Gay and Lesbian Equality Network
Encyclopedia
The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) is an Irish non-governmental gay rights group, based in Dublin, Ireland
. The organisation was founded in 1988 and focuses mainly on achieving change in legislation
and social policy
that will achieve full equality and inclusion for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in Ireland, and protection from all forms of discrimination
. The Board of Directors comprises: Kieran Rose (co-founder and chair); Christopher Robson (co-founder); Maura Molloy; Arthur Leahy; Muriel Walls and Dr Fergus Ryan.
Bertie Ahern
performed the official opening of GLEN's new offices in Fumbally Court in Dublin 8. This was a moment of some historical significance as he was the first head of an Irish Government to visit an LGB
organisation. The Taoiseach also launched GLEN's five-year strategic plan entitled "Building Sustainable Change" which set out the priorities of the organisation going forward, the main one being the enactment of legislation providing for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In a speech to assembled guests, Mr Ahern declared that "Sexual orientation cannot, and must not, be the basis of a second-class citizenship. Our laws have changed, and will continue to change, to reflect this principle."
established by the Government in early 2006. The purpose of the group was to present options regarding the legal recognition of same-sex unions for the Minister for Justice
to consider. It was chaired by lawyer and former Progressive Democrats
Teachta Dála
Anne Colley
. The Colley Report
was published in November 2006 and outlined just two options to be considered - the opening up of marriage
to lesbian and gay couples, which was stated as the full equality option, or full civil partnership which would provide all the rights and responsibilities of marriage.
In the May 2007 Irish General Election, all of the main political parties committed themselves to legislating in this area if they formed part of the new government. Following negotiations between Fianna Fáil
and The Green Party
, the two parties produced a Programme for Government in June 2007. The document contained the following commitment on the legal recognition of same-sex unions: "This Government is committed to full equality for all in our society. Taking account of the options paper prepared by the Colley Group and the pending Supreme Court case, we will legislate for Civil Partnerships at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of the Government." GLEN strongly welcomed the commitment to introduce change based on the findings of the Colley Report and looks forward to working with the government to bring about equality for the LGB population in Ireland.
The Heads of Bill for civil partnership were published by the Irish government on 24th June 2008 and GLEN strongly welcomed this. Speaking in response to the proposed legislation, GLEN Chairman Kieran Rose said, "Comprehensive civil partnership, as proposed in the Heads of Bill, is a major milestone towards equality. The goal of GLEN is access to full equality through civil marriage and this Bill is a fundamental step forward towards this goal. The provisions outlined today will resolve many immediate and pressing issues faced by lesbian and gay couples and will also provide a platform for further progress.“ On 26th June 2009, the Civil Partnership Bill was published by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern
. GLEN again strongly supported this development but also expressed concern about the absence of any provision in the Bill to provide legal support and recognition of the many children being parented by same-sex couples. At this time GLEN published three documents to inform both policy makers and the LGBT community about the Civil Partnership Bill. These were:
Following the passage of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
through the lower and upper houses of the Oireachtas
, GLEN published the Seanad speeches to celebrate and mark the passage of this historic piece of legislation. At the launch of Seanad Debates on Civil Partnership July 2010, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern stated, "I want to compliment GLEN for the way in which they lobbied to bring us to where we are today. I know it’s their view that there is more to be done and that’s definitely their view and their wish and I wish them well in that respect. I do want to compliment them on the realistic and reasonable way in which they lobbied all of the political parties and all of the political parties would have had some issues in relation to this particular piece of legislation. But GLEN did it in such a way that I think everyone fully understood that they were being reasonable and they understood the parameters within which we were required to work… Today is a celebration for all of the people in GLEN and the other organisations who have been lobbying for this. GLEN have done a marvellous job and I want to thank all the people associated with GLEN for the way in which they did their business and particularly thank them for the excellent productions that they have brought forward very quickly as a result of the passing of this legislation."
GLEN's support for the Civil Partnership legislation received criticism from some elements of Dublin's LGBT community who believed that the Civil Partnership Bill was discriminatory and inadequate.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The organisation was founded in 1988 and focuses mainly on achieving change in legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
and social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
that will achieve full equality and inclusion for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in Ireland, and protection from all forms of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
. The Board of Directors comprises: Kieran Rose (co-founder and chair); Christopher Robson (co-founder); Maura Molloy; Arthur Leahy; Muriel Walls and Dr Fergus Ryan.
Official opening
On 3 April 2006, then TaoiseachTaoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
performed the official opening of GLEN's new offices in Fumbally Court in Dublin 8. This was a moment of some historical significance as he was the first head of an Irish Government to visit an LGB
LGB
LGB may refer to:* Long Beach Airport in California* Laser-guided bomb* Lateral geniculate body in human brain, a.k.a. lateral geniculate nucleus* LGB , brand in model railroading...
organisation. The Taoiseach also launched GLEN's five-year strategic plan entitled "Building Sustainable Change" which set out the priorities of the organisation going forward, the main one being the enactment of legislation providing for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In a speech to assembled guests, Mr Ahern declared that "Sexual orientation cannot, and must not, be the basis of a second-class citizenship. Our laws have changed, and will continue to change, to reflect this principle."
Staff
GLEN currently has seven staff members who were recruited under the "Building Sustainable Change" programme. These are:- Brian Sheehan - Managing Director
- Marie Hamilton - Administration Manager
- Eoin Collins - Director of Policy Change
- Sandra Gowran - Director of Education Policy
- Odhrán Allen - Director of Mental Health Policy
- Davin Roche - Director of Community Development Policy
- Tiernan Brady - Director of Gay HIV Strategies
Legal recognition of same-sex relationships
GLEN Director of Policy Change, Eoin Collins, was appointed to a Working Group on Domestic PartnershipDomestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
established by the Government in early 2006. The purpose of the group was to present options regarding the legal recognition of same-sex unions for the Minister for Justice
Minister for Justice
The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice, commonly referred to as the Justice Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government...
to consider. It was chaired by lawyer and former Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
Anne Colley
Anne Colley
Anne Colley is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician who represented Dublin South from 1987 to 1989.-Background:Anne Colley was born in Dublin in 1951. She read Law at University College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor...
. The Colley Report
Colley Report
The Colley Report is a 2006 paper on same-sex marriage and civil partnership produced for the Irish Government. Formally known as the Options Paper on Cohabiting Couples, , the report was named after its chair, Anne Colley.-Background:...
was published in November 2006 and outlined just two options to be considered - the opening up of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to lesbian and gay couples, which was stated as the full equality option, or full civil partnership which would provide all the rights and responsibilities of marriage.
In the May 2007 Irish General Election, all of the main political parties committed themselves to legislating in this area if they formed part of the new government. Following negotiations between Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
and The Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
, the two parties produced a Programme for Government in June 2007. The document contained the following commitment on the legal recognition of same-sex unions: "This Government is committed to full equality for all in our society. Taking account of the options paper prepared by the Colley Group and the pending Supreme Court case, we will legislate for Civil Partnerships at the earliest possible date in the lifetime of the Government." GLEN strongly welcomed the commitment to introduce change based on the findings of the Colley Report and looks forward to working with the government to bring about equality for the LGB population in Ireland.
The Heads of Bill for civil partnership were published by the Irish government on 24th June 2008 and GLEN strongly welcomed this. Speaking in response to the proposed legislation, GLEN Chairman Kieran Rose said, "Comprehensive civil partnership, as proposed in the Heads of Bill, is a major milestone towards equality. The goal of GLEN is access to full equality through civil marriage and this Bill is a fundamental step forward towards this goal. The provisions outlined today will resolve many immediate and pressing issues faced by lesbian and gay couples and will also provide a platform for further progress.“ On 26th June 2009, the Civil Partnership Bill was published by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern
Dermot Ahern
Dermot Christopher Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency from 1987 to 2011...
. GLEN again strongly supported this development but also expressed concern about the absence of any provision in the Bill to provide legal support and recognition of the many children being parented by same-sex couples. At this time GLEN published three documents to inform both policy makers and the LGBT community about the Civil Partnership Bill. These were:
- A Chronology of Key Events: GLEN's Campaign for Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships and Families
- Civil Partnership - Your Questions Answered: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Civil Partnership Bill
- Civil Partnership: An Overview
Following the passage of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is an Act of the Oireachtas which allows civil partnerships. The act also provides rights for participants in long-term cohabiting relationships who have not entered into a civil partnership or marriage...
through the lower and upper houses of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
, GLEN published the Seanad speeches to celebrate and mark the passage of this historic piece of legislation. At the launch of Seanad Debates on Civil Partnership July 2010, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern stated, "I want to compliment GLEN for the way in which they lobbied to bring us to where we are today. I know it’s their view that there is more to be done and that’s definitely their view and their wish and I wish them well in that respect. I do want to compliment them on the realistic and reasonable way in which they lobbied all of the political parties and all of the political parties would have had some issues in relation to this particular piece of legislation. But GLEN did it in such a way that I think everyone fully understood that they were being reasonable and they understood the parameters within which we were required to work… Today is a celebration for all of the people in GLEN and the other organisations who have been lobbying for this. GLEN have done a marvellous job and I want to thank all the people associated with GLEN for the way in which they did their business and particularly thank them for the excellent productions that they have brought forward very quickly as a result of the passing of this legislation."
GLEN's support for the Civil Partnership legislation received criticism from some elements of Dublin's LGBT community who believed that the Civil Partnership Bill was discriminatory and inadequate.
See also
- LGBT rights in the Republic of Ireland
- List of LGBT rights organisations