Researching and writing on the subject of Youth Mental Health, and our families experience is taking far more energy and motivation than I have had over the last few weeks. So, a little something else to keep this little corner of the web active.
Gay marriage.
It's not so much that I am for gay marriage specifically. Rather, I am for the right of ALL consenting adults to not only love each other, and commit to each other, but also to be treated alike by our communities and laws.
Recently I have seen the opinion expressed (most often by the wingnut brigade) in many countries in the West, that marriage has only one purpose. Making babies. Outside this purpose, why would we even worry about this issue?
What happens if a couple is infertile? What about those past child bearing age? How about couples who simply don't want kids? We probably need to include couples who simply can't afford to have a family also.
Also, if marriage is all about making babies, I did it for all the wrong reasons. I committed myself to an amazing woman because I simply wanted to spend my life with her. I loved her. I still do. We have three great kids who I love to death, but when I proposed to my wife I asked to spend my life with her, not to make babies with her.
As for the argument that heterosexual marriage (specifically between one 'natural' man and one 'natural' woman) is both a biblical tradition, and also the foundation of society, I can only say read your bible again, and check the history books. Marriage not only pre-dates the biblical era, but has historically come in many different flavours (including in the bible itself). The idea of having several wives and a bevy of concubines seems not to be too unusual by this standard, but too much like hard work to my mind.
The slippery slope? All the humorous and disgusting things that gay marriage will apparently lead to, sit outside one very basic idea that I have already mentioned. CONSENTING adults. Not a difficult concept is it?
On a final note, I would absolutely love for someone to explain to me how allowing two men or two women to be legally bound to each other in a loving relationship will destroy 'traditional' marriage. If your marriage fails because your gay neighbours get married, I would suggest your marriage was doomed already.
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