TAOISEACH’S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CAMPAIGN IS AN INSULT TO MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, will attend a Gay Pride event in Belfast tomorrow to campaign against the traditional definition of marriage in Northern Ireland (link here).

Mr Varadkar told the Irish Times:

“I will attend the [Gay] Pride breakfast on Saturday morning in Belfast to express my support for equality before the law for Catholics, Protestants, non-religious people, men, women, gay people and straight people.

“And I won’t be making any compromises about that for anyone.”

It is a far cry from the position which he asserted in the press prior to taking office, when he said: “I won’t be allowing my own background or my own sexual orientation to dictate the decisions that I make.”

A leader from outside Northern Ireland would never normally use his visit to demand controversial change to major NI social policy. Mr Varadkar’s decision is an insult to the deeply-held beliefs of large swathes of the population of Northern Ireland.

The politicised police

Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will wear their uniforms when taking part in the Gay Pride parade. They have also issued an open invitation to An Garda Síochána, the Republic of Ireland’s police force, to march in the Belfast parade whilst wearing their uniforms (link here).

Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris of the PSNI said that his officers participating in the march would not affect their political neutrality – despite saying it was “unlikely” that officers would be given permission to join a march in favour of traditional marriage in uniform.

The job of the police is to enforce the law, not to campaign against it. The neutrality of PSNI on marriage has now been seriously compromised.

Unfortunately, many supporters of same-sex marriage seem to believe that the conventions which hold our society together can be swept aside where their campaign is concerned.

This is an extract from one of the Coalition for Marriage’s regular communications with its supporters. If you would like to register as a marriage supporter and receive these updates, you may do so here.