Tributes have been paid to Christopher Robson, a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen) and well-known activist, who has died following a short illness.
Mr Robson was involved in many campaigns for equality and civil liberties from the 1980s onwards. He was a founding member of the Dublin Lesbian and Gay Men’s Collective and also helped establish Gay Health Action Ireland’s first group to respond to the Aids crisis.
“Christopher Robson was a huge force for wide-ranging social progress and the achievement of civil rights in Ireland over more than 30 years,” Glen said in a statement.
“He successfully lobbied the Irish Government to ensure that the EU Amsterdam treaty included lesbians and gay men in its equality provisions, on which much of the European anti-discrimination legislation is based.”
Glen chairman Kieran Rose added: "Chris was a great leader in our remarkable journey from criminals to civil marriage in a relatively short period of time; from decriminalisation in 1993, equality legislation in the late 1990s, civil partnership in 2010, and now strong moves towards civil marriage and constitutional equality."