An equal marriage motion is to go before Monday night’s meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
And the local Unite union has welcomed the move.
Following on from the referendum in the south, the motion, if passed, will see Newry, Mourne and Down District Council support equal marriage and call on the Northern Ireland assembly to £come out of the dark ages”.
Unite says Northern Ireland is the only region in Western Europe that has “an antiquated view in relation to marriage equality”.
Speaking on the issue, Unite’s equality officer Damian McShane said: “We at Unite fully support this motion and view it as a major step towards equality in the district.
“We would like to thank our local Independent Councillor and Unite activist Kevin McAteer for raising the motion and his continued support for the LGBT community.
“Unite calls on all councillors to fully back this motion and take influence from similar motions that have been passed in councils across Northern Ireland recently.
“2015 has been a momentous year for the LGBT community right across the world. Countries are starting to wake up in relation to equality rights, from Ireland to the United States equal marriage has become law.”
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