LGBT rights in the United Kingdom filed a lawsuit to have their marriage recognised in the region. On 2 November 2015, the Northern Ireland Assembly voted for a fifth time on the question of legalising same-sex marriage. Of the 105 MLAs who voted on a motion to recognise same-sex marriage, 53 MLAs votes in favour and 51 voted against, the first time a majority of the Assembly had ever voted in favour of same-sex marriage. However, the DUP again tabled a motion of concern, preventing the motion from having any legal effect. As a result, the "Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Bill" was introduced to
United Ireland counties of Northern Ireland taken as a whole contain a plurality of Ulster Protestants who almost all favour continued union with Great Britain, although individually four of the six counties have Irish Catholic majorities and majorities voting for Irish nationalist parties. The religious denominations of the citizens of Northern Ireland are only a generalised guide to likely political preferences, as there are both Protestant nationalists and Catholic unionists. Surveys identify a significant number of Catholics who favour the continuation of the union without identifying themselves as Unionists or British. A poll in May 2017 found that 51% were in favour