CAMPAIGNERS SEEKING civil partnerships legislation similar to that in Northern Ireland have used the Belfast-Dublin train to highlight their case.
The Civil Partnership Train, an initiative similar to the contraceptives train in 1971 and the peace train in 1989, arrived in Connolly station on Saturday. Campaigners from the North were met by friends and supporters in Dublin.
Among those welcoming the protesters were Senators David Norris, Dominic Hannigan and lawyer Ivana Bacik.
The colourful and noisy protest heard demands for the upgrading of the Bill put before the Oireachtas last week to bring it into line with measures introduced in Northern Ireland four years ago.
Mr Norris said the proposed legislation contained “glaring anomalies”.
The Civil Partnership Train charter includes four main demands.
It calls for the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement in the Republic and for the Government to provide at least an equivalent level of protection of human rights as will pertain in the North.
Campaigners want the Civil Partnership Bill to be upgraded to provide parental rights for gay and lesbian couples and to include recognition of widowed same-sex partners who got their civil partnership overseas or in the North.
They remain particularly opposed to what they refer to as “an anti-gay opt-out on the grounds of Christian conscience” in the Bill.
The Rev Chris Hudson, a campaign leaders, told The Irish Timesof his concerns on the Bill.
“One is that it just doesn’t comprehend gay and lesbian families. The other, and I speak as a Christian minister who is willing to officiate at civil partnerships, is that I feel we are going to be excluded.”