NORTHERN IRELAND: Activists Threaten To Sue For Marriage After Scotland Vote

Saying that they are happy but frustrated about Scotland's approval of same-sex marriage yesterday, activists in Northern Ireland say they may turn to the courts. Via Gay Star News:

John O’Doherty, director of The Rainbow Project in Belfast and chair of Equal Marriage NI, told Gay Star News he applauded Scotland’s politicians for voting in favor of equality.  ‘But it’s very frustrating when you consider Northern Ireland had the first ever civil partnership,’ he said. South of the border, the independent Republic of Ireland is likely to get gay marriage in the next three years.  O’Doherty said: ‘We will be the only country of these islands to still ban equal marriage."
 But gay rights campaigners believe there is an opportunity. ‘The reality in Northern Ireland is that we have to rely on the courts on LGBT issues,’ O’Doherty added to GSN. ‘Examples of this in recent times are rights of same-sex couples and unmarried couples to apply to adopt and the MSM blood ban both of which were ruled as discriminatory by the courts in Northern Ireland.’

The Democratic Unionist Party has long opposed all LGBT rights measures in Northern Ireland.