Title: For the Sake of All Children: Opponents and Supporters of Same-Sex Marriage Both Miss the Mark
Abstract: Both opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage champion the well-being of children.Opponents claim that children do best when raised by their married, biological parents and argue that the state must encourage only this childrearing unit.Supporters of gay and lesbian equality have disputed this point of view for decades, advocating a focus on quality of parenting rather than family structure.Today's same-sex marriage advocates, however, assert a version of their opponents' stance.Both in and out of courtrooms, they piggyback on the polarizing and politically charged assertion that children do best when their parents are married to persuade the public and the courts that lesbian and gay couples be allowed to marry.In this essay, I fault both sides of this public debate.The first part of this essay details the "child welfare" arguments of opponents and the rationales of judges who approve same-sex marriage bans.I also briefly review what is wrong with their arguments.Next, I show that advocates of same-sex marriage advance some of the same rationales, which I also critique.Finally, I urge supporters to base their right-to-marry arguments on equality and, when considering the interests of children, to advocate for the social and legal supports necessary for optimal child outcomes in all families. I. OPPONENTS