Sir, – Fintan O'Toole (Opinion, April 16th) adopts the same naming and shaming modus operandi that the Catholic Church has been accused of using in the past.
In effect he is saying that anyone who has a different opinion to him is a vile bigot who has “already decided that gay men and lesbian women are not deserving of full human equality”. This is both untrue and unfair and serves only to create hard line positions rather than mutual understanding.
It also contradicts his previously espoused beliefs of building a pluralist democracy and open society. He now wants those who have a different opinion to simply shut up.
For most people the idea of marriage involves a sexual relationship. People have understood that a marriage is voidable if it has not been consummated due to the refusal or incapacity of either party to consummate it. This is not the by-product of bigotry. It is the law.
Anyone changing this understanding needs also to prescribe what the acceptable parameters for consummating a marriage are and with whom. Perhaps Fintan O’Toole has some thoughts on this.
Existing legislation also prohibits marriage for heterosexuals who have a close affinity.
If Eamon Gilmore genuinely believes what he says, that it is “not the role of the State to pass judgment on who a person falls in love with, or who they want to spend their life with”, then it stands to reason that these heterosexual relationships would also be in the mix for change. It would be hard from an “equality” perspective to exclude them.
Perhaps our ideas on equality also need to be clarified. My right hand is equal to my left hand, but it doesn’t follow that having two right hands and two left feet would be as useful to my body. Equality must also appreciate and value diversity and hopefully I will not have committed the sin of bigotry by having such impure thoughts. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS O’CALLAGHAN,
Bullock Park,
Carlow.
Sir, – Your Editorial (April 16th) reflects very well the historic milestone on the remarkable journey to constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people and families that was the outcome from the thoughtful deliberations of the constitutional convention last weekend. It is a moment in which all citizens can take pride.
The overwhelming vote in favour of opening out civil marriage to all reflects the social transformation that has been happening over the past number of years, as you point out, including the advent of civil partnerships, of which over 1,000 have taken place throughout Ireland. You also note that the Catholic bishops did not oppose the civil partnership legislation. In fact they did, vigorously, on the basis that it was marriage-like. They argued that there should be an “opt-out” clause for civil registrars and others opposed to civil partnership; thankfully this was not accepted by the Oireachtas. They warned that they might mount a supreme court challenge to the constitutionality of the civil partnership Act, but did not proceed.
It is to the credit of all political parties in the Oireachtas that they all supported civil partnership – as significant progress towards the goal of equal citizenship in a democratic republic, and are now supporting the next steps towards civil marriage and full constitutional equality for lesbian and gay citizens. – Yours, etc,
KIERAN ROSE,
Chair,
Gay and Lesbian
Equality Network,
Exchequer Street,
Dublin 8.