Irish footballer: 'I'm voting 'No', but don't call me homophobic'

A top Irish Gaelic football player has thrown his support behind the ‘No’ campaign ahead of the country’s referendum on equal marriage next week (May 22), saying it is “not homophobic” to do so.

Ger Brennan, who plays for Dublin and St Vincents, came out against equal marriage in an open letter published in the Irish Independent on Wednesday (May 13), wheeling out the old chestnut that a ‘Yes’ vote would deny children the right to both a mother and father.

“I am proud to love my gay family members and my gay friends. And yet I feel strongly there is more to the marriage debate than adult equality,” the Dublin-born centre back wrote.

“Children’s interests should come before all else. So if we redefine marriage and the family we are obviously going to affect children. We should be mature enough to accept this.”

He added: “We will be denying that children have any kind of a legal right to a mother and father where possible, like when it comes to laws relating to adoption and surrogacy.”

Saying that same-sex couples were already considered equal under the Irish constitution and enjoyed the benefits of civil partnerships, the star contiuned:

“I very nearly decided not to write this piece. I know I’ll be targeted for it and labeled for it. It would have been easier to keep my mouth shut and not rock the boat. But I’m sick of the accusations being flung around that if you vote ‘No’ you are homophobic.

“I know I’m not homophobic; my gay friends and family can attest to that. I am voting “No” because I don’t want our Constitution to deny that it is a good thing for a child to have a mother and a father.

“The Universal Declaration on Human Rights proclaims that everybody is equal in dignity and it holds that marriage is a male-female union. I don’t think the Declaration of Human Rights is homophobic. I’m voting ‘No’.”

Thanks Ger – we’ve actually attached Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights below for your benefit. As we’re sure you’ll agree, nowhere does it define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, though we commend you on your ongoing interest in the finer workings of international law.

Article 16: Right to marriage and family

Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Perhaps he’s been paying too much attention to this rage-inducing video released by anti-gay group the Iona Institute earlier this week?

Meanwhile, Bono has become the latest celebrity to throw their support behind the ‘Yes’ campaign, arguing that religion does not have a monopoly on the definition of marriage.

While polls have indicated that 75 percent of the Irish public support the ‘Yes’ campaign, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny warned voters yesterday that the final vote “will be much closer than original polls indicated.”

The Taoiseach’s comments come in the same week an Irish Independent article warned of the growing ‘Silent No’ who could leave the vote in a shock defeat; not dissimilar to how incorrect polls, and ‘shy Tories’ caused a shock result in the UK general election last week.

Irish footballer: ‘I’m voting ‘No’, but don’t call me homophobic’

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