SENATOR David Norris predicts that he and Labour Party president Michael D Higgins may soon be involved in “a little tussle” but that “either way, the Irish people will be the winners”.
The Independent Senator made his less-than-oblique reference to the forthcoming presidential election yesterday, when he launched Amach!, a volunteer organisation for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Galway.
Mr Norris has already declared his interest in succeeding President Mary McAleese, while Mr Higgins said in Kilkenny at the weekend that he was “giving it consideration” and would announce his decision “in the autumn”.
To resounding applause, Mr Norris tackled critics of the Civil Partnership Bill but also said that he would be voting against it in the Seanad.
While he welcomed many of its provisions, he said that the legislation’s failure to deal adequately with the rights of children in same- sex unions concerned him deeply.
“Gay people can still only adopt singly and, if that person dies, the child is left in a limbo situation,” Mr Norris said. He also found a certain “meanness of language” in some parts of the legislation.
Mr Norris paid tribute to the Labour Party in supporting him after he put down the first civil partnership Bill in 2004.
He also said that without the Green Party’s “leverage”, the legislation would never have reached this stage.
The Independent Senator recalled living in an Ireland of “penal laws” where gay people could lose their house, their family, their home, be arrested or be subjected to invasive psychiatric treatment.
He said he was well aware of high levels of suicide and drug addiction, due to the oppression of gay and lesbian people, but said that he was “damned glad” that a new generation of Irish people was growing up without having to “bear these scars”.
Amach! is a volunteer-run umbrella organisation for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people in Galway, which aims to reflect the diversity within the community and to campaign actively for a “solid and safe” support structure. It will be involved in the Gay Community Pride festival in Galway from August 19th-22nd.