Apology ‘important reckoning’ for past

LOUTH Senator Ged Nash saw months of lobbying come to fruition last week, when the Government apologised to gay men for the “improperly discriminatory” laws which criminalised them because of their sexuality.

Senator Nash described the formal apology to men who were convicted of consensual same-sex sexual activity prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in June 1993 as “an important reckoning and a coming to terms with our past.”

“I have been working on this important initiative for the last eighteen months with the LGBTI community and with the Department of Justice and latterly the Taoiseach,” he said.

“Last Tuesday was an historic day when we came together, as a national parliament and without any dissenting voices to extend a sincere and genuine formal apology not just to men who were convicted of ‘offences’ that were abolished many years ago but to the LGBTI community generally.

Senator Nash crafted the historic State apology which arose from his Convictions for Certain Sexual Offences (Apology & Exoneration) Bill 2016 and which was adopted by both Houses of the Oireachtas.

“For far too long, gay and lesbian citizens were tormented by the chilling effect of laws that persecuted them for who they were and who they loved,” he added.

“This was simply wrong, and those laws gave society a perverse licence to hurt, discriminate against and stigmatise LGBTI citizens.”

“Our State presided over this for too long and this apology is long overdue.”