The Irish actor opens up about his gay brother Eamon and how he was bullied as a kid for being different as Ireland is preparing to vote on a referendum to legalize same-sex marriage.
- November 17, 2014
AceShowbiz -
Colin Farrell wants people in Ireland to support gay marriage in the country. In a heartfelt letter he wrote for Ireland's Sunday World, the Irish actor opens up about his gay brother Eamon and how he was bullied as a child for being different.
"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," Farrell writes.
"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," he continues.
Although Eamon and his partner Steven now live in peace at their home in Dublin, the couple had to travel to Canada to get married. "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," Farrell adds. "It's time to right the scales of justice here. To sign up and register to vote next year so that each individual's voice can be heard."
In the spring of 2015, Ireland will vote on a referendum to legalize same-sex marriage. According to an Irish Times poll, more than 67 percent of voters are in favor of the referendum. By speaking candidly about the tough journey of his gay brother, Farrell hopes the number will increase.
