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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To rally Irish voters here and ask is anyone voting No tomorrow?

415 replies

LayMeDown · 21/05/2015 14:13

I know there's lots of Irish on MN. I don't know anyone in RL voting No. But polls indicates it's tightening a lot. I'm getting scared it won't pass and my lovely brother and his partner will be left out in the cold again. What are you all hearing in your circles?

FYI for any non Irish there is a referendum tomorrow on introducing same sex marriage in Ireland.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
madreloco · 22/05/2015 09:34

There is something especially sickening about the no voters complaining about being bullied by the big nasty gay lobby. Theyd understand how offensive that complaint is if they grew up gay in Ireland, they might know what bullying actually means then. What makes it worse is a no vote is the ultimate bullying act.....its yet again the ruling mass trying to keep a minority in their place.

Its the children of No voters we should really be concerned about. Growing up with bullying bigots cant be healthy for kids, can it?

Moln · 22/05/2015 09:52

Friend of mine is working in a ballot station. Said that she's never experience it this busy before. There were people waiting outside at 6.45 when she arrived.

Hopefully yes voters!!

Result is expected by tomorrow evening

TheVeryThing · 22/05/2015 09:57

Moln* that's really encouraging to hear.
It's completely ridiculous but i am terrified I am going to forget to vote!

Original poster
LayMeDown · 22/05/2015 10:07

TheVeryThing I know what you mean. I've voted already but I was scared I'd tick the wrong box! Even after I was thinking 'did I definitely tick yes?'

OP posts:
Cherryblossomsinspring · 22/05/2015 10:09

Everyone is entitled to an opinion in the same way a racist is entitled to am opinion. No matter what way I try to think of this matter the only reason people might vote no is if the don't understand what the vote is about or they are homophobic. Please god yes wins. There shouldn't ever be a vote on whether to treat any group of people as second class citizens.

Original poster
LayMeDown · 22/05/2015 10:12

Tess you think it's off to try and rally votes? Well you have issues with democracy then not just me. People presenting their argument and trying to persuade others is how it works I make no apologies for voicing my opinion and trying to persuade others. I will stand up for what I think is right and for my brother. I have participated in no vitriol and I see none of this thread.

OP posts:
MitzyLeFrouf · 22/05/2015 10:17

There's something troubling about the thought that many more people are going to vote in a particular way than are willing to say so (Conservative in England, No in Scotland last September, No in Ireland tomorrow). It suggests a degree of intimidation which is just as wrong and bad as it is in the opposite direction.

The Yes campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, any negativity has come from the No side with their lies and scare mongering.

MitzyLeFrouf · 22/05/2015 10:18

Moln that's brilliant to hear. Here's hoping for a massive turnout!

leedy · 22/05/2015 10:19

"also I do not want my 6 yr old educated in junior infants regarding gay/ Lesb relationships or at a younger age than what I'd like"

My 5 year old in Junior Infants already knows about gay/lesbian relationships because one of his friends has lesbian parents. I found this out before I'd even met them because he was talking blithely about "J's daddy and mammy and D's mammy and mammy" being at some event. You mentioned "preserving their innocence", I think that's innocence, just accepting his friend's family as being just another type of family, without any adult-imposed preconceptions about what's "wrong" or "weird" or "necessary". And no, I don't believe you ever intended to vote yes either.

Again, I don't believe the genuinely misinformed No voter should be treated with contempt or called stupid or anything like that, but I am really getting sick to the back teeth of people expressing homophobic sentiments and then complaining about being "bullied" and "shamed" and "silenced" by anti-homophobic "intolerance". I'd feel similar about racists complaining that they were being made to feel that racism was unacceptable by the big nasty establishment ("I can't even burn a cross on my lawn any more!").

MitzyLeFrouf · 22/05/2015 10:21

I am voting no . I was all for a yes vote up to yesterday . The carry on of the media-the bully boy tactics of anyone with a differing opinion .

Ha. I've heard this 'I was going to vote Yes till someone was mean to me' fairytale from a few No voters. As if anyone believes you were ever going to vote Yes.

leedy · 22/05/2015 10:22

Also proudly voted Yes this morning. :)

Maryz · 22/05/2015 10:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheVeryThing · 22/05/2015 10:24

I had no difficulty in explaining to my then five year old that our gay friends are a couple, just like Mum and Dad - a perfectly simple and age-appropriate answer to a question from him.
He is now 7 and wants me to add an extra Yes vote from him.

leedy · 22/05/2015 10:26

DS1 this morning told me he hoped I was going to vote "Something beginning with y-".

I've also seen some lovely obviously child-made rainbow YES's in windows round our area.

DramaAlpaca · 22/05/2015 10:29

Lots of my sons' friends have registered to vote specially for this.

There will be Yes votes in our family from the three of us who are eligible to vote. DS3 is too young but would be a Yes if he could, and I am not an Irish citizen so sadly I don't have a vote. Would be a Yes if I was eligible.

FeijoaSundae · 22/05/2015 10:29

If you (generic) don't like people openly disagreeing with your wankerish opinion, then shut up. Or even better, just don't hold it.

Otherwise, deal with it, and stop whining.

Hellolemonade · 22/05/2015 10:31

I've just voted Yes. I wish they hadn't been running the age vote at the same time because I wanted to vote No for that and was in a panic that I'd mix them up...
There were Yes campaigners everywhere this morning, didn't see a "No" placard anywhere.

Flywheel · 22/05/2015 10:32

Off to the polling station now. I'm cautiously optimistic. Sure, there are a lot of closet no voters, but I suspect the youth turn out will be unprecedented. Fingers crossed

MitzyLeFrouf · 22/05/2015 10:34

It's a shame you can't vote Drama but you can be proud you've played your part by raising fair and open-minded children!

Maryz · 22/05/2015 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Chiggers · 22/05/2015 10:48

One of the things I'd like to know, is how does gay marriage impact on your own marriage, when 2 gay people getting married has nothing to do with anyone else. Are you going to love your OH any less? Are you going to love your OH any differently because a gay couple somewhere else in the country may also be able to get married and have the same rights.

I'm certainly not going to love DH any less or any differently. To deny homosexuals the right to marry is discrimination. Marriage should be a contract between 2 people who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together, with the same rights, regardless of their sexuality.

I've had a Christian friend vehemently say that homosexuality IS a choice, so I then asked her when she chose to be straight. She said that she didn't choose to be straight and I told her that what she said proved my point about being gay.

DramaAlpaca · 22/05/2015 10:58

Mitzy thank you. Yes, I am very proud of my boys.

Maryz it's the same at my son's school, nobody turns a hair. It's good to see young people being so accepting.

Moln · 22/05/2015 11:32

My ds1 is concerned it'll be a no. He finds inequality upsetting. My mil told him she was voting no and he asked her why she told him 'because of the children' and he told he children couldn't get married Grin

Anyway he has said to her a few times why he thinks it should be yes, and I told her why it's not surrogacy/ adoption related and she's now undecided. I think though she'll vote no however as most unsure people tend to vote for no change.

I'm so annoyed I don't have a vote!

LALA430lala · 22/05/2015 11:38

I didn't realize there were so many Irish people here.(I'm not) There are only 8 comments but I didn't expect more than 3.

gabsdot45 · 22/05/2015 11:41

This campaign seems to have split people into 2 camps
yes= equality loving, fair, good people
no=bigotted, gay haters, bad people
The reasons for voting no are many and varied. I'm going to vote no and I certainly don't hate gay people.
My reasons voting no come from my feelings and beliefs about marriage, not about my feelings for the LGBT community.
Some people are going to vote no because they worry about the outcome for children. There children are already being raised by gay parents, this referendum won't change that. Adoption, surrogacy, similar red herrings.
Some people are going to vote no as a protest vote against the government. Other no voters are worried about the legal reprucussions from a change in the constitution. Other's feel the whole thing is unnecessary. I have listened to the debate and I don't even understand some of the reasons being put out there for voting no, let alone agree with them.
There are just as many different reasons for voting yes.
I'm sure that the referendum will pass and I'm sad that when the result is announced that the some of LGBT community in Ireland might feel that a large % of the population hate them and that is just not the case. Ireland is actually, in my experience, (and I am a member of a minority) a very tolerant and inclusive place.