The debate between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ continues to rage this week as the countdown to the Marriage Referendum on May 22nd is officially on.
Dublin footballer Ger Brennan has spoken out about why he’s voting ‘No’ in the upcoming referendum in a piece that was published in the Irish Independent.
The former All-Star and two-time All-Ireland winner admitted that he almost didn’t write the piece – which you can read in full here – as he believes he will be targeted for doing so.
“Ireland, as a society, has thankfully progressed in its acceptance of gay people and this is to be embraced,” he stated.
“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.
“For a start, this isn’t a referendum on whether we like gay people or whether they should be equal citizens according to the Constitution. They already are equal citizens.
“Article 40.1, which deals with equality, declares that all citizens shall be held equal before the law.”
“We are not being asked to amend Article 40. We are instead being asked to amend Article 41, which deals with the family and with marriage.
“Nor is this referendum about whether gay couples should have their relationships recognised by the State. They already do. Bar a couple of minor grey areas to be ironed out legislatively, gay couples in civil partnerships have all the rights married couples have.
“Civil partnership ceremonies are virtually identical to civil marriage ceremonies.”
“I just can’t see why anyone would want to deny that it is good, all else being equal, for a child to have a mam and a dad.
“It seems like every celebrity and every group in the country is calling for a ‘Yes’ vote. Even the Gardaí have been used by the ‘Yes’ campaign to support the referendum proposal.
“I see all the ‘Vote No’ posters being ripped down and defaced all across Dublin without anyone in politics or in the media condemning it.
“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’.”
