IRELAND: JMG Reader Vivian Cummins Runs For Office As Marriage Proponent

Longtime JMG reader Vivian Cummins has announced his candidacy for Ireland's Parliament as a Green Party proponent of same-sex marriage. Via press release:

Vivian Cummins, the Green Party candidate for Kildare South is believed to be the only gay and officially recognised civil partnered candidate in the forthcoming General Election in the Irish Republic to be held on 25th February 2011. Cummins married his partner, Erney Breytenbach, in South Africa in 2009. Like other same-sex couples with a previous foreign civil marriage or partnership, their union became recognised in Ireland on 13th January of this year. Cummins said: “ The Green Party intends to introduce gay civil marriage if re-elected to Government and believes that same-sex couples should be entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples. In Government, the Green Party introduced the Civil Partnerships legislation, which goes a long way to ensuring better rights for same-sex couples. But, it is not marriage, and we believe all consenting adults, should have the option to marry."

Last February, Cummins and his husband were the first gay couple to have their wedding announcement published in the Irish Times. We wish him the best of luck in the election!