KATHERINE ZAPPONE

Katherine Zappone is a former American-Irish independent politician who served as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from May 2016 to June 2020. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency from 2016 to 2020. She previously served as a Senator from 2011 to 2016, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. With her Seanad nomination, she became the first openly lesbian member of the Oireachtas and the first member in a recognised same-sex relationship.

In November 2004, Katherine and her wife, Ann Louise Gilligan, were granted leave by the High Court, to pursue a claim to have their September 2003 Vancouver marriage recognised for the filing of joint tax returns in Ireland. The case was heard in October 2006. The judgment was delivered in December 2006, and found that common law and the Irish constitution had envisaged marriage to be between a man and a woman. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court in February 2007. It came before the Supreme Court in 2012, although returned to the High Court to challenge different elements of law, specifically the Civil Registration Act 2004 and Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.

Katherine was a prominent campaigner for the Yes campaign in Ireland's Marriage Equality referendum, featuring on an RTÉ Primetime debate, helping YesEquality as a voluntary adviser, taking part in debates, and campaigning for a Yes vote. On 22 May 2015, she spoke about how she believed Irish people would "vote Yes for equality; for a Republic of equals, a Republic of love". On 23 May 2015, Katherine asked Ann Louise live on air to remarry her in Ireland now that it had voted yes to marriage equality. She described how she was "feeling emotional from the top all the way down to my toes".