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Here's what we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal being discussed in Qatar
Man (60) pleads guilty to dangerous driving which killed two teenage girls in Monaghan debs crash
Here is why a massive convoy of garda vehicles raced through morning traffic in Dublin today
Civil partners of four years Paul Higgins (left) and Richard Lucey, who have been in a relationship together for 19 years, prepare to cast their votes at their polling station in Cabra, Dublin for the referendum on gay marriage. PA WIRE
As it happened
LIVE: Ireland is the talk of the world as voters decide on same-sex marriage
We’ll be talking all things referendum here today.
IT’S A HISTORIC day for Ireland as we become the first country to ask the electorate whether to allow same-sex marriage.
Have something to say about today’s referendums? Whatever way you are voting, have your say in the comments section, on Twitter @thejournal_ie or by mail tips@thejournal.ie. Feel free to send us any pics too (but just remember, no selfies in the polling booth).
22 May 2015
8:04AM
Good morning! Referendum day is finally here. After weeks of debating, Ireland goes to the polls today.
We’ll be talking all things referendum here throughout the day. It’s Sinéad O’Carroll here for the first shift. Want to join the chat? Email me at sinead@thejournal.ie or tweet @sineadocarroll.
22 May 2015
8:06AM
With 66,000 new voters on the register, there are many people out there who have never voted. We’ve put together a handy guide of what you need to know before heading to your polling station today.
Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland
Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland
This was the scene at Dublin’s election warehouse in Cookstown last night. That’s the facility’s manager Michael Leonard there, getting the 627 ballot boxes prepared for Dublin West, Dublin North, Dublin Midwest, Dublin Southwest, Dublin South and Dun Laoghaire.
22 May 2015
9:12AM
Cliódhna Russell taking over here from Sinead O’Carroll, keeping you up to date with all the voting news.
22 May 2015
9:14AM
If you’ve got any great photos or something to say about the referendum let me know at cliodhna@thejournal.ie or tweet @CliodhnaRussell
Colin Farrell’s brother Eamon (on the right) with his husband Steven Mannion casting their ballot papers into ballot boxes while voting in the Marriage Referendum at the Star of the sea Sandymount polling station in Dublin this morning.
22 May 2015
10:19AM
Hello everyone, Cianan Brennan here taking over from Cliodhna. Stay tuned to keep up to date with all that’s happening as voting continues across the country.
22 May 2015
10:21AM
If you spot anything great to do with the referendum and the day that’s in it drop me a line at cianan@thejournal.ie, or tweet me @ciananbrennan
We asked you how you were planning to vote for this morning’s poll. If TheJournal.ie’s readers are anything to go by things are looking good for the Yes side…
Ireland has voting fever now that D-Day (R-Day?) has arrived, but has coverage prior to the referendum in the national media been entirely impartial?
Research by media group Newsaccess Media Intelligence suggests that the volume of Yes articles in the Irish media in the month of May have outstripped their No counterparts by a factor of three to one.
424 Yes articles were carried by ten national print titles, with 135 No pieces and a further 214 deemed Neutral.
“Unlike broadcast media, which must provide balanced coverage of referenda, the print media are not subject to such strictures and this research confirms the broad and widespread support in the Irish print media for a Yes vote”, said Laurie Mannix, managing director of MKC Communications who commissioned the research.
Hello! With just under ten hours of voting to go in today’s referendums, this is Michael Sheils McNamee taking over the liveblog. Anything to add to the conversation, email me at michaelsm@thejournal.ie or tweet to @michaelonassis.
With polling figures in last week’s Sunday papers a bit all over the place – support for the referendum ranging from 53% to 69% – people are not taking anything for granted.
However, you might be a bit more inclined to listen to the bookies’ predictions.
Paddy Power currently have a Yes result in the same-sex marriage referendum at 1/33 on. A No vote is listed at 9/1.
The turf accountant has said it predicts that over €300,000 will be taken on referendum bets across the Irish bookmaking industry.
In a statement yesterday, they said that, “from a business point of view, bookies will be hoping for the referendum to pass, as a win for the ‘No’ campaign would leave the industry in the red for a chunky six figure sum.”
With a glut of people returning to Ireland to cast their votes in the same-sex marriage and presidential age referendums, the #HomeToVote hashtag has been tweeted more than 24,000 times in the past 24 hours.
People are currently tweeting the hashtag at a rate of around 100 times a minute.
A number of high-profile people have already been out today casting their votes.
John Lyons, Labour TD for Dublin North-West, who is openly gay, was out voting at the Holy Spirit National School in Ballymun this morning with his mother, Josie Lyons.
John Lyons with his mother Josie. Mark Stedman / Photocall
Mark Stedman / Photocall / Photocall
Do you know what you’re doing tomorrow for the vote being counted?
Dublin Fianna Fáil councillor Paul McAuliffe has called on Minister for the Office of Public Works Simon Harris to open the gates of Dublin Castle, where the vote will be counted, as the results come in tomorrow afternoon.
“One of the most striking things about this campaign has been the huge number of people with no affiliation to any political party that have got involved in a political debate for the first time. It is only right that they are given a place to gather and hear the results as they come in,” he said.
Dublin Castle Shutterstock / Matej Hudovernik
Shutterstock / Matej Hudovernik / Matej Hudovernik
Find yourself confused staring at the ballot paper this morning?
If only there was some clever way of redesigning them to make them clearer…
Unfortunately, this is NOT the ballot paper you'll be using today Each and OtherEach and Other
The Dublin-based UX agency Each and Other has done up an alternative to today’s ballot paper, pointing out that it facilitates, “one of the most important interactions between government and its citizens. It’s the interface through which citizens decide the type of society they want to live in.”
These Carmelite sisters were out earlier this morning casting their votes in Malahide, Co Dublin.
AP Photo / Peter Morrison
AP Photo / Peter Morrison / Peter Morrison
22 May 2015
1:46PM
Hello there! This is Christina Finn taking over the liveblog. Want to get in touch and join the conversation today, email me at christinafinn@thejournal.ie or tweet to @christinafinn8
Reports from around the country indicate that turnout is steady today. Do you know what referendum had the highest turnout by voters? It wasn’t recently.
When Tánaiste Joan Burton came into to TheJournal.ie offices to talk about the referendum earlier this week, she encouraged voters to take a selfie OUTSIDE the polling station after they’ve voted:
While we couldn’t get access to that particularly amazing selfie, we did get this nice snap from outside her polling station at St Joseph’s School in Cabra:
For those on the hunt for some tunes as they head out to have their say this afternoon – or just wind up for the commute home – Filtr Ireland has put together this Spotify playlist.
Only a quarter of all voters casting their ballots so far, but with over six hours still to go until polls close there’s plenty of time left for people to make their way to the booths.
The referendum response from the Irish abroad has been, in a word, epic.
The hashtag HomeToVote has been trending all over the world as those either living or on holiday overseas flood back into the country to cast their ballots, including from as far afield as Bangkok and Mozambique.
It’s Michelle Hennessy here now, taking over the reins of the liveblog. If you have something to say, feel free to send me an email to michelle@thejournal.ie or you can tweet at @michellehtweet.
If you think you are too busy to get out and vote this evening, check out this couple on their special day.
Vincent Fox and Anne Cole got married today, but they were sure to get their vote in at St James Primary School in Dublin 8. Fair play. Enjoy the rest of your day, folks.
Voter turnout in some areas is suggested to be comparable with general election turnout, with many people saying it is the first time they have ever had to queue in line to vote.
P.s. You might have noticed the website has been acting a bit funny, but it should all be okay soon. Something fell over.
22 May 2015
9:14PM
We’ll have all the latest on turnout from across the country soon on TheJournal.ie, so stay tuned, and join us tomorrow for results and reaction. Goodnight!
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Results should be available around 4pm tomorrow. If it is a large turnout the counting may take longer. If it is close there will be recounts which could mean the results going into next week.
That also doesn’t include the court challenge that maybe launched
Just voted No and knew that it was the right thing to do. Tomorrow gay people will still have Civil Partnership which is practically the exact same thing while the family unit is protected for bringing up children in the best possible way.
It won’t fall in either way. But let’s hope we dont have any more Asher’s bakery sagas of deliberately targeting and dragging a Christian family through the courts costing them ten of thousands of pounds just to make a point.
Indeed, and hopefully there won’t be a need for RTE to pay out €85,000 of TV licence money on the grounds of defamation against the iona institute because of a guest on a talkshow
You mean for slandering journalists and calling them homophobic live on air for holding the opposing view to this referendum? RTE’s legal advice was to settle, that any defamation case would be lost in front of a jury.
Colm O’Gorman said on Prime Time the other night that the no side are not homophobic so one wonders what all the melodramatic outrage was about two years ago.
@ Jake Race “Those that are not homophobic are dumb as dog shite, like you”,
tearing down posters, throwing an egg at a 10 year and putting her into anaphylactic shock, calling the No side Nazis as Maureen Gaffney did.
Gil B – because ppl have been bullied into publicly agreeing with the Yes side, the probability of all 20 of your friends voting “yes” is extremely low.
The privacy of the ballot box affords freedom from PC correctness.
@ Jake Race. Forgive me for saying this, and I’m not intolerant of your views or opinions, it’s just that your comments do show give the impression that you have a whole lot going on between your ears.
@Anthony Lang – My no vote has cancelled out your yes. I felt you had to be punished for the extraordinary volume of comments you had on every single gay article on this site.
Dude, thanks for proving yourself to be as moronic as your comments. if that was the basis of your No vote, even though you had expressed and intention to vote no before I ever posted, it must be the silliest and most trivial reason ever for voting in a particular way.
As it happens, the yes outcome is assured if current trends continue and your No vote is no loss at all.
Jake you are one vile creature. Your posts are disgusting and I’m pretty sure you got plenty of red thumbs from people that voted yes in here. Now go and crawl back into your hole!
I voted YES in Tipperary the most Catholic county in Ireland earlier! Couldn’t be happier in knowing I did the right thing. Here’s to hoping the yes side come out on top and we send a strong message across the world.
No voters – I’m going to do exactly what I did with Ebola – you’re not getting off the hook, when I call something correct I love to rub the nose of the people who called it wrong in the mud if in calling it wrong they got irrationally hysterical, you’re not getting off the hook. Every time SSM is mentioned were going to bring up all your dire predictions and note how none of them are coming through
Just like today your camp (Even same people in many cases) are laughed at in CSPE classes and college lecture theatres for saying divorce would mean middle age men leaving the wife and kids for the 21yo babysitter so the next generation will be laughing at your predictions of doom here. You are going to be on the wrong side of history forever more, no matter which way it goes today, I’d hate to have my name attached to a loosing battle with common sense
I’m actually getting today, everyone in this country should get the same opportunity as we have. I shouldn’t even have to vote on something that’s none of my business.
Donal, the fact that we have to vote to change the constitution is a good thing. No government can change it without a vote from the people. Now, let’s just hope that enough of us are smart enough to have the same sentiment as you! Vote Yes folks!
The papers are complicated enough, if you dont know Irish, if you are a foreign natonal that now can vote in Ireland or if your mental agility is not as good as it used to be.
I would advise read the papers and then read them again and remember its an X
@ Donal. It’s totally your business, we are essentially voting on whether or not we will re-define marriage. So vote yes or no, because it is your business.
I think the yes side should have listened to the concerns of the no side and addressed them openly, instead of attacking with “no voters” are ignorant. Vote No, nothing changes, vote Yes, we get equality in a form, but what else happens with voting yes? I was going to vote yes, but I don’t know the FULL effect of voting yes, so maybe it’s best to leave things as they are for now and when we know the bigger picture we revisit it. It all seems very rushed and this government aren’t very good with detail or small print or general honest disclosure.
Fintan the Yes campaign were very honest. No blanketed the entire debate with lies after lies after lies, they purposefully preyed on peoples ignorance of surrogacy and adoption and tried to appeal to their irrational neurosis rather than their brains, that is the lowest form of politics and history will record them as being quite nasty.
Even if they win today they still loose, we’ll just have another vote within a decade and it will pass then. There are no valid reasons to vote no, all the ”concerns” the no camp have brought up have nothing to do with the referendum.
After two weeks of canvassing in D15 I can honestly say my faith in humanity has been restored. Some lovely people on the doors and some not so lovely, but the majority of No voters I met were very polite and nice. Usually one door per evening would be vile but on the whole it was a very positive experience.
Could be the most important work I ever do so the mental exhaustion was worth it.
Conor I have been canvassing “No” for weeks and I never met such crass, pig-ignorant and aggressive people in my life. Especially the ones who didn’t read my literature but just attacked me instantly for having an opposing view
Jake Race – I’m not feeling the love. What’s wrong? Has your boyfriend been getting your Y-fronts in a twist?
Seriously, though, Jake. Am I supposed to respond with a “fuk you too” comment and then you think of a worse insult and etc etc?
Just give it your best shot now. Take the wedgie out of your bum, take a deep breath and get it over with. Don’t use “homophobe” – Anthony Lang has used up all the allocations of that word. Don’t call me a “bigot” either – the “Yes” campaign have used up that word and if you call me that, it’ll just be an indication that you’re getting my character mixed up with your own character traits. “Fuk” is kind of worn out now, too.
What insults do you use when you’re having a bitchfight with your boyfriend? Try use them on me and I’ll be able to tell you how hurt I am.
Ha ha Jake. Just joking Jakey. Its a joke Jake. A jolly joke Jake. Jikes!
Jake – ” I would not piss on you if you were on fire.”
Apparently pissing on someone is one of the sexual proclivities of perverts.
See Donald Farfrae’s full-length article in the comments below
I think busted, like everyone else, should be allowed voice his opinion especially as I always read them as if they are being spoken like an overzealous TV type preacher.. I get lots of amusement out of this. Also I think he and Donald are doing immeasurable damage to the no campaign, on behalf of all of us voting yes, thank you.
Spoken like a true poltically-correct fascist, Jake. Every viewpoint is worthy of respect, whether or not you agree with it. Unless, of course, you want to live in a dull monoculture where only those viewpoints that have been pre-approved by the PC police can be held.
Jake,
I know it sounds old-fashioned and is probably not acceptable to the Cultural Marxist brigade, but as a classic libertarian I believe passionately that everyone has a right to make their views known without fear of being shut down or sanctioned in any way. Unless, of course, they are calling for real harm to be done or loss to be caused to another party (hurt feelings or trashed wedding plans don’t count as “real harm”). That applies whether or not I agree with them or believe their viewpoint is ill-informed, wrong or just plain nuts. That’s called tolerance. Real tolerance, not the hive-mind “tolerance” that is so often promoted by the belligerent totalitarian left.
I’m not a cultural marxist and agree with everything you just said.
But me expressing my opinion is not the same as shutting someone down. I have no power to prevent anyone here from talking.
You are actually the only one here arguing that someone should not express their opinion. You are arguing that I should not express my opinion.
I have simply argued that anyone who falls for the No-side Wookie defence tactics is an idiot. Anyone who didn’t fall for that and voted No is a bigot. I have not suggested that they shouldn’t speak or vote however they choose.
Hi Jake. pathological behaviour or feelings happen regularly in those who display them, and are strong, unreasonable, and impossible to control: that’s why you equate racism and neo-nazism with polite, albeit passionate, objection to the intent of the referendum.
Quite often pathological behaviour is associated with a lower I.Q., although I’m not sure if that’s so in your case. You would appear to be able to type and spell correctly and your grammar is ok. You almost certainly have rage issues. You’d be quite a study in classical Freudian anger analysis versus old-fashioned boorishness.
Jake – you responded to Dell’s comment about me as follows:
“Every viewpoint is worthy of respect”
Really? Do we need to respect the views of racists and neo-nazis?”
So tell me again, what was it you didn’t equate racism and nazism with?
Why rage against people who believe an entire section of our society should be treated as second class citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation?
Ask the right question and the answer becomes clear.
That you can’t comprehend why anyone would aggressively speak out against the counter-movement of civil rights advocacy then you are too stupid to debate.
“As hatred is defined as intense dislike, what is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a religion, if the activities or teachings of that religion are so outrageous, irrational or abusive of human rights that they deserve to be intensely disliked?” – Rowan Atkinson
Jake I applaud you for stating the obvious and not pussyfooting around the no voters and their attempts at silencing us at every turn. We are sick of it and will not be silenced any more – put away all the PC politeness – “I’m entiltled to my opinion blah blah blah” Here’s to the end of bigots and homophobes hiding behind “opinions”
“Classic libertarian”? Conspiracy nut, more like. Anyone who disagrees with you is suddenly formed into ‘a brigade’. Why not a battalion or a whole army?
This was the last one you get lads btw…this is it. Your last chance to invade the private lives of other citizens, from now on it’s all laws laws laws that you can do nothing about. Organized religion is in decline, people are becoming more liberal, people are learning not to be ashamed at having a sex life, people are having more diverse groups of friends, all your hate and bigotry are crumbling before a wave of progress. Soon you’ll be melllllllllllltttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing meeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllting like the witch in Oz
Heading back from work at 7 last night, every second person on O’Connell St seemed to be wearing a Yes badge, and a lovely sing-song was in full swing outside the GPO. Brought a tear to the eye to see what living in a Republic can really mean. Let’s make sure this good feeling translates into an actual result, eh? Get out there and vote, please.
I’ve an anxiety knot in my stomach. A very intelligent, informed friend of mine just said he voted no because he didn’t think gays should be able to adopt!!
I explained the facts he shrugged and said, ‘oh i should have voted yes so’
Tordel – let’s not get carried away. Whilst I am glad that the yes vote is going well – I still await the Republic and it doesn’t appear to be all that much nearer.
It won’t, it’s not the smartest thing to do but it won’t. They’ll be tossed aside and then if it’s close they will include them reading the ‘intent’ of the voters so if they marked ‘equality’ but wrote an X in the Yes box they will mark it a yes, if they said it without the X it’s spoilt.
Unlike the US in 2000 we use our common sense and just try to establish the intent of the voter.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I like things to be accurate and factual especially where elections and votes are concerned. There are ways of checking if someone is correct based on more than the number of thumbs beside their name, you can for example check the govts own published information which says a ballot is only spoiled if:
1. It does not have a stamp
2. Does not indicate a clear choice
3. Anything is on the ballot that Identifies the voter (name, pps or address or whatever)
In an election if they put an X beside just one name that is often counted as a first preference but if there was a win by a narrow margin it could be challenged.
Common sense is used, there is no rule that says any squiggle outside the two boxes and they have to discard the ballot, it’s just a risk, depending what is written
Voted this morning at 07.10 a.m. on the way to work. One of the ladies at the centre commented “it looks like we’re going to be busy today”. It’s so very important to vote, folks, so please go and do it.
Dog walked & all voted out, so….. The next President could be a 21 year old married gay person, if & only if, you all vote like me & let the begrudgers begrudge elsewhere. ( I was once a begrudger, I think )….!
Upon voting this morning in Fahy polling station, County Galway, the individual who inspected my wifes polling card offered her the following words of advice…”May God direct you”!
…I shit you not!
“Under electoral law you may not wear any badges or emblems in, or around your polling station. Please remove them before you arrive at your polling station. If you are wearing a Yes Equality t-shirt, please cover it up before you arrive at your polling station.”
So, we the public have been told what not to do, but apparently it’s OK for the officiating polling attendant to verbally display her ‘badge/emblem’ to promote her opinion.
True Omar but in reality it’s what they call a ”dog whistle” in politics, designed for only some people to hear, to give doubters or waverers a shove in the right direction who have religious beliefs.
It’s used when you can’t OVERTLY say something but you still wanna get the message across.
Incidentally, her encouraging you to vote Yes would have been just as disgraceful, much as I believe this is a civil rights thing not just your average political thing we can’t have the people literally handling the ballots having their objectivity questioned or the legitimacy of the result is in question…look at the 2000 US election
Oh my god are you ok??? That must have been extremely traumatic for you. Imagine someone mentioning God at a polling booth! You should definitely report that!!! If you’re lucky she’ll lose her job then you wouldn’t have to worry your politically correct head about it. My brother and I walked to our local polling station and TWICE I was told by people outside to vote Yes and then they cheered like a big bunch of do what the sign says morons. The same fools who probably voted for Lisbon. You people have no idea how drastically this will change our society. Surrogacy isn’t the issue this time, but it will be soon.
It’s a clear dog whistle Jynx, how would you feel if she said “equality for all!” as she handed them out? That’s not telling you how to vote is it?
Your predictions of doom are such waffle, 6 months of debate and to this day none of you can name a specific negative consequence that will unfold with a Yes vote
Another typical yes sider, someone doesn’t agree, get abusive! Thanks for constantly proving my point, more the day goes on more happy I am not voting at all
Oh dear, Spencer, people here have viewpoints that differ from yours. And you resort to pejorative in response. I’m not sure you are mature enough to vote on an issue as important as this.
And I’m sorry for the pejorative, but anyone who disagrees with the drive for equality that is being voted upon in Ireland today is an utter moron. There is no polite way to be about it. You may as well call yourselves ISIS and start throwing people off of rooftops – that is the level you are at.
As I’ve asked the other Yes people who constantly prove my point, show me evidence where I said I was voting no? I’ve made it clear I’ve no intention to vote, & it’s the attitude of the Yes crowd that made me chose not too. I guess not voting makes me a bigot, may God have mercy on my soul….
And if you didn’t vote today, even for the Backwards Brigade, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is one of the most important referendums this country has been granted. I would love to have had the opportunity, but the British government made their decision on my behalf. I agreed with their decision, but that’s not the point.
mark i have to agree with you it was the attitude of the yes people that made me make it my business to vote no.they were outright agressive so a big no from me and if it is passed well at least in years to come i can look back proudly and say at least i voted no and did not bow down to sheer agression and anger and insults said to people who even suggested the fact they were goin to vote no.
Another imbecile. A protest vote is what you expect from an obstreperous adolescent, not a grown man who should have the wit and compassion to take advantage of the opportunity to treat all consenting Irish adults equally.
Anyway, today is Sunday and you lost. Well done Ireland, I’m really pleased for you all.
Just voted a big fat yes, never felt so proud to vote. Attendants in the polling station told me they hadn’t seen such a turnout in years, makes me hopeful for a resounding Yes victory tomorrow.
Anthony, why do you feel the need to finish your comment in such a childish way? Accept his choice of vote and leave it at that. I’ve read most of your comments on the subject, respect your choice but absolutely detest how you denigrate ‘no’ voters.
People are entitled to know about the prospects of their vote. Many NO voters will vote NO anyway but it looks like the NO vote will not carry the day.
Are you in charge of counting polling results?
What weight does your view on the results carry? None I suspect, meaning that it was just another snipe at a no voter.
That may be true Anthony. Do you think I should just not bother then? That’s no attitude to take in life. Stand for what you think is right, not what people tell you is right.
Well then it seems that we have both wasted our time Anthony. As my vote, which I have just completed, has cancelled yours. Hopefully more will take my place.
Thomas, an expression of positivity and the embrace of inclusivity is never wasted. I will be one of the very many people who voted yes and collectively succeeded in reforming our constitution. I am but one insignificant contributor to what looks a truly great result.
Voted YES and kept my word to a person here on the Journal.
I think her name is Aibhe? You probably don’t remember, a comment you
made on another article. I was always going to vote yes, but on that day, you gave me
more reasons to. Here’s hoping that you will be shedding those happy tears tomorrow girl, when the results come in :)
Well done to the army of bright, young and enthusiastic yes canvassers at the various junctions. Respect to you all. You will increase the voting turnout and that can only be good.
And for all those on the Yes side, see Donald Farfrae’s disgusting attitude as typical of the NO side. Voting yes is voting no to plain bigotry such a Donald Farfrae’s
Yes ..but long …long before 1993 , homosexual acts were positively rife – to the point where they dominated society. The distinction in the ancient world was not between man/woman – but between the penetrator and the penetrated. Women were a mere “option” – not important – the same gratification could easily be had with a catamite.
The Yes vote takes us back towards that kind of society.
Not often you get the chance to make our state a more equal and fairer place for its citizens, so I’ve my voting card in my glovebox and am looking forward to voting a big ‘YES’ on my way home from work later.
My vote is done. People the white ballot paper is for the marriage referendum and the green is for the age of president. As the prominent language is Irish, and the English is very small, I find this worrying, could be confusing. Check and double check and check again for good measure, your putting the right vote on the right ballot paper…..
Thankfully the returning officer in our polling station was telling people which sheet was which as they handed them out. I really think some people will mix them up. I also think that the organisers could have made the voting sheets alot clearer.
Today is a wonderful opportunity to do real good by taking the time and the trouble to vote yes.
Some of those looking in on Ireland are gay people who have had to emigrate from Ireland due to prejudice against them in Ireland, only because they were gay.
This is what I have received on Tuesday from a gay man in his late thirties who left Ireland, has not come back to Ireland and who is looking at this Referendum very closely from afar.
“Dear all,
I just wanted to impress on you how strongly I feel about the upcoming referendum on marriage equality. If this had been a thing when I was growing up I could have avoided a confused and distraught period of my life when I thought myself an abomination and doomed to hell.
I wondered if my life was worth living as a gay man.
Voting yes takes nothing away from straight people but gives an amazingly strong message of acceptance to gay people. Particularly to children and teenagers who are struggling with their identity.
Thanks x ”
Today, please thing about the real harm that a NO vote will do and the real good that a yes vote will do. Please.
We have a great opportunity today to do the right thing.
You’re a sick individual Donald. Not because of your ‘Yes’ vote, but because you want our kids to be taught the ‘Kama Sutra’ at school.
Kids are already taught about sexual reproduction and relationships. The last time I checked, you can’t reproduce via the anus so it’s just a form of sexual pleasure, hardly needed in the curriculum eh??? While I can imagine your excitement with today’s event, I hope that society doesn’t grant all of your wishes mentioned.
“Donald, you are young in years but obsolete in attitude.”
If you want to do “obsolete” – I would suggest one go back to the ancient world where homosexuality was the norm. The age of the catamite and the unrestrained male sex urge. The relegation of women etc.
Investigate what that led to, and why it had to be suppressed.
This is all one has to do in order to see through the childish emotions of the Yes side.
Beyond all the platitudes, there is a serious rationale behind marriage being between a man and a woman. Scratch the surface of that rationale and the only vote to cast is a “No” vote.
But it looks like things will have to get worse before they get better. I will concede to you that.
iirc sex education is something which happens in second level and this vote is about acknowledging all citizens as being equal in the eyes of the law.
I’m straight and I voted yes for exactly that reason.
I don’t want to force people to be someone they aren’t or feel stigmatized and isolated from society as a whole for falling in love.
To infer that treating gay people with respect and dignity will convert someone who is straight is ridiculous.
It’s not a choice for people.
No matter what way this vote goes there will still be the same number of straight and gay people here afterwards.
My kids (6 and 9) were genuinely incredulous that you couldn’t marry who you wanted already, so the fairy tale ending is already equal-opportunities as far as they’re concerned. My youngest daughter gave her No-voting Nana an awful time on the subject: ‘you mean if I fall in love with a girl, you wouldn’t let me marry her? That’s disgraceful!’. Much backpedalling ensued. The age of the dinosaurs is officially over.
Felt so emotional for all my gay friends in Ireland today after voting – heres to the end of all the pain, hurt and living in a society where many have not accepted the ability of people to love regardless of gender. As my 101 year old grandmother recently said, what difference does it make if they are boys or girls as long as two people love each other? Heres hoping Yes all the way .
I can’t vote. Sadly the government didn’t follow the recommendations to the constitution convention and hold a referendum to extend the franchise to non residents.
Just back from voting. Had to take one of the neighbours down in the wheelchair. Great to see everyone making the effort to vote. Hopefully it’s a winning yes vote they deserve it.
I’ve just voted. I must say, I found the ballot paper confusing. You had to search to see which Amendment each paper referred to. The Amendment wasn’t quoted in full as we had been led to believe it would be. Just two words “marriage equality” in brackets which required a good scan of the paper to find.
Agree with that, I pointed this out to the person who seemed unimpressed (maybe they were getting ready for a bristly electorate). I think there is a strong chance that some votes will be incorrect due to a mixup. I accept that they might not be able to quote the full text on the paper but they could have taken the reference to “Age act” and “Equality Act” and make them big, bold and at the top of each page.
Delighted to be able to vote Yes for Equality today and hoping for a big turnout of like minded people to support all our gay and lesbian friends and in particular to help stop bullying and discrimination and show all our young gay people they are fully supported and protected in our society and by the state.
So if it passes, all the glaring inequalities in our country will magically disappear? Like children going to school hungry? People who want to work having no opportunity to do so? Or is those inequalities just not as important as the right of same-sex couples to marry?
Or to use capitalization when not required. Considering there is a possibility that you can vote yes in one and no in the other then, we can take it your push for a yes in both.
The important Referendum is the Referendum on same sex civil marriage. It is likely to be passed and a Yes majority will deliver to the opportunity to same sex couples to marry.
This will also signify a societal and community acceptance that gay relationships are deserving of the same esteem as straight relationships.
In this way, there will be an acceptance of the fact that gay people and straight people are all people, worth of equal respect and of equal dignity.
This will be a significant step in the dismantling on homophobia is part of Irish society, recognising that homophobia is already a minority outlook, especially in the younger generations.
@dontletitslip. You are right, homophobia will not disappear overnight. This is a step in the right direction, 20,000 Irish kids called childline last year with sexuality issues, lgbt people are seven times more likely to commit suicide. A yes vote gives kids hope. I personally would like to live in am equal society. It’s your vote, your choice.
Brian, a step in the right direction and to a time when it will be totally socially unacceptable to express homophobic sentiments. We are changing, too slowly, but there are tipping points in human attitudes and this is why the NO campaigned so ferociously and dishonestly so as to stop the path of progress.
Today is about the achievement of full equality. It will be good for us all, gay and straight, united in equality and esteem.
To a good result and to an evening of national celebration tomorrow evening if the Referendum is passed.
My husband and I voted yes as will my five children. It won’t change anything in my life but hopefully it will for loving same sex couples who can stand up in front of their friends and family and say I do.
I hope tolerance wins the day
The first thing I saw when voting in Cabra was a large copy of the Bible at the front of the first desk in the room. Apparently this is to swear on if the voter does not have ID. Personally I think this is pressure on undecided voters. Surely the Bible can be produced when needed rather than serving as an advertisement? (She did mention that aethiests could swear on a constitutional document instead, however that was not on display). If I cannot wear a badge into the polling station I don’t see why a reminder of the church perspective should be there all day to influence people.
I really hope it’s a yes vote but even if it’s not; I’m so proud of Ireland!! All over twitter and facebook we have seen people literally travelling the world to vote in this referendum!!! That’s amazing that people are willing to go to that effort to vote in this referendum <3 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!! #voteyes
For those claiming that the ‘Typical Yes Supporter’ has been attacking them personally ,and being abusive in general, I have just one point to make.
No pole has shown support for the Yes side to be less than 50%. I will be extremely generous to your point of view and assume that at the very least 40% of people are yes supporters.
The very fact that you assume there is ‘typical’ behaviour for such a large portion of the population is evident of you’re ability to bias yourself as much as, if not more than, those you claim are all calling you homophobes.
The majority are, so far, for a yes. I would postulate that the majority of those yes voters are nice enough people who have not attacked anyone for their views.
For the right reasons at least Ireland is on the front pages of the international media, the #hometovote group reminds us that we lost an amazing batch of people during the recession but their hearts still belong to this tiny island
I voted a big fat YES on my way to work this lunch time.
I don’t feel it is right to discriminate against anyone because of their age, gender, sexuality, race etc. For me, everyone has a right to love. It is a wonderful thing and should it be celebrated, no matter who the people are.
As for the No people going on about the fact that children deserve a mother and father, there are already gay couples who have children. This referendum won’t change that.
Times have changed, and so has the family dynamics. It is no longer a mother and father and 2.4 children. There are separated parents, one parent families, step/half brothers and sisters. At the end of the day, as long as the child grows up in a safe and loving home, then that’s all that matters!
Why is sex channeled into male/female marriage?
Was the law saying gays could not marry just “bigoted” ?
Or was there more to it?
”
Human sexuality, especially male sexuality, is polymorphous, or utterly wild (far more so than animal sexuality). Men have had sex with women and with men; with little girls and young boys; with a single partner and in large groups; with total strangers and immediate family members; and with a variety of domesticated animals. They have achieved orgasm with inanimate objects such as leather, shoes, and other pieces of clothing, through urinating and defecating on each other (interested readers can see a photograph of the former at select art museums exhibiting the works of the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe); by dressing in women’s garments; by watching other human beings being tortured; by fondling children of either sex; by listening to a woman’s disembodied voice (e.g., “phone sex”); and, of course, by looking at pictures of bodies or parts of bodies. There is little, animate or inanimate, that has not excited some men to orgasm. Of course, not all of these practices have been condoned by societies — parent-child incest and seducing another’s man’s wife have rarely been countenanced — but many have, and all illustrate what the unchanneled, or in Freudian terms, the “un-sublimated,” sex drive can lead to.
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah’s prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity.
This revolution consisted of forcing the sexual genie into the marital bottle. It ensured that sex no longer dominated society, heightened male-female love and sexuality (and thereby almost alone created the possibility of love and eroticism within marriage), and began the arduous task of elevating the status of women.
It is probably impossible for us, who live thousands of years after Judaism began this process, to perceive the extent to which undisciplined sex can dominate man’s life and the life of society. Throughout the ancient world, and up to the recent past in many parts of the world, sexuality infused virtually all of society.”
Donald it’s like you have decided “feck it, we’ve lost so I’m going to say every offensive thing I can think of because I don’t have to be nice anymore”, it’s actually quite amusing and if there were actually undecided people out there, you would be pushing them towards a yes.
“Today is you last opportunity to express your homophobia, hate and malevolent prejudice.”
Perhaps not Anthony old boy?
The passing of a yes vote, will potentially do the exact thing that homosexuals do not want – ie….a spotlight shone on their “activities”.
The realities of homosexual relations have been conveniently absent in this debate, and indeed even I, would not wish to plumb these depths – i simply don’t have the stomach.
But they will have to be highlighted sometime.
Indeed, its possibe that Gay ‘marriage’ is an ‘own goal’ for gays and will almost certainly cause gay/straight relationships into reverse after many decades of improvement, acceptance, and integration.
We are not all that interested in what other people do behind closed doors. But there are websites you can check out seen as you are so fascinated with it all.
Donald Farfrae Your ignorance is astounding if you think Gay people “get up ” to anything breeders don’t do. World wide, poor straight people use anal sex as a free and convenient alternative to unaffordable contraception. Less than half of Gay people worldwide engage in anal sex! You however seem to be, like all deluded theists, obsessed with Gay sex in particular. Perhaps you should come out of the closet now that the people have indicated they have no problem with Gay people….
Fascinating watching,reading and listening to how the voting is going today from Ontario Canada. So different to election results as they happen in North American where results as posted by the minute soon after the polling stations open, other than hearing turnout is higher than the norm, nothing else.
I sincerely hope it’s a big “YES”.
Donald- all humans need to belong to a group or society as a whole.All of our past Society/Culture/Tribes etc have/ had religious roots and meanings.This does not mean you have to be religious in order to been cultivated,but living in a country that is religious will have an affect on how you live and act .The core of our common culture today is religious based.In the past tribes etc flourished because they had gods/beliefs,they are many types religions of course.Hellenic,Judaic, and Christian culture and beliefs.So we have a pattern of beliefs in which society is founded on.So then- 1. The core of common culture is religion.2 The core of common society is community,(we cant survive on our own) What you are saying then is that Abortion,homosexuality is part of modern culture and cast it aside?.How do you change society then? As those things are part of modern culture today and confronting people with the” dangers within” wont change anything.So what will?Simply curious.
To answer your quesiton on “confronting people with the” dangers within” – I have no idea.
I am simply someone with whom the penny has dropped.
I’ve recently come to cherish those value systems that stemmed from Christianity and can see clearly that one core religion will always be replaced by another, whenever there is a void.
I no longer call myself an atheist because the replacement for Christianity is far too frightening and the humanists simply pretend it isn’t happening.
I gathered as much,this is why I was asking.There is many out there with very fundamentalist view (cultish) and this is also opposing Christianity.This can be far more damaging than extreme liberalism .(Scott Hahn has very good books)And is read by ppl of all faiths.Just a thought-One religion is replaced by another because they have not recognised the truth.Its the truth that sets you free.(Jn 8:32)So then this is why fundamentalist Christianity does not work either,(I am speaking of the people not entirely honest in their approach to Christianity)As many people use Christianity as way to hit out at society,they are angry so go on picking fights and judging others. Avoid fundamentalism at any level.
Odd isn’t it that even those who support “gay marriage” seem surprisingly shy of
using the phrase. I notice it very quickly morphed into “equal marriage” during the SSM debate and it now appears to be the accepted phraseology.
And now I notice the badges being worn by its supporters of a yes vote read “I’m voting yes” not for gay marriage but for “equality.”
What are they ashamed of >?
Is it just a devious PR ploy where they hope that those who oppose gay marriage will think twice before voting against “equality”, rather like being against “motherhood and apple pie”?
A cheap stunt or a hint of desperation maybe.?
Or even perhaps more insidiously resorting to the “newspeak” of Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984″ to which the liberal left seem ever more drawn.
Why are you obsessed with shame and sex acts? Seen your other posts here and it’s a strange mix of curiosity, complete disconnection with reality and having no clue about any of it.
Gay marriage is about equality. It’s morphed because LGBT people are included in this who don’t al identify as gay hence SSM then when you get down to it it’s just marriage so marriage equality. A logical progression which is for the good of all involved.
Matt, I reckon he is ‘Senator’ Ronan Mullen :-D. Democracy doesn’t always provide the desired result – I voted to get rid of him and the other shower of wasters. I was sadly disappointed.
But there can be no equality where people are different ..eg in the case of men and women.
Do you know why marriage has been limited (until now) to 2 people of the opposite sex?
The basic reason is that marriage is an intrinsically gendered institution which simply reflects the biological reality that males and females evolved dimorphically, so that the male would protect and provision the female and their offspring.
Without a weak female protected by a strong male and his male kin, and children requiring long periods of provisioning, it would not exist at all.
Many humans develop an incorrect sexual imprinting. When it’s gender, we call it homosexuality. When it doesn’t imprint on the correct secondary characteristics to indicate fertility, we call it paedophilia or gerontophilia. Wrong species, we call zoophilia. Some people are entirely asexual.
Because some people have a broken sexuality, it does not entitle them to institutional equality of this form.
Two people of the same sex literally cannot marry, even if they have a piece of paper from the state claiming they are married. It defies the basic logic of human sex, gender and biological function.
Because its a vote for marriage, gay people don’t gay park their cars. They don’t have gay lunch and hopefully after today they will be able to get married not gay married.
When you are casting your vote drop a little note in the ballot box saying “No Way We Won’t Pay” in protest at Fine Gael’s failure to give us a referendum on the future of Irish Water (giving us instead a pointless referendum on the age of the Presidency)
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
or even convert to Islam and relocate to Iran where you can wallow in the public executions of gays. unfortunately you won’t be able to bring a six pack to the party.
Perhaps I wont have to move – perhaps Islam will come here – ?
I’m not a Biblical literalist, but it’s interesting to see how the Bible repeatedly states that one of the punishments for disobeying God’s commandments is to be forced to live under alien rule.
You can kind of see why: if you don’t keep these basic principles of faith and family, if you celebrate things like homosexuality, you become weak, you become vulnerable, and you are ripe for takeover by more confident and assertive cultures.
Perhaps your bogey Iranians are closer than we think ?
“Donald-is that something from the Revolution Theory-(Enlightenment etc)?If so,what Author?Just asking.”
Its just my own clunky summary of WHY things like marriage are between man and woman….of WHY a focus on children and family are important (as opposed to ethereal notions such as “love”, “happiness” etc).
In Summary its a comment on why a society focusing on things like abortion/homosexuality/consumption etc are ultimately doomed – potentially in very short order if your enemies are close.
The Bible is one book of many (Torah, Koran etc) that urges certain social norms for the protection of the group as a whole.
@Donald,
“You can kind of see why: if you don’t keep these basic principles of faith and family, if you celebrate things like homosexuality, you become weak, you become vulnerable, and you are ripe for takeover by more confident and assertive cultures.”
Who is celebrating homosexuality?, as a straight person I believe gay couples should have the same rights as straight couples.
If the referendum is passed its not going to turn the whole of Ireland pink.
Gay people have been born since time began they don’t choose to be born gay its genetic, many gay people have went to their graves while family and friends were blissfully unaware that they were gay because of the social stigma attached, thankfully Ireland is a much more open and accepting society these days, that social stigma has all but been removed and the passing of this referendum will be the icing on the cake for many.
This is of course a lie – (but people fall for it).
Why can science not identify homosexuality as a biological trait?
A man was recently arrested for having sex with a shetland pony – A gene for that?
Sex with inanimate objects – a gene for that?
Sex with children – a gene for that?
William Boyd – there is no “Gay” gene, there is no “sado-masochism” gene, there is no “bi-sexual” gene, no”pedophile” gene.
All those sexual practices and many, many more are choice, influenced by nurture, and not natural-born.
Show me one link to one scientific peer-reviewed article that claims there is a gene a gay man has that I don’t have.
One link.
Donald, I’d say there is a lot more paedophiles in society than people think, just that many of them don’t partake because they know to do so would be a criminal act, “self control”, but I’d say if you have a tendency to be sexually attracted to children than I’d say it was genetic just like homosexuality, call it a mutated gene if you like?, but I can’t believe people would decide to be different by a simple choice?.
As for having sex with a shetland pony etc, well maybe we can put that down to extreme perversion?, virtually every human being has a sexual perversion of some sort, some obviously more perverted than others, people have got bored of the missionary position over the centuries and have experimented, human nature I suppose?.
“….a secondary school in North Dublin held an LGBT week and pupils were forced to wear LGBT badges, write essays in favour of LGBT rights and do artwork in a similar vein. There was hardly a peep out of our media.
A 16-year-old girl who refused to wear one of the badges was told by her teacher that she was being “disrespectful” to LGBT people. (Would it be “disrespectful” to Catholics to refuse to wear a crucifix? Obviously not).
This girl was told by her teacher that she deserved detention.
Another girl (aged 14) was asked to do an art project on an LGBT theme. When she objected, the teacher said she would have to leave her convictions outside the classroom. The irony was lost on the teacher that she was the one forcing her convictions on the whole class regardless of parental wishes.
Parents representing 80 pupils have now written to the local Education and Training Board to complain.”
People should ask themselves this question: Was it OK for those teachers to force their beliefs down pupils’ throats?
No religion attacks the colour of people’s skin. LGBT events are about sex, not race.
Another difference is that the case that David Quinn mentioned is about teachers forcing their beliefs on pupils.
Gardaí, doctors and nurses are not allowed to express their beliefs in the course of their work because they have to be impartial. So why should teachers be allowed to do it? Teachers also have to be impartial.
Now, answer the question that I asked:
Was it OK for those teachers to force their beliefs down pupils’ throats?
No religion does not attack the colour of peoples skin but it does attack sexual orientation is that acceptable?
Please explain how LGBT events are about sex? Ones orientation is not about sex – you and I can be celibate and still be gay or straight. Is it ok for teachers to force their catholic beliefs down pupils throats? Should they not be impartial? These workshops are about educting pupils on how to respect diversity unfortunately what they are learning from this is that is ok to discriminate against gay people.
How were children exposed to sexual content in this workshop?
To answer your question their was no “forcing” of beliefs – it’s called teaching
So the Church regard homosexual intercourse as a sin. It regards sexual intercourse outside of Catholic marriage and lust for either sex as sins. In the eyes of the Church, we’re all sinners. Therefore, the Church does not single-out homosxuals.
Teachers in Catholic schools are simply doing their job by teaching the Church’s doctrine. Non-Christian pupils are allowed to opt out of that class. I know this because I remember that a non-Christian classmate in primary school was allowed to do other work during that class. Whether or not a child is brought up with a religion is the parents’ decision. Therefore, the teaching of the Church’s doctrine does not involve ramming anything down pupils’ throats.
LGBT issues, unlike traditional marriage, are associated with sex by most children because it is strange to them, unlike other religions or other colours of skin. Why not just let children have their innocence? After all, you wouldn’t say to primary schoolchildren that Santa Claus doesn’t exist – they figure it out by themselves as they get older.
“LGBT issues, unlike traditional marriage, are associated with sex by most children” really? most children I know no nothing about sex and rightly so. The function of these workshops are to educate pupils so it isn’t strange to them. Do you think my nieces and nephew think about my relationship in a sexual way anymore than they would think about their own parents?
This is the problem here – the constant sexualising of gay relationships by the church and the denial that they are equally as valid, healthy and normal as straight relationships.There is no removal of innocence in promoting that in schools to 16yrs old’s( by the way not kids as you have suggested) Why should they have to figure it out when they are older? that in it self is damaging to gay pupils, but of course nobody cares about them when they are screaming “what about the children??”
Yeah and they figure out the same about the Christian God and realise they wasted so many hours learning about it. Catholic Schools are funded by all tax payers. Not just the few Catholics left in Ireland. If people want to indoctrinate their children with superstitous nonsense then let them do it at home or in a church. School is too important to waste time on it.
Some people who were brought up by same-sex couples have no problem with it but others who were brought up in that way have been adversely affected by it and might not have suffered if they had been brought up by heterosexual parents.
My whole family just voted yes including the two grandmothers!! Let’s get this passed. Funny how the religious comments are the most hateful, thought you people were supposed to love thy neighbor or whatever crap from that book you all follow, the one written 2000 years ago..
Memo to whoever is monitoring these comments, (and I know you can read them before they are posted) Your censorship of genuine free speech is shocking, disgraceful, call yourself a legitimate comment board?? You need to cop on to yourself Hugh O`connell, don`t be lecturing to others in society when you yourself don`t respect free speech.
There never will be a truly homosexual marriage. The homosexual marriages that are being forced on your country by the courts are pretend marriages. One person pretends to be the husband and the other person pretends to be the wife. The phrase homosexual marriage is actually an oxymoron. it is like saying there is a square circle or a round square. God has established the institution of marriage and no court has the authority to change this institution. The courts have as much power to change marriage as they have the power to declare that gravity no longer exist. the homosexual couples should be pray for because they are living in rebellion against God. They need to repent of their sins as all of us do and ask God for the strength to change. If the Bible is God’s Word it has been described accurately as the indestructible book., then there are absolutes and morality based on his nature and character. is rape and racism and murder are always wrong, then so is homosexuality. If homosexuality is not wrong, then there is no unchanging standard regarding the others either.
My key question is how many no voters will be issuing legal proceedings against the bishoptown bar for their deduction of one sausage for breakfast to No voters?! This is blatant discrimination!
No less daft than the “gay cake” farce of a judgment up in Belfast.
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With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 23 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 77 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 87 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 64 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 46 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 75 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 54 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
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