Another defeat for gay ‘marriage’ in Northern Ireland
BELFAST , Northern Ireland , May 5, 2014–– Once again, a measure to introduce same-sex “marriage” into Northern Ireland has failed, making it the only jurisdiction in Great Britain to have resisted the trend to redefine the institution of marriage. It is the third time in the past 18 months that the Northern Ireland Assembly has rejected same-sex “marriage” legislation. The bill was last introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly last April, when it lost by a 53-42 vote. Six months before that, in October 2012, it lost 50-42. Northern Ireland's Assembly The Sinn Féin Party introduced the motion, which was supported by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). The Ulster Unionists and Democratic Unionists opposed it. Sinn Fein currently holds 29 of the Assembly’s 108 seats, while the Democratic Unionists hold 38. The Unionist parties have been aided by both the Anglican Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church , which have both made statements in favor of m