One GAA player who will be voting 'No' in the upcoming Marriage Equality referendum is Dublin star Ger Brennan.
Writing in The Irish Independent today, the All-Ireland winning St Vincent's and Dublin footballer revealed he is on the opposite side of the debate to the GPA and the newly-formed WGPA who announced their support for a 'Yes' vote last week.
"The 'Yes' side in the marriage-referendum debate is absolutely right that equality in society is highly important," states Brennan who joins Tipperary hurler Kieran Bergin in publicly backing the No campaign.
"Everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, is an equal member of the human family and is entitled to equal protection before the law. Therefore, it is obvious why many people are considering voting 'Yes' on May 22.
"Ireland, as a society, has thankfully progressed in its acceptance of gay people and this is to be embraced.
"As a sports player, I too, have publicly supported this embrace when last March I stated: "As a member of the GAA and of the Gaelic Players Association, it's all about diversity and inclusiveness. If a person, man or woman, is playing for their club or county I don't see what their sexuality has to do with anything. It's about a person being happy and true to themselves." And this conviction remains true today.
"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."
Brennan goes on to explain why he has decided to speak out on such a highly divisive issue: "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'."
Tweet