At the launch of the campaign for Civil Marriage Equality: Marianne Irwin-Gowran with her partner Sandra Irwin-Gowran and her mum Muireann Gowran (L) PIC PAUL SHARP/SHARPPIX

Mullingar native on the campaign trail for a yes vote in marriage equality referendum

A native of Mullingar, Sandra Gowran-Irwin has been with her partner Marianne for the last 16 years.

They live in Dublin and are biological parents to one each of their two children.

At the earliest opportunity they entered a civil partnership to ensure a secure family unit for their children; however, they are not considered to be a constitutional family unit.

“Because Civil Partnership doesn’t give us the same constitutional equality, we’re not considered to be a constitutional family, so we would like to have the same status as every other couple who are raising children in Ireland,” says Sandra, an employee of GLEN, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network. 

Sandra is a secondary school teacher and she continues to work in the education sector for GLEN.

“It’s about making schools and education system more responsive to LGBT young people. I work around issues like homophobic bullying and transphobic bullying,” she explains.

Sandra is looking forward to the referendum as she believes it will finally give the LGBT community full acceptance in Irish society.

“I think it’s a really exciting referendum. You know, we’ve had a lot of bad years in Ireland, between austerity and water charges and recession and jobs. In my work, going around the country, you see people getting engaged and getting excited. I think it’s a really positive move for the country and for Ireland.

“It does give a message from society that they accept their lesbian and gay brothers, sisters, co-workers, whatever. So the significance of it is actually quite profound. I have three brothers and a sister and they’re all married – it’s not going to change their marriages, it’s not going to dilute or undermine their marriages.

“None of us know who of our children are going to be lesbian or gay, it’s what kind of future and status we want for those children.”

So what is the difference between civil partnership and civil marriage?

“The referendum is about civil marriage, so it’s about the marriage you go to the registry office to get, it’s not about church marriage and that’s an important distinction,” she explains.

“There’s nothing that will force the church to change their teaching. There would be some churches, for example the Unitarian Church, that would love to be able to perform (same sex) weddings. This won’t force any church. It’s about going to the registry office, getting your civil marriage. Before this, you go to the exact same civil registry office, and do very similar oaths, except that you are a civil partner as opposed to being married.

“In terms of legal effect, there are some differences between civil partnership and civil marriage. The biggest one is the status under the constitution. Marriage is protected under the constitution, civil marriage is just a law that could easily be undone. There are distinctions.

"If your relationship breaks down in a marriage and somebody goes for a divorce, the solicitor has to be sure that their marriage is irreconcilable before the solicitor will pursue the divorce. If a same-sex couple go to a solicitor and say they want their civil partnership dissolved, then it’s okay – no problem. It does give it a distinction as to its worth.”

Does much ignorance surround the issue?

“There are obviously people who don’t agree. In my experience they are actually a smallish number. People are a little bit confused as to the difference between civil partnership and civil marriage. I think for the most part, most people just want to live and let live and let people get on with their lives.

“I’ve had discussions with people who don’t agree for ideological or religious reasons. I suppose that’s why it’s so important that people understand why they are voting, to give people the right to go into a registry office and get married. It is nothing got to do with religion or religious freedom.”

-The Marriage Equality Referendum takes place on May 22.