BeLonG To, the national organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people, is marking Mother’s Day 2015 by thanking mothers for their support for marriage equality.

David Carroll, Executive Director of BeLonG To, said: “We work with hundreds of amazing mothers every year, who have provided so much love, understanding and support to their LGBT children.  We will officially launch our campaign to secure a ‘yes’ vote in the marriage equality referendum in the coming weeks, and mothers will play a key role in that.

“Mothers of LGBT children are powerful advocates for a ‘yes’ vote.  Like all parents, they want the best for their children: they want them to grow up, happy, secure and capable of accessing the same opportunities and chances in life as everyone else.  That’s what this referendum is all about: a ‘yes’ vote will send an unequivocal message to LGBT young people that they can enjoy equal rights and opportunities in this State.”

BeLonG To provides a number of services for parents of LGBT young people, it also works closely with Loving Our Out Kids (LOOK), a support group for parents of LGBT children.

“Many of the mothers we work with have not only provided loving support to their own children, but have also become powerful public champions for gay rights,” said Carroll.

“This Mother’s Day, we want to thank these amazing women. By speaking to family members, friends, neighbours and colleagues about why they are supporting a ‘yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum, mothers will play a huge role in ensuring a favourable outcome.”