I and millions of others ? Democrat and Republican ? believe same-sex marriage is wrong.
Some oppose it for social reasons. Sociologists in the Netherlands, where gay marriage was legalized more than a decade ago, tell us that same-sex marriage has significantly contributed to the decline of marriages throughout the nation.
Some oppose it for historical reasons. After thousands of years of mankind experimenting with various arrangements, the one-woman, one-man marriage has proven the best, overall, at stabilizing the community, respecting women?s rights, and producing healthy offspring.
Others oppose gay marriage out of reverence for true marriage. They?re offended by the charge that our current definition of marriage (one man, one woman) is discriminatory or somehow immoral. The fact that men and women fit well together is part of the beauty of marriage, not a defect. The state is wise to honor heterosexual monogamy instead of alternative lifestyles like homosexuality, polygamy, or adult incest. Such honor is neither hateful nor against the wishes of the framers of our Constitution. It?s common sense.
Moreover, some oppose gay marriage for religious reasons. The Bible, the Quran and the Torah condemn homosexuality. People of faith vote their conscience, yet some say to do so violates state-church separation. Does anyone really expect people of faith to believe the Establishment Clause obliges them to ignore scriptural wisdom? The truth is that people may vote for whatever reason they like ? religious or secular, personal or economic, rational or irrational. That?s the beauty of America.
Despite that these feelings are shared by large numbers of Democratic and Republican voters, only the Republican platform officially opposes same-sex marriage. And now some argue that if Republicans truly believed in individual responsibility, they?d be in favor of same-sex marriage. I suppose we?re to believe that the majority of Americans, who are against same-sex marriage, are to be completely without political representation. How ridiculous.
Actually, gay marriage is on shaky footing with either party?s ideals. Neither the Democratic ideal of “equality for all” nor the Republican ideal of “personal autonomy” requires that we throw away our moral norms. Gay-rights activists say they want equality, but they?re looking for social revolution. Instead of treating all people equally, they?re asking for us to treat all lifestyles equally. Are we ready to say that sexual choices deserve the same protection as race, religion and gender?
If the state endorsed same-sex marriage, and it became a legally protected institution, quoting from anti-homosexuality scriptures would be criminalized as it already is in a half-dozen nations. Is curtailing religious freedom your idea of equality? If same-sex marriage were legalized, the courts would have no choice but to order schools to teach homosexuality as normal. Some schools already train the students in homosexual techniques. Is teaching perversity to children your idea of equality? Again, throughout the world, same-sex marriage has forced adoption agencies to remove any bias toward heterosexual couples when placing children. Also, foster parents are prevented from teaching their children that homosexuality is anything less than healthy. Where?s the individual responsibility there?
In closing, I offer the words of the Frenchman who visited my office this year. He?s the former president of the now defunct People for the Fundamental Rights of Children based in Paris. He was drummed out of the country by malicious prosecutors who sought to imprison him for speaking out on the effects of same-sex marriage on children. “I fight same-sex marriage,” he said, “because I?ve looked it in the face ? a face of lost innocence and broken lives. America is too beautiful to look like that.”
Del. Donald Dwyer Jr., a Republican, has represented District 31 in Anne Arundel County since 2003. He can be reached at [email protected].
