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Ireland

Another step in a remarkable change, and another mark on a telling map

For Americans without an O’ in their name, identifying as Irish is typically a once-a-year affair involving corned beef, cabbage and too much Guinness. On Saturday, however, Ireland gave the world reason to wear green when that country became the first in the world to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote.

It was a vivid example of how fast gay rights have progressed and a dramatic reminder of how freedom is defined in the 21st century. For while the world was once seen as split between communism and capitalism, the divide now is more between acceptance and intolerance, between individual liberty and top-down enforcement of conformity.

It is a better gauge and a more basic metric. There is no more fundamental freedom than to be left alone to be oneself, openly and honestly.

This was not a close thing. The vote in Ireland was 62 percent in favor of allowing gay marriage. It also came amid a large turnout; more than 60 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. And as The New York Times reported, the results showed “support cut across age and gender, geography and income.”

In American politics, that would be called a landslide.

The Irish vote has been described as a rebuke of the Roman Catholic Church, which had opposed the measure. In fact, though, it appears to be less about the church than a reflection of a global alignment on personal liberty.

For one thing, Ireland had been a functional theocracy for decades. Moving away from that, especially in the light of repeated scandals, is a change from a particular situation that had been pointedly abused. It is not a rejection of the Catholic Church and certainly not of Christianity.

Perhaps a better understanding comes from imagining a map. As the Times described it, the Irish vote was “the latest chapter in a sharpening global cultural clash.” Counting Ireland, same-sex marriage has been legalized in more than 20 nations – including England, Scotland and Wales, much of Europe, all of Scandinavia, South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. It is also legal in some jurisdictions in Mexico and in 37 American states, including Colorado.

On the other hand, homosexuality is illegal in much of the Middle East, and opponents are pushing back against gay rights in parts of Africa and in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The resulting map does not match any Cold War line-up, but it may better reflect the realities of the 21st century. The Supreme Court is set to rule next month on a same-sex marriage case, and could legalize it in all 50 states. Regardless of how the court comes down, however, the map points the way to where the future lies.

Just ask which countries’ ideas about justice best reflect American values. Few would say Saudi Arabia, Russia or Uganda.



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