After
Ireland's citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of marriage equality in a
historic referendum, members of Germany's Green party have called for the
recognition of same-sex marriage in Germany as well.
The Greens
on Sunday appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to allow same-sex
marriage in Germany.
"It's
time Mrs. Merkel," the party's parliamentary leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt
told newspaper "Die Welt." "The Merkel faction cannot just sit
out the debate on marriage for all…I am confident that the Irish vote will
accelerate equality in Germany."
In a
historic referendum held on Friday, Ireland voted by a landslide in favor of
changing the constitution to recognize marriage between same-sex couples. It
marks a significant step in a predominantly Catholic country where
homosexuality was a criminal offense until 1993.
Same-sex
civil partnerships have been legal in Ireland since 2010. Similar recognition
was introduced almost a decade earlier in Germany with the Civil Partnership
Act in 2001, but in the meantime, Göring-Eckardt said "even Ireland has
overtaken us." The German
partnerships, however, do not provide couples
with exactly the same tax and adoption rights as marriage.
Landslide
victory
Celebrations
continued into Sunday morning in Dublin after the official results of the
referendum were announced. Following the vote, Ireland is set to become the
19th country in the world to allow gay marriage, as well as the first to do so
by referendum.
More than
62 percent of the 3.2 million votes backed the change, while 37.9 percent
opposed it. Only one of Ireland's 43 constituencies, Roscommon-South Leitrim,
recorded a narrow "no" majority.
"This
is a great signal from Ireland," said Göring-Eckardt. "Equal love
deserves equal respect."
Greens
domestic policy spokesman Volker Beck said the change could drive momentum for
the marriage equality campaign in Germany.
"The
Irish people have made it clear: the oppression of gays and lesbians is not a
Christian value," he said.
nm/sms (Reuters, epd, AFP)
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