Colin Farrell pens open letter supporting gay marriage in Ireland

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Colin Farrell has always been very close to his family. His sister has worked as his personal assistant before (I’m not sure if she still does), and Colin has always been very tight with his brother Eamon. Eamon is gay, and he married his partner in Canada a few years back. But their marriage is not recognized or legal in Ireland, which is where Eamon and his husband live now. Colin wants to see that rectified. Colin wrote an open letter in Ireland’s Sunday World, arguing for the legalization of gay marriage in Ireland ahead of a referendum vote. You can read the full letter here. Here’s an edited version:

I’ve been fortunate enough to never have any issue with the idea of gay union. I think I found out my brother wasn’t grovelling in heterosexual mud like most boys our age when I was around 12. I remember feeling surprised. Intrigued. Curious. Not bi curious before you start getting ideas. I was curious because it was different from anything I’d known or heard of and yet it didn’t seem unnatural to me. I had no reference for the existence of homosexuality. I had seen, by that age, no gay couples together. I just knew my brother liked men and, I repeat, it didn’t seem unnatural to me.

My brother Eamon didn’t choose to be gay. Yes, he chose to wear eyeliner to school and that probably wasn’t the most pragmatic response to the daily torture he experienced at the hands of school bullies. But he was always proud of who he was. Proud and defiant and, of course, provocative. Even when others were casting him out with fists and ridicule and the laughter of pure loathsome derision, he maintained an integrity and dignity that flew in the face of the cruelty that befell him.

And this is why the forthcoming referendum is so personal to me. It’s about inclusion. It’s about fairness. It’s about giving our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers back a right that should never have been stolen from them in the first place. Speaking out in support of equality in all its forms is a moral necessity if we’re to have a society where peace, compassion and kindness become the ruling classes. Only love in action can stamp out the wilting toxicity of the intolerant among us. Only ink on paper can truly prove that the Irish people are who we’ve held ourselves proudly to be – a people who, in the majority, are deeply feeling and have a natural and abiding lean towards inclusion and fairness, heart and hospitality.

This referendum is a chance for us to arise. To wake up to the conviction that true love from the heart of one being to another cares not for the colour, nor the creed, nor the gender of who it chooses to share that path with. We have a chance to effect a change that’s about recognising no one love is greater than another by virtue of tradition. We have a chance to simply tip our hats to love in all its kaleidoscopic and majestic forms.

Eamon did not choose to be gay, no more than I chose to be straight. It’s all a trick, a sleight of nature. I don’t know where those bullies are now, the ones who beat him regularly. Maybe some of them have found peace and would rather forget their own part of a painful past. Maybe they’re sitting on bar stools and talking about “birds and f-ggots” and why one’s the cure and the other the disease. But I do know where my brother is. He’s at home in Dublin living in peace and love with his husband of some years, Steven. They are about the healthiest and happiest couple I know. They had to travel a little farther than down the aisle to make their vows, though, to Canada, where their marriage was celebrated. That’s why this is personal to me. The fact that my brother had to leave Ireland to have his dream of being married become real is insane. INSANE.

This for me is all about the heart, not the gender. If it’s about the idea of love between consenting adults, then this referendum is as much a heterosexual issue as it is a gay issue. It is for all of us that civil marriage equality must be realised. There are too many things that divide us as a people, let not this be another one. Let this be about not only the matrimonial unity of a man and a man or a woman and a woman, but let it be also about the unity of a community, the unity of an island which has at its heart a gold that this vote speaks to. How often do we get to make history in our lives? Not just personal history. Familial. Social. Communal. Global. The world will be watching. We will lead by example. Let’s lead toward light.

[From Sunday World]

Colin also pointed out that as a heterosexual, he could jump into a car and drive to Las Vegas and get married by Elvis in a drive-through. Which is true. But the state of Nevada is one of the states going through legal proceedings to see if gay marriage will be legalized. There are now 33 states in America where gay couples can marry, which is amazing considering how quickly we’ve gotten here. As for Ireland’s referendum vote… I hope they pass it. For all of the reasons Colin described, plus one more: gay marriage is good for business. No one ever talks about that, but it’s true. It’s good for business plus it’s about family values and equality.

Here’s Colin’s brother Eamon and his husband:

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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35 Responses to “Colin Farrell pens open letter supporting gay marriage in Ireland”

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  1. Francesca says:

    I would gay marry him anyday.

  2. mia girl says:

    Yeah for Colin!

    I watched “Saving Mr. Banks” last night and thought Colin was great in the film. It reminded me what a good actor he can be. I think my POV had been tainted by all his action film stuff… oh and Alexander.

  3. aims says:

    In my mind it is a non-issue. Gay marriage should be legal everywhere, for many reasons. If two people fall in love, want to share a life together, who is anyone to judge? Just because I’m straight doesn’t mean that my love and commitment is more valid then a gay couple. It just seems so ridiculous that in the year of 2014, this is still an issue.

  4. don't kill me i'm french says:

    And in France,Nicolas Sarkosy ( married 3 times) promises to delete the law authorizing the gay marriage if he’s again president

    More of Colin ,less of Sarkosy !

  5. kri says:

    Good luck to all of you in Ireland who are waiting for this to pass. I pray it does. Lovely words from Colin.

  6. Nev says:

    so hot.

  7. Dragonlady sakura says:

    Love him! My sister was gay (she passed away four years ago) and when she came out, my mother cried and denied it. My family is ultra conservative. After much prayer, she realized she loved her daughter more than she cared for anyone’s opinion. Everyone should be able to love whom they want and marry and be happy.

  8. Ginger says:

    I hope it passes. One more reason to love Colin!

  9. Nicole says:

    Wow. Beautifully written.

    • Tulip Garden says:

      Colin is often extremely eloquent even in interviews. It doesn’t surprise me that he stated his feelings (and his case) beaufifully.

      • Chris2 says:

        Tulip
        I wonder did he kiss the Blarney Stone as a kid?!
        He has a thrillingly wide vocabulary, and uses it naturally in casual conversation, and off-the-cuff in interviews as you say, and not just in thoughtful pieces like this letter.
        (It definitely adds a great deal to his allure for me!)

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Tulip•!!!!

        ❤️🌷💐🌷💐🌷❤️

        I miss you!!!!

    • LadySlippers says:

      Isn’t it???? I’m in awe of the letter…

    • lunchcoma says:

      Yes, he did a wonderful job of making his case here. He seems very clever in interviews, so I shouldn’t be surprised he writes so well.

  10. KinChicago says:

    Never understood the appeal of Colin before now. This is incredible- bravo!!!

  11. BendyWindy says:

    LOVE.

  12. Liz says:

    What a fabulous letter – Colin obviously really loves his brother. I really admire Colin a lot. He’s cleaned himself up and Saving Mr.. Banks one of his best performances! He is also looking better than ever. I’d marry Colin in Vegas or anywhere.

  13. Babadook says:

    I’m equally proud and mortified by this post. Mortified that we still don’t have marriage equality here in Ireland in 2014 and proud because we’re finally doing something to change it. I can’t wait for the referendum to pass, it’s about time! Next stop abortion rights and we’ll finally be catching up with the rest of the world!

    • BendyWindy says:

      I am admittedly very ignorant on the subject, but is it likely to pass?

      • Babadook says:

        I think so! We’ve a young population and it’s an issue that people really care about right now.Polls say yes at the moment but I am worried that the more traditional elderly catholic voters will come out on the day though.

  14. starrywonder says:

    He’s so hot. Also I am glad he’s supporting it but I want to say again he is so hot.

    Dear Colin stop making horrible movies. We all know you can act and you can have chemistry with a paper bag. Just get back to making awesome movies again.

  15. Reece says:

    I like him so much now compared to his earlier career/fame.

  16. Chris2 says:

    My dream amoureux is a wonderful human being…..he feels passionately every word he wrote.
    It’s a reminder too that Ireland’s famous heart of gold, though looking very grubby these days, can be restored with a very simple remedy: just love, as Colin says.

  17. captain hero says:

    “Birds and f******” is a fantastic band name.

  18. serena says:

    Well said Colin. Sometimes he can be a douche but then on important matters he truly shines.

  19. Gill says:

    I’ve heard stories from friends in Dublin about how he was a douche when he was young, but he’s matured really well – both as a man and an actor. I’m confident the referendum will pass, but this was an important thing for him to say.

  20. scout says:

    Fight on, Colin! Wish all Southern states in US pass that law too, every one of the states in deep south.

  21. Snazzy says:

    nothing important to add – just honking in support of Colin and the letter! 🙂

  22. Penelope says:

    Love him & always have–this just makes him even better in my adoring eyes! Good for you, Colin!

  23. Serenity says:

    Bravo Colin Farrell! Well said. It will be a test to find more beautiful words than ‘…true love from the heart of one being to another cares not for the colour, nor the creed, nor the gender of who it chooses to share that path with….love in all its kaleidoscopic and majestic forms.’

    It will only be a few more years till we look back and wonder why people ever opposed gay marriage and relationships. Onwards to love!

  24. vauvert says:

    Never got his appeal before and thought he sounded douchey. This letter made me see him in a different light. Well said Colin! Hope the law passes, about time. Glad his brother came to our Canadian shores to get married:-) but really, it would be nice if they could have gotten married home. There are still countries where it is a crime to be gay! Insane.