Madam, - I am a living example of a mature well educated hopefully well adjusted adult raised by two very loving parents in what is now termed a "gay family" . I am very saddened by the wholly negative attitude still shown by many in Ireland, my adopted homeland and the birthplace of one of my mothers, to gay marriage and in particular the rights of gay couples to raise children in a family unit.
The fundamental point is that any child brought up in a loving, caring environment will prosper and become a fully functioning, contributory member of society, irrespective of whether their parents are gay or straight, provided society is willing to embrace change.
Ireland is now in the 21st century and is a prosperous European country that needs to move forward. We can no longer remain rooted in the past with archaic value systems and social mores dictated by an increasingly irrelevant Catholic Church. - Yours, etc,
PAT O'DONNELL,
Dublin 1.