[BwayDems] NYS Assembly Member O'Donnell Commends Northern Ireland Assembly Marriage Equality Vote

[Liznel Aybar-Ventura]

NEWS FROM ASSEMBLY MEMBER DANIEL O'DONNELL 


Contact: Liznel Aybar-Ventura, (917) 870-8391; aybarl at nysa.us 
245 W 104th Street, New York, NY 10025 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 



NEW YORK ASSEMBLY MEMBER O'DONNELL COMMENDS NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY VOTE 

November 4, 2015 — Last month, New York State Assembly Member Daniel J. O’Donnell delivered the keynote address at The Rainbow Project & Amnesty International’s event “Marriage Equality: How the U.S. Was Won” in Belfast. On Monday, the Assembly of Northern Ireland voted narrowly in favor of same-sex marriage. 

"The Northern Ireland Assembly’s vote in favor of marriage equality is an important step in ensuring that all corners of the UK provide equal rights and protections to LGBT persons. By advancing legislation to allow marriage equality, Northern Ireland can affirm its commitment to protecting the rights of minorities. This is a momentous opportunity for the nation to ensure that the civil rights and the religious liberties of every person in Northern Ireland are upheld, and to show the international community that they will come in line with the United Kingdom. 

"I was honored to deliver the keynote address and serve as a panelist alongside John O’Doherty at the Rainbow Project & Amnesty International’s event in Belfast during a legislative trip to Ireland on October 9 2015, where I discussed the obstacles and milestones faced in the United States to pass same-sex marriage legislation. 

We faced the same battles for marriage equality in the U.S. that Northern Ireland now encounters. And just as sure as we succeeded, I know the success of equality campaigners in Northern Ireland is inevitable." 

The Stormont Assembly of Northern Ireland is facing its fifth attempt to legalize same-sex marriage. The largest party of the Assembly, the Democratic Unionists (DUP), reportedly intend to use a parliamentary veto known as a “petition of concern” to prevent the passage under the basis that it does not garner cross-community support. The petition, however, was originally designed to protect minority rights. Recent opinion polls contend that 68% of voters are in favor of allowing a change to the law. 

### 


Daniel O’Donnell, the first openly gay man elected to the New York State Assembly, has been a progressive voice advocating fair and sensible legislation since he was elected to represent the 69th District in 2002, including the author and sponsor of New York State’s Marriage Equality Law, which was signed into law in 2011. His district includes Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights, and the Upper West Side. 


Liznel Aybar-Ventura 
Communications Assistant / Community Liaison 
Office of New York State Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell 
P: 212.866.3970 
F: 212.864.1095 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/mailman/private/bwdupdates/attachments/20151104/99bda288/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PR O?Donnell Commends Northern Ireland Assembly for Marriage Equality Vote, 110215, lav.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 152175 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/mailman/private/bwdupdates/attachments/20151104/99bda288/attachment-0001.pdf>