Celebrating civil partnerships?

Today GLEN, the Irish Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, published an album of couples celebrating their civil partnerships throughout the country.

This is lovely!

One thing that isn’t lovely, though? The fact that several of these photos mention the kids of the couples involved. Kids who are deliberately excluded from the protections of their parents’ civil partnerships.

Listen, I get that people celebrate their partnerships with their families. But can we leave out things like “[So-and-so’s] partnership day was even more special for them as they anticipated the imminent arrival of their second child who was born 2 weeks after the big day”? Ireland’s civil partnership legislation specifically and deliberately denies the rights of same-sex couples and their children to be legally considered each others’ family. For an LGBT gay and lesbian equality organisation to wilfully ignore this in celebrating civil partnerships is profoundly insulting to these families.

Which is a pity. ‘Cause queer weddings make me happycry almost as much as rescued kittens, unexpected presents, and the wonder of chocolatey chili.

 

Edited because I posted this and then clicked on a link to this video, which made me almost-cry so much my ears tickled. Despite the fact that I don’t speak a word of Italian*. And now I wonder if I’m the only person in the world whose ears feel ticklish when they almost-cry.

 

*I lie. I can say one word, which is gelato.

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Celebrating civil partnerships?
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3 thoughts on “Celebrating civil partnerships?

    1. 1.1

      I do see your point. And I am genuinely happy for the people who’ve entered into civil partnerships and found it meaningful and benefited from the very real protections it provides.
      I do, however, find that talking about the children of same-sex couples in the context of civil partnership and ignoring that they’re left out of these protections.. it feels horrible to me. I don’t think that there’s a time when it’s right to ignore the overwhelming unfairness of the kids who are deliberately legally excluded from their own families. Even on Valentine’s Day.

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