![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/2.24933438.jpg\")
Mary Lou McDonald has said the British Government should intervene to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland if the Stormont deadlock cannot be broken.<\/p>\nMary Lou McDonald has said the British Government should intervene to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland if the Stormont deadlock cannot be broken.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland which has not legalized what supporters term marriage equality.<\/p>\n
Polls suggest a public majority back the measure, but the Democratic Unionists espouse the argument that marriage can only be between a man and a woman and have used a petition of concern to veto proposed change at the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The Sinn F\u00e9in leader attended her first Pride Talkback event in Belfast and said: \u201cIf it is the case that Westminster has to intervene then so be it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a reference to the power sharing impasse she added: \u201cThat won\u2019t be a badge of success \u2013 that will be a mark of failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the best solution would be legislation brought through the Stormont Assembly, rather than Westminster where the DUP\u2019s 10 Brexit-supporting MPs are propping up Theresa May\u2019s minority Government.<\/p>\n
Ms McDonald added: \u201cIn the absence of the political institutions, it is a matter for both British and Irish governments to ensure that the rights of the LGBT-plus community in the North are fully vindicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe British Irish Intergovernmental conference met last week, it will meet again in the autumn and it must resolve the outstanding rights issues including the right to marriage equality.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sinn F\u00e9in president said any change to the petition of concern as part of powersharing reforms needed to be handled carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe real perversion here is that a mechanism intended to protect minorities and basic rights gets turned on its head and abused and misused.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ulster Unionists, SDLP, Green Party, Alliance and Progressive Unionists were represented at Monday night\u2019s Pride debate at the Mac theatre.<\/p>\n
The DUP were invited but declined to attend.<\/p>\n
DUP MLA Jim Wells was notified but said he would \u201crather walk up the Falls Road in a Rangers shirt\u201d, the organiser said.<\/p>\n
Mrs McDonald said: \u201cThose who wish to push back the tides of change can disrupt and delay but it will never stop the vindication of those rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is us. We are proud and we are not going away you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Billy Hutchinson, PUP leader, said Northern Ireland needed the same LGBT rights as the rest of the UK.<\/p>\n
His party has supported same-sex marriage since 2013, doubling their vote soon afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe politicians are way behind the community. It is two people who love each other. This is not about religious beliefs, this is about people\u2019s equality.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is British rights for British citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
UUP Assembly member for Upper Bann Doug Beattie leads a taskforce within his party addressing the issue.<\/p>\n
He said he thought none of his colleagues at Stormont would support a petition of concern veto on marriage equality because they were democrats.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are moving in the right direction but like that super-tanker in the ocean the turning circle is very large and we are moving very slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n