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February 12, 2004

gay marriage

I'm very taken by the idea that the government should stop recognizing "marriage" at all. It should be up to religious denominations, families, and civil society to debate who can marry. Government should simply recognize certain contracts between pairs of adults that govern such matters as joint property, inheritance, adoption, and insurance. Those who oppose gay "marriage" can argue their position within their denominations and communities, and those in favor can develop appropriate rituals and ceremonies. But the government should not discriminate in recognizing contract rights, because of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Some critics are saying that this approach is a slippery slope. If discriminating against gay couples is unconstitutional, why may the government forbid bigamy and polygamy? My answer would be: people may live in polygamous families if they really want to (although I'm against it, morally). And they may say that they're "married." However, the government may legally create a type of contract that can only be signed by two consenting adults.

Posted by peterlevine at 3:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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