Letter: Rejecting claims on gay marriage
In response to my recent letter, both David Burton and Oliver Gross write to insist that rights will be affected were gay marriage to be made legal.
I reject the idea that anyone opposing gay marriage will be 'bullied' by those in favour of it.
Throughout history, countless people have been bullied, tortured, imprisoned and murdered simply for being gay. I can find no cases of similar punishments being visited on people who pen letters to local newspapers opposing gay marriage.
Mr Burton asks whether he will be able to express the view that heterosexual marriage is better than gay marriage. As far as I am aware, no one is proposing this right be removed.
I actually agree with Mr Gross. The right of B&B owners to turn away married gay couples might well be affected. I have seen signs that read "No blacks, no Jews, no Irish". The right of B&B owners to turn away people on such grounds has also been curtailed. However, on balance, I would argue these are rights better honoured in the breach than in the observance.
Mr Gross believes that wedding photographers and chauffeurs will be penalised if they don't want to service gay weddings. While it's true that pink pound-friendly companies will benefit from this business, there will be just as many heterosexual weddings, so no-one's actually being penalised.
Steve Parker
Shrewsbury
