Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Last Friday, appropriately, was Harvey Milk Day, the day that would have been the birthday of the assassinated gay rights activist. His observation that "rights are won only by those who make their voices heard" was borne out with the count on Saturday, because it was those who made their voices heard who won the referendum. It was those LGBTQ campaigners who have fought and campaigned for equal rights over decades. It was those who spoke to friends and family and who spoke out publicly. It was those who wore badges to make their voices heard. It was those who campaigned door-to-door in the streets and on social media. It was the tens of thousands who came home to vote to demand a break from the oppression of the past. Together, these people made up a powerful social movement that has changed this country. At the forefront of that movement were young people and working class communities who turned out massively to vote "Yes".

The result is a massive step forward towards equality. The movement for change that has been unleashed will not stop now, but will continue. People will demand an end to all discrimination, to all homophobia and will call for full equality. They will demand that Ireland becomes a modern, progressive and secular society, where people's religious beliefs are respected, but where no church has control over the laws of the State or the provision of education, health care or social services.

The choice now for all political parties is how to react to the change that is happening. Will they be carried along with it or will they try to stand against and resist it? The traditional hiding place of the establishment, behind a supposedly conservative silent majority no longer exists. The choice now is clear and the Taoiseach has a choice to make about what the Government will do. Will he go along with the change? Will he remove the clause in the Employment Equality Act which allows schools or hospitals run by religious orders to discriminate against LGBTQ or atheist people? Will he end the ban on gay and bisexual men giving blood? Will he take on board all of the criticisms from the trans-community of the Gender Recognition Bill and ensure it is passed by both Houses before the summer break?

Finally, will the Taoiseach now hold a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, to end the barbaric situation where a woman who has chosen to terminate a crisis pregnancy - even in the tragic eventuality of fatal foetal abnormality - or a doctor or anybody else who helped her could be jailed for 14 years?

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