Noise is an independent non-party political group which is campaigning for the provision of civil marriage for all people in Ireland, irrespective of gender and sexual orientation. It was founded in November 2007 in response to the Irish government’s decision to vote down the Civil Union Bill in March of that year, and its refusal to introduce legislation that will grant civil marriage equality to LGBT  (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) people in Ireland.

Organisational Structure

Noise has a democratic, non-hierarchical structure, and is run by a group of volunteer Organisers whose number is capped at seven. There is also a database of general volunteers who provide practical and administrative support in different ways, from maintaining the website to designing posters or handing out flyers. Finally, there are the general members, who are encouraged to participate as much as possible in all protests and campaigns.  Please email volunteer@lgbtnoise.ie if you would like to play an active role in NOISE. Positions of Organiser are filled as they arise from people who have expressed an interest in the role and volunteers can play as large or as small a role in NOISE as their time allows.

Campaign Strategy

In the last number of years, the hard work of many activist groups and political parties seeking legal recognition for LGBT relationships has culminated in the development of the proposed Partnership Bill. It was within this context that Noise was created, both to fill an opening for activism that would include the LGBT public, and to articulate the more ambitious goal of Civil Marriage. Though some may fear ‘rocking the boat’ might undermine the progress made so far, we think it is vital that Government not be allowed to believe that a legally-inferior partnership scheme is enough. The Civil Partnership Bill is apparently on the ‘priority’ list of bills to be debated in the Dail, thanks to the lobbying of GLEN and the Green Party among others. There will still be a long way to go from there before the bill becomes law, and the challenge for Noise — and for all who want to see full legal equality for gay and lesbian couples — is to minimise (or even eliminate!) the transition between enactment of the Partnership Bill and end of the ban on Civil Marriage.

The current campaign strategy has two main strands. The first consists of street protests, demonstrations, stunts and other events designed to focus media attention on the question of same-sex marriage. These events are always fun, eye-catching and slightly tongue-in-cheek, garnering attention to the issues involved in a light-hearted way. The second strand is concerned with public education through the distribution of leaflets and flyers at events, public debate, and the publication of educational material on the website and through the media.