The struggle for same-sex marriage

Abstract

r ~ c u e heated debates about same-sex marriage are fosed largely on the probable social effects of samesex marriage, civil unions, and similar legal recognitions of homosexual pairings. My concern here is with a related but distinctly different topic, namely, what will be (and already have been) the social consequences of the political struggle for same-sex marriage. The ultimate effects depend in large measure on the outcome of the struggle, of course, but they also depend on such properties of the battle as its duration and the specific forms it takes. There may be unintended casualties and/or benefits, and some participants in the struggle admit to goals other than attainment or prevention of same-sex marriage. Together, these possible consequences are what ! call side effects. I lack certain knowledge about what these generally undiscussed and unrecognized possible effects may be, but I fear they are largely negative. More optimistically, I think they may be largely avoidable. The main stated concern of opponents to same-sex marriage and other legal recognitions of same-sex pairings is likely harm to the institution of marriage. Although it may be possible to open marriage to same-sex couples without harming the institution, there are clear dangers to marriage in the political and ideological conflict about same-sex marriage. These lie in a blurring of the distinction between high and low commitment relationships, in a blurring of the distinction between marriage as an institution and mere "close relationships," and in a politically motivated denial of the value of fathers for the socialization, development, and well being of children. It also seems likely that the debate about same-sex relationships will lead to a re-evaluation of some aspects of the privileging of marriage over other care-giving relationships-a development that, while arguably overdue, poses risks for marriage. Considerable blurring of the distinction between high and low commitment relationships has already occurred in the United States, and it has occurred to a greater extent in several other countries. In the U. S., a good many private companies and municipalities have given insurance and similar benefits to the "domestic partD. Glenn