Bono endorses ‘Yes’ vote ahead of Irish referendum
By Will Stroude
Bono has become the latest celebrity to back the ‘Yes’ campaign ahead of Ireland’s referendum on marriage equality next week (May 22).
Speaking the day before U2’s latest world tour kicks off in Vancouver, the 55-year-old argued that religion should not have a monopoly on the definition of marriage.
“You can’t own it. Marriage is now an idea that transcends religion. It is owned by the people. They can decide. It is not a religious institution.
“As far as I know, Jesus wasn’t a married man and neither are most priests talking about it. It is not a religious idea.”
“In my mind, commitment is one of the most impossibly great human traits. It is a hard thing to hold on to, and anything that brings that together is a totally wonderful thing.”
The rock legend added that the concept of marriage pre-dates Christian ideas about the institution.
“There was marriages before the Christian church. And indeed some of my favourite characters in the Bible had lots of marriages – at the same time. So, how did that work?” he said.
“It is a wonderful thing. If you believe, it is just a man and a woman – great, live it! But you have to know that more than 50 percent of the population can’t. So anyone who can is defying the odds already. So here is what I have to say about it: wherever marriage occurs, it should be encouraged.”
While polls have indicated that 75 percent of the Irish public support the ‘Yes’ campaign, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny warned voters yesterday that the final vote “will be much closer than original polls indicated.”
The Taoiseach’s comments come in the same week an Irish Independent article warned of the growing ‘Silent No’ who could leave the vote in a shock defeat; not dissimilar to how incorrect polls, and ‘shy Tories’ caused a shock result in the UK general election last week.
Mr Kenny, who once famously enjoyed a drink in Dublin’s PantiBar, is supporting a Yes vote, as indeed are all of Ireland’s political parties, and in a final reminder that people shouldn’t be complacent, he added “No referendum can be passed unless people vote for it.”
In the latest issue of Attitude, we speak to Colin Farrell’s brother Eamonn, who was forced to leave Ireland in order marry his same-sex partner in Canada, about what the referendum means to him and his brother, who has been an outspoken ‘Yes’ supporter – click here to read our interview in full.
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