Gay and lesbian couples may soon be able to marry in the deeply Catholic country of Ireland, as voters there appear likely to legalize same-sex marriage through a national popular vote Friday.
The referendum, which asks citizens whether “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex,” stands to make Ireland the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage via popular vote, rather than through the legislature or the courts. Eighteen other countries — mainly in northern Europe, as well as parts of Mexico and most of the United States — currently allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.
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With a population that’s more than 80% Catholic, Ireland seems an unexpected leader on this issue. Prior to 1985, the country prohibited the sale of contraceptives. Consensual homosexual sex was illegal in Ireland until 1993. Divorce was not permitted until 1995, and abortion is still illegal in the country unless the life of the mother is at stake. Same-sex civil unions, meanwhile, have been legal since 2010.
Despite Ireland’s socially conservative record, Friday’s referendum is expected to pass. According to an Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll published last weekend, 74% of Irish voters favor allowing gay and lesbian couples the right to wed.
Dueling campaigns have canvassed the Emerald Isle in recent months, with both opponents and supporters championing family values.
“Without exception, every child reared by a same-sex couple is denied either a father or a mother,” a popular video from the No campaign warns. A video from the Yes campaign, entitled “The Kids Are Alright,” touches on many of the same notes, though sings a different tune.








