Madam, - "Gay couples marry at British embassy" (October 23rd) is a striking headline, but untrue. It is clear from Ms Holland's report that what the couples did was to formalise or register civil partnerships.
There are many short words suitable for a headline that could be used to indicate this procedure: bond, fuse, hitch, meld, merge, splice, unite. Even "wed" might serve, since it has more to do with the ceremonial aspects than with the essence of marriage. It would be better, however, to confine "marry" and "marriage" to the real thing, at least until (if ever) the Supreme Court abolishes the unique status of that institution under the Constitution. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DRURY, Avenue Louise, Brussels, Belgium.
Madam, - I really can't understand all the fuss and debate regarding "same-sex marriage" in your letter pages recently. I've been having the same sex, with the same woman, for the past 24 years, and we are very happily married. - Yours, etc,
SEÁN McPHILLIPS, College Point, New York, USA.