Cara McCann and Amanda McGurk have been nominated for a Belfast Pride Award
The couple have been campaigning for marriage equality in Northern Ireland
By Steve Brown
Attitude Pride Award winners Cara McCann and Amanda McGurk have been nominated for a Belfast Pride award.
Despite equal marriage being legal in England, Scotland and Wales as well as the Republic of Ireland and even the Isle of Man, the couple’s big day next February will be a civil partnership.
When the Northern Ireland Executive was up and running, it voted five times on the issue of equal marriage.
The last time, in November 2015, the vote for equal marriage was won with 53 of the 105 votes.
Cara and Amanda decided to fight against the archaic laws of Northern Ireland, and travelled to Westminster in March this year as the face of the Love Equality NI campaign to see two Private Members’ Bills tabled in Parliament.
Although the bills are still in progress and remain long way from receiving Royal Assent – if they get that far, given the DUP’s current deal with the Conservative government in Westminster – Cara and Amanda’s efforts, alongside Love Equality NI, are helping to turn the tide.
Delighted & honoured that Love Equality and a number of people associated with our campaign have been nominated in the @belfastpride awards.
Get voting you lovely people! ❤️ https://t.co/ygkZgLBToN #ComeOutforChange #bproud2018 pic.twitter.com/brBwfg8YND
— Love Equality NI (@Love_EqualityNI) July 23, 2018
Cara and Amanda are set to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day next year and, although it won’t be recognised as a marriage, they say they simply can’t wait any longer for the law to catch up.
“My best friend died last July. If we could have been married a couple of years ago, he’d have been standing beside me,” explains Cara.
“Why should we have to wait for anyone else that we love to get sick?”
She continues: “The bottom line is that it’s about love. My love for Amanda is no different than the man and women living next door to me.
“But this will happen. It’s probably a long journey ahead of us, but one day, we’ll be married just like them.”
This year, the couple were honoured with an Attitude Pride Award for their fight for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.
Now, following their award, the couple have been nominated for a Belfast Pride award for their hard work and voting is open now.