Good news keeps pouring out of Ireland after its historic gay marriage win, as Irish lawmakers are quickly pushing to amend the country's Employment Equality Act to prevent school and hospital LGBT employees from being discriminated against reports The Irish Times. Minister of State for Equality Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (above right) is leading the push behind the amendment, and hopes to pass it by September at the start of the new school term.
If the legislation passes, it will grant protections to LGBT staff of religious run educational and medical institutions, along with single parents, while simultaneously protecting the institutions' religious ideology. Drafting on the legislation began this week; once drafted it heads to the Cabinet for an official sign-off, followed by the Oireachtas enacting it in July if all goes well.
In its current state, the act still allows for discrimination against employees and prospective employees whose orientation and family status do not match the religious ideology of an institution they're employed with or applying for.
