SIR – Ewan Gear once again protests that extending marriage to same-sex couples is a “radical change”

(Letters, March 26) but apparently cannot state why.

He views marriage as “a citizen production line”.

My most charitable interpretation of his argument is that same-sex marriage will somehow disrupt, slow down, or reduce the quality of peoplemanufacturing.

I don’t like this functional view of romantic relationships.I disagree that the focus of marriage should necessarily be to churn out children, and I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with couples or individuals choosing not to have them for whatever reason.

Earth is hardly about to run out of infants.

Nevertheless, we can agree that having children is the focus of most marriages.

And so what?

Does Mr Gear seriously imagine that same-sex marriage will somehow obsolete the process of heterosexual reproduction?

Is his concept of millions of years of mammalian evolution so fragile that he thinks straight people will stop having kids just because same-sex couples can marry?

Indeed, does he not realise that many same-sex couples already have and will continue to have children by various means, including adoption (and that there are many children waiting to be adopted)?

BOB CHURCHILL

Bishampton