YouTuber Raymond Braun was on the ground in Ireland when the country made history as the first to vote for marriage equality nation-wide. Braun chronicled his trip from the U.S. to Ireland as he met with activists in the country, and even tagged along with a young Irish man named Riyadh K. as he and his family went to vote.
Braun's camera was there during the emotional moment when residents of Dublin found out that marriage equality had been approved in the country. Braun said:
The marriage referendum in Ireland wasn't just a historic moment for Ireland, it was a historic moment for the world. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Ireland just over 20 years ago. The fact that Ireland has evolved to become a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive country since then gives me hope for a future where all countries will offer equal rights to all citizens. I had so much fun making this video with Riyadh and I hope it captures some of the magic, love, and indescribable energy and hope in the air in Ireland when the referendum passed.
Watch the video below:
Check out more photos from Raymond's Irish adventure:
GLAAD previously responded to the historic news out of Ireland.
"This is a joyous day for Ireland and for LGBT people and our allies everywhere," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "With this historic vote, Ireland becomes a leader in the global effort for LGBT equality. We are thankful for the leadership of the Irish people, and we hope that many countries, including the United States, follow suit by extending marriage to all their citizens."
The vote makes Ireland the first country to pass marriage equality in a nation-wide referendum. GLAAD worked with the YesEquality campaign and the VoteWithUs campaign, providing the best practices from the marriage equality referenda in the United States, to encourage Irish people to vote in favor of marriage equality.
GLAAD's President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, also contributed a video to the #VoteWithUs campaign, highlighting her Irish heritage and calling on Ireland to be a global leader in marriage equality. The National Library of Ireland will include the whole collection of the #VoteWithUs campaign in their archive on the 2015 Marriage Referendum.