A week away from the marriage referendum, TV3's Ursula Halligan has come out as gay.
The news reporter, who is 54, has admitted she has been living in "an emotional prison" for most of her life - and only told family and friends very recently.
"There have been times when I have even thought about death, of escaping from this world, of sleeping untouched by no-one forever. I have been so depressed, so sad and so confused. There seems to be no one I can turn to, not even God", she wrote.
"Emotionally, I have been in a prison since the age of 17; a prison where I lived a half-life, repressing an essential part of my humanity, the expression of my deepest self; my instinct to love."
TV3's political correspondent says she is stepping aside from coverage of the marriage referendum, because she cannot remain silent on the issue.
Ursula says she hadn't planned to ever come out, but was spurred on by comments from no campaigners.
"Before this referendum came along...I suppose I was resigned to going to my grave with that secret, and I shiver to think (that) there must have been so many people who've done that".
"Who have lived incomplete lives and gone to their graves quietly because they were too embarrassed or too ashamed to talk about it".
"This referendum has changed things," she said.
"The referendum forced me to confront the issue head on, I realised I couldn't sit on the fence - it was just too personal, it was my life", she added.
In calling for a Yes vote, Ursula is also encouraging parents to be pro-active about accepting the sexuality of their children.
