>> ‘Kate, I don’t want to waste another minute of my life without you as my wife’: Limerick woman proposes as Yes vote comes in
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L’Irlande dit «oui» au «mariage gay» ce samedi. L’aboutissement d’une longue marche entamée avec le combat du sénateur David Norris, dès 1977, pour la reconnaissance de l’homosexualité, mais également le plus beau jour pour Billie.
Immédiatement après l’annonce officielle des résultats, sur «Just the way you are» de Bruno Mars, la femme de 41, s’agenouille et demande sa compagne en mariage :
« Kate, nous formons une super équipe. Je t’aime au plus profond de moi, de la tête aux pieds. Je ne veux pas perdre une minute de plus sans t’avoir dans ma vie en tant qu’épouse. ».
Billie est originaire d’Écosse mais habite dans la ville de Limerick.
Dans un journal local, elle a confié avoir anticipé sa proposition mais préférait attendre la confirmation du vote :
« Je suis venue parce que les nouvelles étaient prometteuses mais j’ignorais vraiment si j’allais ou pas en avoir l’occasion», et puis… comme plus de 62% des irlandais, Kate Stoica, son amoureuse, a dit oui, sous les cris et les sourires de leurs proches et amis.
A Dublin, la sénatrice Katherine Zappone a également profité de l’événement pour demander sa compagne, Ann Louise Gilligan, en mariage, et en direct sur la chaîne RTÉ.
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>> Limerick has said Yes to the marriage referendum and so did one local woman who was surprised with a marriage proposal, just seconds after the final tally result was confirmed.
As counting continued to confirm what tallies have predicted, Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are blared out on a speaker at the count centre in the University Sports Arena. Against that background, one lesbian woman got down on one knee to propose to her long-term girlfirend.
“Kate we make a great team. I love you inside and out, head to toe I don’t want to waste another minute of my life without you as my wife,” said Billie.
The 41-year-old got down on one knee and proposed to her 26-year-old partner Kate Stoica just seconds after tallies confirmed that the referendum is set to be passed in both Limerick constituencies.
Born in Scotland but living in Limerick for the past 20 years, Billie, who doesn’t use a surname, has been planning the marriage proposal for the past few days.
“I’d been planning this with my friends, but only for the past four days. I didn’t want to ask if it was going to be a No result, so I came today not knowing if I was going to be able to say it or not.
“But I bought the ring and my friends helped and it looks like it is going to be a Yes so I thought I would ask while I could.”
Among those congratulating the happy couple was Katie’s Mum Jacint Stoica.
“I never thought this day would come. I am very happy for both of them and for everybody else as well.”
Final tally results for the two Limerick constituencies showed 63% voted Yes in Limerick city and 54% in the county.
Earlier in Dublin, Senator Katherine Zappone proposed to her partner Ann Louise Gilligan live on RTÉ’s referendum coverage .
