Belfast City Council votes in favour of same-sex 'marriage'

Belfast City councillors have voted in favour of redefining marriage, after Alliance Party Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown brought forward a motion calling for the law to change to allow same-sex couples to marry “in Belfast and across Northern Ireland”.

belfast.png

Belfast City Councillors have voted in favour of same-sex 'marriage'. Alliance Party Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown brought forward the motion.

38 Councillors voted in favour of same-sex 'marriage', 13 against and there were two abstentions.

Following the vote Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown said: “The spirit of equality now needs to be demonstrated by the Northern Ireland Assembly, so that this region will not be the only part of the UK or Ireland without civil marriage for same-sex couples.”

Earlier this month, the Republic of Ireland voted in favour of same-sex marriage. Redefining marriage in Northern Ireland however is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide.

In April the Assembly rejected a proposal for same-sex ‘marriage’ for a fourth time in less than three years, with the Sinn Féin motion being rejected by a majority of 49 against and 47 in favour of.