Warning: This topic may not be suitable for younger readers.
In the election on Tuesday, California voters narrowly passed an amendment to ban same-sex marriage, as did Florida and Arizona. Only 5 months ago, California’s Supreme Court ruled to legalize gay marriage, and this is an important (if legally puzzling) landmark in the struggle between gay activists and pro-family supporters.
Now, here’s my two cents: I applaud Californians’ decision to uphold traditional marriage, joining the 40 other states that already have Defense of Marriage acts on the books. However, I have a hard time defending this position logically; I certainly don’t agree with homosexuality morally, but I don’t know if we can or should legislate people’s morality. (Should we outlaw pre-marital sex? Lying? Being a jerk?) I can’t think of any legal reason why a homosexual couple shouldn’t get married. When people say that banning gay marriage prevents a specific segment of the population a right enjoyed by every other class, I find it hard to argue with.
I’ve heard people say that same-sex marriage would “hurt the American family”, or “weaken traditional marriage”, and maybe that’s true – but will someone explain to me how? If there’s a gay couple living next door to me, what difference does it make to me and my wife whether or not they have a marriage license? Is there some specific effect that I'm missing, or is this argument based on some broader, more abstract manifestation of the morality of society in general?
