Colin Farrell is speaking out in favor of gay rights in Ireland.
The 38-year-old actor, who now lives in Los Angeles, wrote a personal letter published in the Sunday World urging his native country to vote in favor of gay marriage in 2015.
He recalled watching his brother, Eamon, get harassed while in school because of his sexuality. “My brother Eamon didn’t choose to be gay,” he wrote. “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.”
Eamon and his husband, Steven, have been married for some time now. According to Farrell, they exchanged vows in Canada where their love could be “celebrated.” “The fact that my brother had to leave Ireland to have this dream of being married become real is insane,” he wrote. “INSANE.”
The “Saving Mr. Banks” actor placed the issue into perspective by saying it’s as much of a heterosexual issue as it a gay issue. “It is for all of us that civil marriage equality must be realized,” he added. “there too many things that divide us as a people, let not this be another one.”
“How often do we get to make history in our lives?” he asked. “Not just personal history. Familial. Social. Communal. Global. The world will be watching. We will lead by example. Let’s lead toward light.”
According to The Irish Times, much of the nation is in favor of allowing same-sex marriage: 67% of those polled support the action.