Photos from the Midsummer LGBT ball

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday June 08, 2006 16:14 by Jim

Members and supporters of the LGBT community gathered in the round room of the Mansion House, Dublin on the June bank holiday weekend for a midsummers ball. The ball was organised by Labour LGBT to raise funds for the KAL initiative which is a group set up to promote the high court case being taken by Katherine Zappone and Ann-Louise Gilligan who are taking a case to have their canadian marriage recognised in Ireland.

stage

The Midusmmers Ball featured singing from Gloria - the internatioally aclaimed gay choir, Veda and Devina, Fallen Angels Cabaret and concluded with a DJ. There was also an awards ceremony to mark the contribution of several activists to the LGBT community.

Dr. Katherine Zappone and Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan are both women and Irish citizens. They live in Ireland . Dr. Zappone is a public policy research consultant and member of the Human Rights Commission. Dr. Gilligan is an academic and works as a lecturer at St. Patrick's College, Dublin. They have lived together as a de facto couple for 23 years, and are both salaried income earners and joint owners of a family home and one other property in Ireland.

In April, 2001 Katherine and Ann Louise decided to seek legal recognition of their life partnership. As at present, no such legal recognition existed in the country and there was little public debate about partnership rights for same-sex couples. With extensive research and legal advice they were considering taking a constitutional challenge against the Irish State.

Another route opened up when a British Columbia High Court opened the Canadian institution of marriage to same sex couples in June of 2003. On 13 th September of that year they married in a civil ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Their marriage is legally valid for all purposes in Canada.

There will be a discussion about how to advance the campaign for civil partnerships and same sex marriage taking place on Friday June 16th at 8 pm in the Teachers Club as part of the Connolly Festival. Everyone is very welcome to attend.

organisers and performers

Anne Louise Gilligan and Katherine Zappone

Labour Youth members (mostly)

Members of Gloria - the gay choir