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| Northern Ireland assembly rejects motion on gay marriage | Northern Ireland assembly rejects motion on gay marriage |
| (4 months later) | |
| The Northern Ireland assembly has rejected a motion calling for same-sex couples to be married in the province. | The Northern Ireland assembly has rejected a motion calling for same-sex couples to be married in the province. |
| A joint proposal by Sinn Fein and the Green party to allow gay marriage was defeated because the Democratic Unionists (DUP) ensured that it would have to obtain cross community support in the parliament to succeed. | A joint proposal by Sinn Fein and the Green party to allow gay marriage was defeated because the Democratic Unionists (DUP) ensured that it would have to obtain cross community support in the parliament to succeed. |
| Under the rules of the Stormont parliament, any party can trigger a so-called petition of concern on a motion that then can only pass if the majority of nationalists and unionists back it. The rule was drawn up to protect minorities and ensure that there would never be a return to unionist domination of the assembly. In this instance the DUP used the law to scupper any move to liberalise the law on gay marriage. | Under the rules of the Stormont parliament, any party can trigger a so-called petition of concern on a motion that then can only pass if the majority of nationalists and unionists back it. The rule was drawn up to protect minorities and ensure that there would never be a return to unionist domination of the assembly. In this instance the DUP used the law to scupper any move to liberalise the law on gay marriage. |
| Only three unionist assembly members out of 45 voted in favour of gay equality. Both the DUP and the Ulster Unionists came under pressure over the weekend from the Protestant churches not to change the law on gay marriage. | Only three unionist assembly members out of 45 voted in favour of gay equality. Both the DUP and the Ulster Unionists came under pressure over the weekend from the Protestant churches not to change the law on gay marriage. |
| In a letter to assembly men and women the Presbyterian church said it was "not merely an issue of conscience for Christian people and churches, but a very significant one for the whole of society". | In a letter to assembly men and women the Presbyterian church said it was "not merely an issue of conscience for Christian people and churches, but a very significant one for the whole of society". |
| It said gay marriage would "effectively demolish generations and centuries of societal norms established on Judeo-Christian values". | It said gay marriage would "effectively demolish generations and centuries of societal norms established on Judeo-Christian values". |
| The Green party's sole representative in the Stormont assembly, Steven Agnew, said gay Christians were being "denied rights and religious freedoms". | The Green party's sole representative in the Stormont assembly, Steven Agnew, said gay Christians were being "denied rights and religious freedoms". |
| "As the law stands at the moment, a couple without faith can get married in a church while a devoutly religious couple of the same sex cannot," he said. | "As the law stands at the moment, a couple without faith can get married in a church while a devoutly religious couple of the same sex cannot," he said. |
| "Whether a religious institution performs same-sex marriage ceremonies is a matter for the church involved, not the state. This is actually an extension of rights to religious institutions to make their own decisions on this issue. | "Whether a religious institution performs same-sex marriage ceremonies is a matter for the church involved, not the state. This is actually an extension of rights to religious institutions to make their own decisions on this issue. |
| "Therefore, the law preventing churches performing same-sex marriage ceremonies should be removed and instead legal protection should be given to churches to allow then to determine what they define as marriage." | "Therefore, the law preventing churches performing same-sex marriage ceremonies should be removed and instead legal protection should be given to churches to allow then to determine what they define as marriage." |
| Only half of the cross-community, liberal Alliance party turned up to vote on the gay marriage debate. | Only half of the cross-community, liberal Alliance party turned up to vote on the gay marriage debate. |
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