valid. "But taking such an option off the table for a significant proportion of the population, for no other reason than antiquated tradition, is unfair, undemocratic, and indefensible. If a same-sex couple wants to reject marriage as an institution, it should be on their own terms, as equal citizens before the law, with the same choices as anyone else. "One final point. And I'm not going to waste it on Mr McCoskrie's assertion that same-sex marriage is in the same box as marriage legitimising incest and paedophilia, because frankly, merely stating that he made that assertion is enough. "Instead, I want to deal with this common myth shared by many social conservatives that allowing others access to marriage somehow weakens marriage. It's as if, by a same-sex or non-cisgendered couple declaring their love for one another, a conservative's own marriage is directly and intimately threatened. The passion by which they 'defend' marriage from 'redefinition' is matched only by their insecurity that, after thousands of years of adultery and human unfaithfulness, the institution of marriage can suddenly be toppled by two men, deeply and beautifully in love. "Can we please just calm down, and look at the situation rationally? Every person brings their own lens to marriage, and my interpretation of marriage as a straight may be every bit as unorthodox as my queer friend's interpretation. The point is, neither one of us is going to force you to accept our own interpretation as correct, or even that a correct one