SAME SEX COUPLES and their supporters who feel that the Civil Partnership Bill does not go far enough towards giving equal rights to all Irish citizens will march through Dublin today.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender campaign group, Noise, have organised the march, which will leave from Dublin City Hall and continue to the Department of Justice in the city centre.

The March for Marriage protest will kick off at 2pm.

Although the Civil Partnership Bill, which was signed into law last month, is the first legal recognition of civil right within same-sex partnerships many feel that it still discriminates between Irish citizens on the basis of their sexuality.

The bill legal provides benefits in the areas of property, social welfare, and tax to same-sex couples; however Noise calls on LGBT people “not to settle for half-measures” and push for full marriage rights.

Saying on its website that the Civil Partnership Bill “makes us second class citizens”, the group outlines their objections to the legislation, focusing on the rights of children with same-sex parents. Noise says that the bill:

• Offers no way for parents to create protected legal bonds with each other as parents or with their children
• Denies parents the right to make educational and medical decisions regarding their children
• Denies children of LGBT parents the right to inherit from their parents