I am not talking about gay marriage. I am so tired of that phrase because it is easy to mock. It establishes a ludicrous picture of two hairy legged men with handle-bar moustaches in white skirts holding hands as they walk up the aisle. It is very easy to dismiss that, but behind it is the human reality of people who are prevented from visiting their partner of 30 or 40 years in hospital, debarred from inheriting, penalised in income tax terms or are sacrificed in terms of mortgage.