BIg Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the California State Supreme Court will deliver its ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 22, which bars the state from recognizing same-sex unions performed out of state. If they find that law incompatible with the state constitution's guarantees of equal civil rights, California could become the second state where it is legal for same-sex couples to marry.

As usual, the pro-"family" set is ready with their usual blather: "The government should promote and encourage strong families," said Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund. "The voters realize that defining marriage as one man and one woman is important because the government should not, by design, deny a child both a mother and father."

Let's take both of those issues, one at a time. First, the government should indeed promote and encourage strong families. That includes gay families. After all, when two people are willing to take on legal responsibility for the debts of their partner, that goes a long way toward encouraging stable families. Second, allowing the definition of marriage to include same-sex partners does not deny any child a mother and a father. Who said these gay couples are having children in the first place? Even if they do, the research done to date says children raised in same-sex households thrive just as well as those in more traditional families.

Let's hope the Court has seen through these specious arguments.