I’m no more grotesque than my ancestors

I’M sorry that Edwin Cussen (Irish Examiner letters, Sept 1) finds grotesque the idea of me having a State-approved marriage to my male partner (note that I’m not asking for a religious officiation).

As a third-generation Irish-American I am still well aware of how 'grotesque' my ancestors were perceived by their English conquerors during the last half-millennium and how 'grotesque' they were to their English predecessors in the US, with 'Irish need not apply' signs dotting the landscape of this good, Christian nation for much of the 19th century.

As a student of history, I am aware of how most of Christian Europe perceived Judaism as 'grotesque' from before the Inquisition through the Nazis' attempt at extermination a mere 60 years ago.