Sir, - It might have been useful if John Waters, in writing of the exclusion of adult men by President Robinson, had actually defined what he believes an adult man to be. Does he include me, an adult gay man, who saw his Head of State, without precedence internationally, welcome gay men to the Aras on three separate occasions and state that we were a valuable part of the Irish nation? Does he mean the large number of refugees and immigrants (significant numbers of whom were men) I saw her address at the launch of the European Year Against Racism, promising to do everything she could to combat racism and promote the inclusion of black and other minority ethnic groups in Ireland?
Does he mean traveller men, whom she met innumerable times, officially acknowledging the prejudice and discrimination they face and her determination as President to support their efforts in countering this injustice?
All of this may seem like trite liberalism to John Waters, or a cunning subterfuge to further humiliate the adult men he writes about. All I can say is that President Robinson has made a concrete and demonstrable difference to my life as an "adult male" in Ireland and I will remember her with enormous affection. - Yours, etc.,
Eoin Collins,
Longwood Avenue,
Dublin 8.