Sir, – Mark Coen (November 9th), supports the redefinition of same-sex marriage with a flourish of high optimism: “A referendum is therefore necessary if equality is to be achieved”.
However, marriage has always, at least implicitly, included the procreative goal of the union of a man and a woman in mutual support and companionship, so that even if a referendum result favours your correspondent’s position – and this is by no means a foregone conclusion – this merely yields a situation where we will have two mutually exclusive definitions of “marriage”.
Granted the passing of a referendum may produce a new legal definition, but it will not confer a genuine equality. How could it ever accomplish what is beyond its remit? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL AUSTIN,
Hazelwood,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.