Eamon Farrell looks back on how he was victimised during his school days for being gay, and praises brother Colin Farrell for supporting the Yes Equality campaign ahead of next year’s same-sex marriage referendum.

Yesterday, Hollywood star Colin Farrell voiced his support for equal marriage in Ireland through a photo posted on social media. The Dublin actor has been a long time supporter of LGBT rights, and acted as best man at his older brother Eamon’s same-sex wedding in 2009. Colin’s older brother also backed the campaign on his Facebook page.

“I was so badly bullied in school and although I often forget it, reading something like his from Col brings me straight back to [school] and to those assholes who made my life hell for eight years – and it is still going on, everyday,” said Eamon on his Facebook page.

Eamon, who is a professional choreographer, wrote that although times have changed in Ireland since he was at school – homophobia is still present in Ireland.

“The bullies very often use their keyboards now instead of their fists, but they are out there and present in so many kids and teenagers lives.

“Voting for marriage equality is just another step towards destigmatising LGBT people, a step which for me I wasn’t prepared to wait for – I’m very happily married five years, thanks to the lovely folks in Canada, and the world hasn’t stopped turning yet!

“This register to vote campaign is so hugely important, please share this link and get all those first time voters registered before the November 25.”

Speaking at an event with LGBT youth group BeLonG To in 2010, Colin Farrell said of his brothers abuse, “I can’t remember much about the years of physical and emotional abuse my brother Eamon suffered. I was very small. The thing I do remember though, quite literally, is blood on his school shirt when he came home in the afternoon.

“Intolerance is not genetically encoded – it is taught. It is learned at home. It is learned in the classrooms and it is learned anywhere else we gather as a group. But it is usually learned early and added onto from there. If there is nothing to feared, there is nothing to hate.”

Tiernan Brady, policy director at GLEN , also praised everyone who has publically supported the campaign so far. “We’re delighted with the huge reaction and support we are getting for the Register to Vote campaign from right across Ireland.

“Decisions are made by people who turn up. The Yes Equality campaign is about doing all that we can to ensure every voice is heard next year in the referendum. We are asking people to join the campaign and invite your friends and family to do the same.”

Voters have until November 25 to register to vote in the same-sex marriage referendum next Spring.

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