No other country in the world has had a popular vote to allow same-sex couples to marry — and that’s just fine with some LGBT activists. They say minority rights aren’t a question for popular votes, and they’re afraid of rejection, even in Ireland.
Polls say Ireland will become the first country on Earth to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. But while dissenters, including the Catholic Church, haven’t spoken out loudly, the vote on Friday might still be closer than expected.
Many supporters of the “Yes” campaign were in tears after a decisive loss in Scotland’s independence vote. But London had to promise a raft of new local powers to keep Scotland in the UK, and those promises may change the nature of the British union for Northern Ireland, Wales and England, too.