Jeremy Irons Gay Remarks: Gay Marriage Could Lead to Further Breakdown of Orthodox Family Structure (VIDEO)
Jeremy Iron has remarked on the gay marriage debate, saying that it concerns him and that if "we change what marriage is...I just worry about that."
The Academy Award winning actor said Wednesday that although he does not have a very strong opinion on gay marriage either way he believed it posed numerous questions, especially whether same-sex marriages would lead to a break down of the regular family structure.
Speaking to HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps, Irons questioned whether gay marriage could open the door to other types of family relationships that would be considered unorthodox by society's present standards.
Irons even pushed the notion as far as asking whether interfamilial relationships could later become a norm, "Could a father not marry his son?"
The actor was seemingly highlighting the argument by gay marriage activists that gay marriage should be accepted as it involves two of-age consenting adults and that it poses no apparent threat on anyone else's rights and freedoms. By that measure, Irons seemed to suggest, even interfamilial relationships could later be acceptable should it gain enough popularity.
Irons also pointed out that "it's not incest between men" because "incest is there to protect us from inbreeding, but men don't breed."
The Hollywood actor also suggested looking further down the line, where he questioned if gay marriage might allow fathers to pass on their estates to their sons without being taxed.
On activists for gay marriage, Irons said, "It seems to me that now they're fighting for the name. I worry that it means somehow we debase, or we change, what marriage is. I just worry about that."
Despite his concerns Irons did clearly reiterate that he "[doesn't] have a strong feeling either way" on same-sex marriage, and said that he "[wishes] everybody who's living with one other person the best of luck in the world, because it's fantastic."
"Living with another animal, whether it be a husband or a dog, is great," he said. "It's lovely to have someone to love. I don't think sex matters at all. What it's called doesn't matter at all."
Here is the video of the Jeremy Irons interview: