Sex & Drugs
16 Dec 19

Sex News of the Year: Northern Ireland follows in sexual equality

In 2019, huge strides were made on the island of Ireland in relation to women's right to bodily autonomy. But the remarkable progress that has been made notwithstanding, there are new battles to be fought in 2020. To read the full column, pick up a Hot Press Annual.

In many ways, 2019 was a breakthrough year for the island of Ireland, when it comes to women's right to bodily autonomy. With the abortion referendum being passed in 2018, giving the women of Ireland the right to access abortions, in Ireland, for the first time, it seemed like we were entering a new era of social and sexual liberation. However, as Ireland celebrated, the women of Northern Ireland were left still fighting for the right to control their own fertility.

This wasn't the first time that Northern Ireland was left to flounder in the past - because that, it seems, is where politicians there like to remain. Ireland made same-sex marriage legal in 2015, but of course that didn't apply North of the border. With Ireland and Britain both moving forward in relation to marriage equality, Northern Ireland remained locked in Victorianism, with deeply prejudiced religiously-defined scruples dominating the lives of its citizens.

At least that was the state of play until October 22 this year, when the UK parliament implemented legal reforms that de-criminalised abortion and made same-sex marriage legal in Northern Ireland.

It seemed like the island of Ireland was at last united - at least in relation to sexual equality. However, things are not always as they seem.

It has been revealed that, while same-sex couples will now be able to apply for civil marriage, those already in civil partnerships will not be able to convert these to civil marriage. Why the UK government has taken this line is a mystery - though the dead hand of the DUP may have something to do with it. What's clear, either way, is that further battles are looming for LGBTI activists North of the border. They deserve our support.

You can read the complete 'Sex News Of The Year' collection in one brilliant sweep in the Hot Press Annual – in which we distill the highlights and low-points of the year, across 132 vital, beautifully designed pages. Starring heroes of the year Fontaines D.C. on the front we cover Music, Culture, Sport, Film, Politics, the Environment and much, much more. Buy this superb publication direct from Hot Press here.