As Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles’ legal action aimed at overturning the ban opens in Belfast, Close explains how the Irish Republic’s vote inspired them

A decade ago, in the grounds of Belfast city hall, Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles broke legal ground by becoming the first gay couple to enter a civil union in the UK. Now, they could be set to make history once more by challenging Northern Ireland’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Just a 15-minute stroll from where they became civil partners in 2005, Close and Sickles will enter Belfast high court on Friday to launch a legal action aimed at overturning the ban on gay couples getting married in Northern Ireland.

On Thursday, the eve of their historic case, Close explained their reasons for joining a male gay couple in attempting to challenge the ban. “This is not a religious issue, it is a human rights issue. That is why we are going to court,” she said.

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Close said she was also inspired by the joyous scenes at Dublin Castle last month when the Irish Republic’s electorate endorsed gay marriage by a convincing majority in a globally unique referendum.

“I was at Dublin castle for the result of the Republic of Ireland referendum and I was standing with a young man and woman and their baby. I was curious as to why they were there.

“They said they wanted to be there for their daughter because they didn’t know what way she would grow up. She could fall in love with a man or a woman and they wanted her to be able to enjoy equal citizenship.

“Having gay marriage recognised in Northern Ireland is important to us, our friends and family and the wider lesbian and gay community. Not just in the present, but for future generations. I believe challenging the ban is the right thing to do.”

Close and Sickles will be joined by civil partners Christopher and Henry Flanagan-Kane, who will also take a case against the ban. Further legal action by other LGBT couples are expected in the autumn.

Couples challenge Northern Ireland's gay marriage ban in court Read more

Earlier this month, 20,000 trade unionists staged a rally through Belfast city centre to support gay marriage in Northern Ireland – the only part of the UK where LGBT couples cannot be married.

Amnesty International has said the ban has turned Northern Ireland into a “discriminatory backwater for the gay and lesbian community”.

Grainne Teggart, an Amnesty spokeswoman in the region, said: “We predicted there would be this kind of legal challenge as politicians were leaving the region’s same-sex couples with no choice but to go the courts. As on so many issues, Northern Ireland’s politicians lag behind the people. Between the marriage equality referendum in Ireland and legislation in the UK, there is unstoppable momentum to bring equal marriage to this region.”

In April this year, a Sinn Féin motion on marriage equality was defeated, with 47 Northern Ireland assembly members voting in support, but 49 unionists voting against. Even if there had been a small majority in favour, the Democratic Unionist party would have exercised a special veto drawn up under devolution. The so-called petition of concern allows any party to veto legislation if it can argue the law would not have sufficient cross-community or Protestant-Catholic support.

Northern Ireland left behind on gay marriage issue, say Belfast marchers Read more

Pro-gay marriage campaigners point out that the different legal status of same-sex couples on either side of the Irish border will also create anomalies.

A gay couple married in Dublin who have to relocate to Belfast, for example, would not have their marriage recognised in law if they settled there. The same goes for a gay couple married in London who settle anywhere in Northern Ireland, the campaigners point out.



When Close and Sickles legally sealed their civil partnership back in 2005 there were demonstrations and counter-demonstrations over their legal union. As they filed into city hall with 100 guests in tow, the couple were met with 40 born-again Christian demonstrators opposed to civil partnerships who held up placards stating “Sodomy is Sin”.