CHERISHING ALL HER CHILDREN EQUALLY - THE LAW AND POLITICS OF IRISH LESBIAN AND GAY CITIZENSHIP

Lesbians and gay men present a challenge to Ireland's traditional soci al order as a result of their distance from that order and their simul taneous proximity to it. This state of affairs presented a major chall enge to those seeking to reform law relating to sexual orientation. In less than a decade the Irish legal system has been transformed for le sbians and gay men. This article examines the terms of this transforma tion. In particular it analyses the accounts of identity which were mo bilized during the process of reform and argues that these changes nee d to be considered in the context of changes to the wider Irish identi ty. It concludes with a consideration of the significance of the Irish experience for other disadvantaged groups within Ireland and other le sbian and gay communities outside Ireland who are currently engaged in campaigns for law reform.