The news that Ireland has voted for same-sex marriage is being greeted with barely concealed awe and astonishment here in Australia. Perhaps this reaction is an indicator of how ill-informed many Australians are about contemporary Irish society. Or perhaps this reaction is tinged with more than a hint of envy.
The goal posts have now shifted so utterly that many Australians are being forced to do a double-take and to question their age-old stereotypes of the Irish. They may well be beginning to realise that there is a lot more complexity to Ireland than U2 and Riverdance and all that guff.
So move over the fightin’ Irish. And forget about the drunken Paddy and misbehaving backpackers.
My Australian wife is gobsmacked. Her abiding memory of a visit to Ireland is the proliferation of churches and statues (some were even on the move) dotting the countryside, and us all heading off to Mass on Sundays. I certainly didn’t foresee the same-sex referendum passing, but of course I’m rapt about the outcome.
When I left Ireland in the early 1980s, gay rights were not part of the everyday vocabulary in Ireland. Gay rights simply did not exist. Gay people, to all intents and purposes, were invisible. For many, the choice was to remain in the closet, or to seek the anonymity of a life abroad. The Catholic Church was still in the ascendancy. Same-sex marriage didn’t seem to be on anyone’s political agenda; or maybe I wasn’t paying attention. But that was over three decades ago and Irish society is now arguably as progressive as any other developed country in the world.
Although Australia is a country that prides itself on its laid-back attitude and its rich multicultural history, it has yet to recognise same-sex unions. Same-sex marriage bills were rejected by our House of Representatives and the Senate as recently as 2012. The issue is one our politicians prefer to shy away from.
At the moment there is a somewhat muted attempt underway to kickstart the issue again. But most of our politicians would prefer if it simply went away; such is their fear of alienating middle Australia. Our current government under prime minister Tony Abbott is renowned for its conservatism.
Ireland’s decision will undoubtedly embolden gay marriage advocates in Australia. After all, a poll in July 2014 conducted by Australian Marriage Equality, found 72 per cent of Australians were in favour of legislating for same- sex marriages. Although homophobia often raises its ugly head in Australian society, to a large extent gay people can live open lives with fear of prejudice or harassment.
We will just have to hope our politicians have the moral courage to stand by their beliefs. Australia is a country that has always prided itself on the “fair go” principle. As of Saturday, Australia is the only country in developed English speaking world - except for Northern Ireland - that has no same-sex marriage legislation.
Alas, I won't be holding my breath on any positive developments any time soon. Within hours of the news from Ireland reaching Down Under, Abbott, whose sister Christine is in a long-term lesbian relationship, bluntly stated in Brisbane that he was firmly opposed to any referendum on gay marriage. No doubt, his words were crushing for those clamouring for gay marriage to be recognised in Australia.
