Ger Brennan is the top trending topic in Ireland following his column on the marriage referendum this morning. Brennan is the highest profile sportsperson to declare himself a No voter.
Cork hurler Conor Cusack spoke to Anton Savage on Today FM in which he praised Brennan's courage in expressing his opinion on the debate. He also insisted that he does not believe Brennan is homophobic, referencing his famous speech at the end of last year's All-Ireland club final.
Ger is a very courageous advocate for his religious belief. I'm a member of the GPA, the same as Ger, and we're very much encouraging that our players express their opinions. I think it's very healthy that people are allowed to express what's real for them... And for me, a person who has an opinion like Ger's, he talks about being labelled homophobic or something like that. I would think, absolutely not. Ger made what I would say was an incredibly powerful statement in Croke Park last year when he accepted the Cup with St. Vincent's, thanking the players boyfriends and girlfriends and it was a real pivotal moment.
Cusack said that issues surrounding surrogacy and adoption were a 'red herring' and that the current bar on gay marriage 'whether we like it or not, sends out a powerful message to those people that are denied that (the right to marry) but also, more importantly, to the wider society that somehow you are less than as a human being'.
Cusack announced that the amendment was about recognising diversity and that it will normalise homosexuality to a greater degree for future generations, saying 'the days of people having to come out like myself will be at an end.'
