--from Ryan T. Anderson; a way to explain "marriage equality" to those who may still be up for a polite conversation on the topic:
On Marriage Equality
by Ryan T. Anderson
We all want marriage equality & stability – where we disagree is on what the definition of a “marriage” is & what type of consenting adult relationship is a marriage.
Our opponents think it’s simply about 2 consenting adults who choose to live together & love each other. We think it’s about a comprehensive union of sexually complimentary spouses where a man & woman unite as husband & wife to then provide children with a mother & a father.
We want the law to treat the vision of marriage whih is true, eqyuaklly for all people. Thus marriage “equality” is based upon & premised upon marriage reality. And what the Equal Protection Clause says is that you have to treat things that are the same, the same & in the same way – but that you don’t have to treat different things in the same way. There are good IN_equalityreasons to think that the union of a man 7 a woman is different than the union of 2 mn or 2 women; and so there are good reasons for a state to choose whether or not to recognize the union of 2 men or 2 women as a “marriage”.
The Constitution doesn’t answer this – the Equal protection Clause alone won’t get you there…unless you smuggle in your own definition of marriage, the generalist vision of marriage and THEN say the Constitution requires it!
We don’t want to deny ANYONE marriage equality, providing we understand what marriage is.
As for studies: there are only eight recent studies attempting to elevate the results of the effect upon children raised in same-sex households – versus thousands of studies over the years showing that children raised with a traditional mother & father turn out the BEST as opposed to all the other alternatives/parenting structures one can think of.
Large, random representative studies matter on matters of Social Science; and 8, recent, slap-dash studies…attempting to sweep same-sex differences under the social science rug are not enough (quantity AND years of cultural impact) to affect any current debate on the topic.