Marriage Equality last week launched a National Poster campaign calling for Civil Marriage for same sex couples and recognition of lesbian and gay families. Funded by the Community Foundation of Ireland the posters will be displayed on Dublin Bus and in libraries, family resources and community centres around the country. Find out more about the campaign and view the other posters that are being used.

The Civil Partnership Bill (which does not recognise lesbian and gay families or the rights of children) passed it’s committee stage last month and will be headed for report stage before going to the Seanad.  The campaign is a first for Ireland but maybe a bit late for impact on the current debates taking place? It would be interesting to see where groups like Marriage Equality and LGBT Noise will go when if as expected the Civil Partnership Bill is passed in July.  Children’s Rights Amendment possibly?   After all the issues at stake are really about the children’s rights aren’t they?

Yesterday research commissioned by Stonewall and conducted by the University of Cambridge was released looking at the views of children in lesbian and gay families on their experiences of childhood.  Different Families: The experiences of children with lesbian and gay parents’ produces recommendations for schools and other agencies towards dealing with issues of homophobia and diversity.

Also this week longitudinal research from the USA was published which examined the welfare and development of ‘planned’ children in lesbian  families.  (Conducted over 17 years with 79 children) Am sure Patricia Casey and her friends in Iona will be along to knock the research presently.