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Couples who have been together for years talk about love. It's adorable — and heartbreaking.

Their love stories make me smile.

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The Atlantic Philanthropies

Most of their family and friends are married. These gay and lesbian couples in Ireland are tired of being left out.

So, they're talking openly about their relationships and why marriage means so much to them in the "Yes to Love" video by Marriage Equality. It's honest. It's adorable. But it's also kind of heartbreaking. Why? Because all of these couples are madly in love and have been for many years. But they can't express their feelings in the way they want to. That way is marriage.

As their handwritten sign notes, Anthony and Barry have been together for 14 years.

Anthony describes Barry as "half of me," saying "I can't remember what my life was like before Barry. If I didn't have Barry to wake up to in the morning or go to bed with at night, you know what? I'd miss that." After being together for almost two decades, they're on a mission to "keep it fresh."

Barry explains, "We have a 'Yay Day' for each other. It's basically like a birthday, except in the middle of the year. I do something nice for him. It doesn't have to cost money."

While "Yay Days" are a sweet touch and really special to them, they're obviously not a substitute for a wedding. "Marriage is important to us because we want to be equal to everybody else. ... Civil partnership is not enough. We want marriage."



Louise and Sive feel the same way. They've got two super cute and animated kids, Maeve and Orla, and have been dating for 5 and a half years.

Louise met her forever love after moving to Ireland from New Zealand:

"I joined the rowing club, and that's where I met Sive. ... From there we kind of became friends, and then a couple of months later, we started seeing each other ... She's really caring, so I'm really happy. So lucky to have met her."

For Louise and Sive, public acknowledgment is key. "Marriage is important to us because it gives recognition that we are committed to each other and we have a family. And we're really serious about our commitment."

Lora and Gillian have also been in a relationship for 5 and a half years. What keeps them happy is relishing in everyday pleasures.

Gillian is inspired by her partner's drive. "Everything that Lora does, she's really, really passionate about, and I love that." And Lora digs Gillian's vocals. "I love when Gillian sings in the shower every morning. I want to hear her. It just starts my day out perfectly. It makes me smile, and I love that."

They've got mad love for each other and also for their country. But they want Ireland to step it up. "We're very proud to be Irish, and we're very proud of our country. We just want our country to accept us for who we are and be treated the same as everyone else," Lora says.

Freda and Deborah are also looking for acceptance and inclusion. They started off in a long distance relationship 11 years ago.


Deborah explains:

"Our humor brought us together. If you can laugh on the telephone 3,000 miles away from each other and still laugh when you've put down the telephone, there's a connection there. ... I feel excluded here in Ireland, and I don't like that. I want to be included. I am legally married in Canada, and I want to be legally married here in Ireland. And it means the world to me."

All four couples are sharing their cute love stories for a reason.

They're talking about their relationships as part of the Yes Equality campaign. Backed by GLEN, Marriage Equality, and the ICCL, their goal is to educate folks about the marriage equality bill that's up for a vote in Ireland on May 22, 2015. The referendum is a huge deal. It would legalize same-sex marriage countrywide while also amending their constitution to forever seal the deal on paper.

Currently LGBT couples in Ireland can be united by civil partnership, which still excludes 160 privileges that married heterosexual partners have. This means that gay couples can't have a religious marriage ceremony in a church, aren't able to collect tax benefits, and are excluded from adopting children together or even providing guardianship to them as a couple. That's not cool. It's seriously time for a change.

How can you show support?

You can watch the "Yes to Love" video below and share it, if you like. You can also reach out to Marriage Equality to volunteer.

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Ocean Wise
Be Ocean Wise
Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

True

The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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Artists got fed up with these 'anti-homeless spikes.' So they made them a bit more ... comfy.

"Our moral compass is skewed if we think things like this are acceptable."

Photo courtesy of CC BY-ND, Immo Klink and Marco Godoy

Spikes line the concrete to prevent sleeping.


These are called "anti-homeless spikes." They're about as friendly as they sound.

As you may have guessed, they're intended to deter people who are homeless from sitting or sleeping on that concrete step. And yeah, they're pretty awful.

The spikes are a prime example of how cities design spaces to keep homeless people away.

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Prudential
Prudential
Sponsored

Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

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A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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