An estimated 20,000 supporters of same-sex marriage took to the streets of Belfast in Northern Ireland yesterday, demanding UK Prime Minister Theresa May legislate change allowing members of the LGBTIQ+ community equal rights.
Despite a majority of the population supporting reform, same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland is not legally recognised, with same-sex marriages performed outside Northern Ireland recognised as civil partnerships.
While the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland, has voted on the subject a number of times since 2012, it has continued to be vetoed by the socially conservative Democratic Unionist Party using the petition of concern - meaning any potential bills would require support from a majority of unionists and nationalists.
According to The Guardian, activist John O’Doherty from Love Equality told crowds over the weekend that human rights “could not be based on postcodes”.
He demanded "rights for all" before kissing his husband, Martin, onstage to loud cheers.
Labour MP Conor McGinn also took to the stage, saying "we are on the right side of history".
He added: “The message from the thousands here today in Belfast is loud and clear. We will not give up. This is not going away. And we are going to win.”
Northern Irish actress Bronagh Waugh then spoke, telling the crowd that "we are not second-class citizens".
She continued: “It is unacceptable that your government is now colluding in the denial of human rights to people in Northern Ireland."
Activists are calling on UK Prime Minister Theresa May to intervene in the ongoing political discourse surrounding marriage equality, fearing that a resolution could otherwise be years off following the collapse of power-sharing in the region.
