As protestors call for an end to the gay marriage ban, one immigrant tells Catherine Reilly what a change in the law would mean to him
MOSCOW native Vladimir Dotsenko was one of thousands marching for gay marriage in Dublin last Sunday.
The 28-year-old took part in the demonstration by Noise, which is campaigning for the lifting of the ban on civil marriage between same-sex couples in Ireland.
Dotsenko, who holds a PhD in Mathematics from Moscow State University, lives in Dublin with his Dutch partner Tim Dowling (32), an artist with a background in animation.
“It would be cool to be able to get married,” said Dotsenko, “let alone that marriage sounds so romantic and cute.”
But on a more serious note, he added that Ireland’s current ban on gay marriage has immigration and family consequences for him and his partner.
“If I enter civil partnership with my partner, who is an EU citizen, it wouldn’t allow me to be here in Ireland automatically, as in the case of marriage,” said Dotsenko, a researcher at Trinity College.
In addition, there is “no mechanism” in Ireland through which gay couples can apply to be adoptive parents.
“I didn’t give it much thought when I was single,” he said of becoming a father. “But in Russia I’ve been teaching maths in high schools with 12 to 15-year-olds – that has always been challenging and motivating and great fun.
“I think it just feels like a good idea to raise a kid, to share some interesting life experiences that myself and my partner would have.”
Asked about fears that children of gay parents would face bullying, he replied: “It’s a good question. I think that even though some kind of bullying might be a problem, think of it like this – almost every kid is bullied at some point because all kids are different.
“You might be bullied because you have a different type of hair, different smile, different shoes or for whatever reasons. When it comes to being mean to someone different, kids can be really mean, but I guess it’s a case of ‘If it doesn’t kill us, it makes us stronger.’
He added: “The most important thing for any parents is to be there for their kids, protect them, to give them all the advice and support they can.”
The Government introduced draft legislation for civil partnership at the end of June, and it will be debated when the Dáil sits again in September.
The proposed bill offers a number of legal rights, but Noise says it will not carry the same rights and protections as civil marriage, and civil partners will not be protected by the Constitution. Neither does it recognise same-sex families, and a registered civil partner will be unable to adopt their partner’s child.
Noise communications officer Eloise McInerney commented: “Civil partnership is not the same as civil marriage and it is certainly not equality. It will not protect our children and it denies the existence of our families. It forces same sex couples to participate in their own discrimination out of necessity.”
