Sinn Féin lists same-sex marriage as ‘key issue’, despite NI opposition

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has listed same-sex marriage as a ‘key issue’, despite widespread opposition in Northern Ireland.

In 2014, Gerry Adams came under fire for describing the equality agenda as a “Trojan Horse”.

Referring to ‘fundamentalist bigots’ and homophobia during a meeting in Enniskillen, Adams said “what’s going to break them is equality”, posing the question: “Who could be afraid of equality?”

Marriage

Speaking this week, Adams accused rival politicians of failing to engage with key issues including homosexual marriage, saying: “This is unacceptable”.

He was backed up by Michelle O’Neill, leader of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, who lashed out at the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for maintaining its marriage stance.

Sinn Féin and the DUP, the largest nationalist and unionist parties in Northern Ireland, have been engaged in talks for several weeks as they attempt to form a Government.

‘Wrong’

DUP MLA Arlene Foster, who was First Minister before the Assembly was dissolved in January, has said: “This suggestion that every single person who’s a homosexual wants to change the definition of marriage is actually wrong.

“I know plenty of people in that community who don’t want to see marriage redefined”.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where marriage is still defined as between one man and one woman.

Stopped

MLAs have been asked to vote for the redefinition of marriage five times during the last five years. On each occasion the proposal has been stopped.

Callum Webster, The Christian Institute’s Northern Ireland Officer, has said: “A small number of activists might be pushing for this change, but the people of Northern Ireland do not want to see such a fundamental building block of society redefined.”