Tracing the campaign for marriage equality, this book highlights how this movement and the related referendum result have propelled Ireland from a country perceived as one repressed and controlled by the Catholic church to a country that is now admired as a leader in equality of human rights.

At 7.20pm on 23rd May 2015, in the courtyard of Dublin Castle, Ireland truly became a nation of equals. Ireland Says Yes is the fast-paced narrative account of all the drama, excitement and highs and lows of the last 100 days of the extraordinary campaign for a Yes vote in the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum. Those who led the Yes Equality campaign tell the inside story of how the referendum was won, and how Ireland’s two principal gay and lesbian rights organisations put together the most effective and successful civic society campaign ever launched in Irish politics. As well as a drama-packed chronological account of how the Yes campaign was executed, the book explores how social media mobilised a new generation of voters to the polls and how political parties, student unions and youth groups co-ordinated their efforts to deliver one of the most historic referendum results in Irish political history.

In 2015, Ireland will hold a referendum on the subject of extending marriage rights to same-sex people in the State. This referendum is the culmination of one of the most rapid and transformative changes in Irish society over the last century. In this book, Una Mullally charts the development of the debate from its origins to the present day. Based on interviews with all the key figures involved, from politics and activism to journalism and the media, the book paints a vivid picture of where we have come from and how we have arrived at this defining moment for Ireland.

Crossing the Threshold is the official history of the role played by the Marriage Equality organisation in leading the way for the successful passage of same-sex marriage in Ireland. Featuring contributions from lead campaigners, their personal perspectives will inspire anyone with an interest in campaigning for social justice, anyone who volunteered, marched or canvased, or who wished to know how the drive for marriage equality played out over the previous decade. Leading figures, including Katherine Zappone, Ann Louise Gilligan, Gráinne Healy, Brian Sheehan and Niall Crowley, broach everything from fundraising and political strategic support to personal efforts and sacrifices, giving a full understanding of the multi-faceted undertaking of running a campaign that continues as a shining example of what it means to strive for a socially progressive Ireland. Crossing the Threshold is the swansong of all those involved - an insightful confirmation of everything that has been achieved. Hear the voices of the campaigners and examine the details of the strategies adopted that changed Irish hearts and minds to say Yes to equality in the Marriage Referendum 2015.

In May 2015, Ireland became the first country to introduce marriage equality following a national referendum (which amended the Irish Constitution). The following month, the U.S. became the first to do so directly on foot of a national court decision. Both Ireland and the U.S. were the subject of some criticism for settling the marriage equality debate in the way that they did. The use of the courts in the U.S. was seen by some as inherently undemocratic, since it restricted the decision-making power to just nine unelected judges. The use of the referendum in Ireland was seen by some as almost too democratic, in that it used a purely majoritarian process to decide on whether a human right should be enjoyed on an equal basis by a minority group. This paper has two main arguments, both of which are grounded in constitutional history: first, that the mechanism used for settling the marriage equality debate in each country was inevitable, and second, that it was appropriate to that country. The resolution of the marriage equality debate followed established patterns in the search for a decisive victory in a religious-moral controversy, and has close parallels with the abortion debate in each country. The fact that the legislative route has been used in every other country where marriage equality has been introduced, and navigates a middle road between the opposing disadvantages of litigation and referendums, does not mean that it would have been the appropriate route for either the U.S. or Ireland, where certain fundamental political disputes tend to be resolved through constitutional politics rather than ordinary politics.

At 7.20pm on 23rd May 2015, in the courtyard of Dublin Castle, Ireland truly became a nation of equals. This book is the fast-paced narrative account of all the drama, excitement and highs and lows of the last 100 days of the extraordinary campaign for a Yes vote in the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum. Those who led the Yes Equality campaign tell the inside story of how the referendum was won and how gay, Lesbian and human rights organisations put together the most effective and successful civic society campaign ever launched in Irish politics.

On May 23rd, 2015 the people of Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to introduce marriage equality by popular vote. The joyous scenes from Dublin Castle and across Ireland, as the historic vote was declared, made headlines across the globe. But more than anything else, the vote was about changing the 'real lives' of the largest minority in Ireland: the LGBT community. Charlie Bird, inspired by the extraordinary Yes Equality campaign, travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to record first-hand the moving life stories of over fifty people who were deeply affected by the marriage equality vote. These are the true stories from ordinary LGBT people who have lived in the shadow of inequality and oppression for decades. A Day in May is a poignant record of their lives - of the pain, terror, confusion and sometimes the laughter - all of these emotions are beautifully captured by Charlie Bird. Stunning portrait photography complement the voices on paper to powerful effect amplifying the life affirming impact of that day in May 2015 when Ireland said yes to marriage equality. *** "The ordinary men and women who tell their remarkably eloquent stories create a fascinating tapestry of voices and experiences that epitomizes the phrase 'the personal is political.' As Colm Toibin writes in his introduction, each gay testimony 'moves our lives from shadow into substance.' A Day in May is an uplifting, enlightening and powerful collection." --Kevin Howell, Shelf Awareness, Social Science, July 1, 2016 *** "...moving anthology of firsthand testimonies from members of Ireland's LGBT community. Highly recommended!" --Midwest Book Review, Wisconsin Bookwatch: September 2016, The LGBT Studies Shelf [Subject: Marriage Equality, Politics, Gender Studies, Cultural Studies]