The website of the Constitutional Convention lists all the submissions made to date on the subject of same-sex marriage.

Most of these, unfortunately, reflect only one side of the argument, that is the pro-same-sex marriage side.

One of the more interesting submissions, however, is from a gay man opposed to same-sex marriage.  

As he says himself, his argument is not based on a religious perspective. He says he has “given up on organised religion many years ago”.  

He only brings this up, he says “because the argument should not be defined along of the lines of traditional religious views versus currently fashionable liberal thinking”.

He makes a number of excellent points. In the first place, he recognises the crucial reason that marriage is solely between a man and a woman, namely that “a same sex couple cannot bring a child into the world”.

Legislating for same sex marriage, he says “will remove the legal difference that allows children the right to a mother and father and instead see the parenting roles as interchangeable and essentially remove the difference between and mother and a father, and a child’s right to both”.

This is important, he says, because “a man and a woman bring different skills and influences to bear on a child”.  

He adds: “It is notable that we have recently brought in quotas and legislation to ensure women are better represented in the workplace and in the Dáil, the inference being that the skills and background of women are different from those of men and improving their representation, will improve the workplace and our legislature. The same argument surely applies to parenting and the family.”

Politically, he makes the point that while polls now may be showing a healthy lead for the pro gay marriage side, once a referendum starts, a different scenario would emerge.  

He writes: “There is no country in the world where ‘same sex marriage’ has been supported in a national referendum; instead it has been foisted upon the people by legislators without any direct reference to the wishes of the public.  

“Opinion polls on the subject are meaningless, without proper debate. We only have to look at the recent Children’s Rights and Oireachtas Inquiries referendums, to see the huge swing to the status quo once there was a full public debate on all the impacts of the proposed changes to the constitution.”

He also makes the point that civil partnership already grants important rights to same-sex couples.

“I know of no one in the [gay] community who has rejected civil partnerships, in favour of waiting for ‘same sex marriage’,” he says.

His full submission can be found here.