublin City Hall, Dame Street.

Love and Noise,

The Noise Team

Ireland Dublin:
Mary Lou McDonald: Sinn Fein candidate for Dublin:."The objective of delivering full equality of all people in Ireland must become a higher priority of government, regardless of what party is at the helm. The EU must also lead by example on protection from discrimination and the promotion of equality. It is Sinn Féin's longstanding policy to support recognition and legislation for same-sex spousal rights including but not limited to the legal recognition of civil partnerships, the right to marry, and the equal right to adopt." She signed the ILGA pledge

Proinsias De Rossa: Labour Party candidate for Dublin: "My goal and the Labour Party's goal is full equality for gay citizens. The path we have chosen is that of legislation, which gives gay couples all the rights and responsibilities of marriage. We introduced our own Civil Unions Bill to the Dáil twice since 2007, and twice it has been voted down by the Government. It is likely that a referendum will be needed to provide for full marriage equality between same sex couples. The Labour Party will support such a referendum. An equal right to marry is not a gay issue - it's a citizenship issue. Equal treatment for gay couples is just one milestone in our endeavour to improve the quality of our citizenship, and our society, for all, regardless of background, creed, gender or sexual orientation." He signed the ILGA pledge.

Joe Higgins: The Socialist Party candidate for Dublin: "I have signed the pledge for ILGA and you may add me to any list [of supporters] you have in that regard. Many thanks"

Deirdre De Burca - Green party candidate for Dublin: "The Green Party are in favour of same sex marriage, adoption rights for same sex couples and Inheritance and Pension rights for same sex couples. ..Both I and my party support full civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples and will continue to work to make this a reality but that view is not currently held by the majority of parties in the Dáil, nor the larger Government party."

Eibhlin Byrne, Lord Mayor and Fianna Fail candidate for Dublin: "I believe that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights to marriage as all other couples."

Gay Michell :Fine Gael candidate for Dublin: "I support the Fine Gael policy document which you can get from them directly" Reply from HQ on behalf of candidates: - "Fine Gael is absolutely committed to supporting the forthcoming Civil Partnership Bill and will be making substantial amendments to improve it, with particular emphasis on the position of children within a same sex partnership and will continue, in government, to support social equality in all forms. We would greatly appreciate contributions to assist us in formulating our amendments to the Civil Partnership Bill to help us with our advocacy of social equality."

Ireland East:
Nessa Childers: Labour Party candidate for East: "In 2009, it is nothing short of a disgrace that same-sex couples are still not afforded equal recognition and legal protection. This failure is a denial of thousands of citizens' right to equality under the law. Europe must act together to guarantee same sex couples the legal equality they deserve" . She signed the ILGA pledge.

Tomas Sharkey: Sinn Fein candidate for East: "I fully endorse the campaign (for equal marriage rights) because everyone should have equal right to happiness. I am married myself and believe that everyone should have the right to happiness and security with the person they love."

Kathleen Funchion - Sinn Fein candidate for East: "Sinn Féin have campaigned and continue to campaign for equivalence in equality and human rights protections, including for the definition of the family in the Constitution to be extended to include same-sex couples. We will continue to fight for the full and equal right to marriage and all of its ensuing rights and entitlements for same-sex couples, including the right to choose marriage or civil partnership."

Mairead Mc

Fianna Fáil Official Position
Fianna Fail supports the Government's proposed civil partnership scheme. In Government, Fianna Fail established the Colley Group that reviewed the issue of same-sex relationships and concluded that while marriage was the only means of providing equality for lesbian and gay people, current constitutional limitations mean that civil partnership would resolve many issues for same-sex couples. The then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, speaking at the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network in Dublin in April 2006 stated that,

"All citizens regardless of sexual orientation stand equal in the eyes of our laws...Our laws have changed, and will continue to change, to reflect this principle."

Civil marriage, unions, or partnerships were not mentioned in Fianna Fail's 'Now, the Next Steps' manifesto for the 2007 General Election. However, the Programme for Government 2007-2012, which they agreed with the Green Party, states that they "will legislate for civil partnerships at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of the Government".

The same section of the Programme for Government also states that the Government is "committed to full equality for all in our society."

Individual Fianna Fail TDs have spoken in favour of civil partnership legislation in the Dail and Seanad in the last 18 months. Broadly speaking, some TDs and Senators are privately in favour of civil marriage for lesbian and gay people, while others are resolutely opposed.

Fine Gael Official Position
Fine Gael has expressed support for the introduction of civil partnership legislation. Their current party position - as outlined in their 2007 General Election Manifesto - states they are committed to creating a "Civil partnership Register to allow for two people of the same or opposite sex to formally register their partnership with the State."

Current Fine Gael Spokesperson on Justice, Charles Flanagan TD, has spoken passionately in the Dail about the need to introduce legal recognition of same-sex couples. Fine Gael is currently updating its policy in this regard and is openly engaging with MarriagEquality on an ongoing basis. It is likely they will formally endorse the Government's proposed civil partnership scheme.

Labour Party Official Position
The Labour Party is committed to full and unequivocal equality for lesbian and gay couples and is willing to call for a referendum on the issue of same-sex marriage should that be necessary. MarriagEquality does not believe that a referendum is necessary as this is a matter yet to be decided by the Supreme Court in the Zappone and Gilligan case.

The Labour Party supports the introduction of its Civil Unions Bill. This Bill provides "a status relationship equivalent to marriage for the benefit of people who are of the same-sex and who, under the current constitutional understanding of marriage, cannot marry each other." The Labour Bill provides the right for lesbian and gay couples to be considered as adoptive parents. The Labour Party has said the introduction of civil partnership will not provide equality for lesbian and gay people.

Labour first tabled their Civil Unions Bill in the Dail in February 2007, and again in November 2007. The Bill was defeated by a Government amendment on both occasions. Labour Party TDs and Senators have been meeting with MarriagEquality on an ongoing basis, at leadership level, and through the Labour LGBT group.

Green Party Official Position
The Green Party's official party position supports marriage equality for lesbian and gay people. Despite this fact, whilst in Government they are supporting the proposed Civil Partnership Legislation.

The Green Party negotiated the inclusion of a commitment to civil partnership legislation in the agreed Programme for Government 2007-2012 with Fianna Fail. The Green Party subsequently supported the proposed civil partnership scheme as a step towards marriage equality. Despite passing a motion at their p