Civil Unions and Gay Rights.

A brief gander through the papers this morning sees this small island of ours finally taking a step in the right direction with regard to some of its citizens. It always struck me as highly insulting that my gay friend should be treated as a sub species of person when it came to their living arrangements. I have gay friends who have lived together for years as a couple and this new legislation means they can finally make arrangements for their financial future. It's also a boon for co-habitating couples, who now can have their relationships recognised and validated.
Of course there will be the usual bleating about how this is an attack on marriage and the bedrock of the Irish way of life. But this argument is specious at best. How does recognising another right to legal protection attack a decision made my two adults. If you want to get married what's stopping you?
I've already heard one commentator on the radio trot out the old 'lifestyle choice' line this morning. It's staggering to think that in this day and age anyone would consider being gay a lifestlye choice, like piercing a lip. Yeah, that's what it all about, attacking marriage and making lifestyle choices. Yep, those pesky gays get up every morning thinking, 'how can I disrupt the life of the hetrosexual?' Nothing to do with equality or right to live a life in legal peace.
There's a man on the Brenda Power show right now ranting on about the world's population, and 'God's plan'. But congratulating himself on 'not attacking them' even though the idea of them kissing makes him sick. How forward thinking of him.
Sigh.
There's much more to do of course, and although the battle to be recognised as actual living people is being won, the war is not over. There will be plenty of nonsense spewed over the next few days about the 'gay agenda' and attacks on marriage/the social fabric of the country, but it's just fear talking.
Gays are not second class citizens, it's time to recognise their rights to live as Irish citizens .