Opinion
21 May 18

REPEAL THE 8th: COMING HOME FOR A YES VOTE

The referendum on the 8th Amendment to the Constitution of Ireland takes place on Friday, May 25th. During the final week of the campaign, Hot Press is bringing you Home for Yes , a series of interviews with Irish emigrants scattered around the globe, who are returning to their native soil to Vote Yes. From Japan to Canada, England to America, we meet the heroes, who are travelling from far and wide in the name of social and political change. We salute them, and wish them Bon Voyage. See you in Ireland!

Up next in the #homeforyes series is Garett Moore, 30, South East London, England

Why did you decide to emigrate?

"At the time I thought I was leaving Dublin for London to pursue a music career but now that I look back on it, it was a decision based on my mental health. I just couldn’t deal properly with my problems until I was further away and it’s helped me gain a lot of perspective on my own life since moving here."

How does Ireland compare?

"General healthcare is one the biggest differences between the two and one of the biggest topics between Brexit and this referendum in Ireland that you really have some similarities of the Irish overly relying on British healthcare."

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Have you always been pro - choice?

"I wasn’t always pro-choice. When I first moved to England I had to take a long time adjusting to a lot of things and I was exposed to a lot of things like feminism, mental health awareness and suicide. I was very fortunate that I had close friends that challenged me. Through debate, conversations, and educating myself I became pro-choice.

It really annoys me how you can go by your whole life as a man in Ireland not knowing about human rights, class issues or homelessness and there will be no legislation challenging you or saying that you can’t do anything. I really had to navigate my way through a lot of these things. There will be plenty of men voting next Friday that if they took the time to do some research they would probably be voting ‘Yes’ but they haven’t.

I do feel this campaign is really about where we stand in the treatment of Irish women. I hope if anyone who is undecided and reading this could see that I was undecided too - I still have some views on abortion but I know it’s not about that, it’s about rights for women and women's choice regarding their bodies. I support women through what is probably going to be the biggest referendum for women since the right to vote."

Why are you coming home to vote in the referendum?

"Why I’m coming home is inspired by a re emergence of my Irishness in a way. I mean, I am Irish but because I’ve lived in other countries growing up and had family living in other countries, as a kid there was no real sense of grounding for me.

I like the idea of my newfound Irish identity coinciding with the Repeal campaign and I like the idea of having a choice. One day I’d love to have daughters and if I was to do that I wouldn't raise them in Dublin because the way some Irish men treat women is just beyond poor, it’s proper stone age.

There has to be a case for equal rights for women and I genuinely feel, regardless of the result that this will not go away or stop. I’m coming home to share my belief and support for all the amazing Irish women that I’ve been very fortunate to meet and who have raised me and guided me and without them I wouldn't be who I am today."

For the duration of the campaign, Hot Press will feature more emigrants on their journey home - stay tuned for more interviews with emigrants on their long journey home to Repeal the 8th!