Dear Sir,
I am writing in response to Miss Gallagher’s letter of September 14th ‘Why We Must Oppose Gay Marriage’ in which he urged readers to contact County Councillors to vote against the motion before them on Monday, on marriage equality.
Miss Gallagher makes assertions that, should gay marriage become a legal reality in Ireland, the family would be undermined and society endangered. This is common rhetoric of a man with no understanding of the real issues at hand. All too often people in our society hide behind their ignorance and their beliefs in order to justify their discrimination against certain sections of that same society. They refuse to engage in order to actually learn about the issues at play. Let me clear some things up.
Marriage equality would not endanger or undermine the family or the institution of marriage; it would strengthen them. Marriage equality seeks to protect families that exist where the parents of children are of the same sex. Presently these families are in danger with a lack of fundamental rights – both of the parents and, crucially, of the child. Marriage provides legal protections for the individuals involved within a family unit that civil partnership does not, such as citizenship and inheritance issues. One of the most important functions of marriage is to provide a stable environment in which children can be brought up. This stability currently does not exist.
Miss Gallagher also states that Cllr. McCallion has, in tabling this motion for marriage equality, confused “the issue of rights and entitlements with changing the institution of marriage.” There is no confusion. The institution of marriage needs to be more accessible in order to grant those rights and entitlements associated with the institution to every citizen of Ireland. Ireland is a republic in which everyone is supposed to be treated equally before the law. Civil marriage is a state-provided institution. As such it should not be closed to a section of society. It is a discriminatory practice and needs to change immediately.
“True love is about making sacrifices for others”, says Miss Gallagher. Yes, it is. So let those who experience true love, and want to demonstrate that true love, get on with it. Allow them to marry.
Donegal County Council has an opportunity to send a signal and message to LGBT people living in the county that they are accepted and valued citizens of Donegal. It also has an opportunity to send a strong message to gay and lesbian youth in the county that the discrimination and prejudices they experience are unjustified and intolerable. The Tanáiste recently stated that the struggle for marriage equality is the great civil rights movement of our generation. He is correct. Donegal County Council would do well not to be on the wrong side of history.
I call on all your readers to contact their Councillors and urge them to support the motion on Monday.
Yours etc,
Declan Meehan
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