Ham and Cheese with Koko
Common Argument #1: Gay marriage harms the institution of traditional marriage.
Your Response: Okay, then name one demonstrable, tangible effect that same-sex marriages have on the functioning of individual heterosexual marriages. The ability of same-sex couples to get married doesn’t alter a single aspect of heterosexual marriages — directly or indirectly. The legal rights and benefits of heterosexual couples are completely unaffected by the existence of gay marriage. It’s not as if straight couples suddenly start loving each other less or start treating their kids worse once gay people start getting married.
Have marriage rates been in decline since states started legalizing gay marriage? Well, sure, but marriage rates have been declining steadily since the 1970s, decades before any U.S. jurisdictions legalized gay marriage.
Common Argument #2: Marriage has always been between a man and a woman. Legalizing gay marriage would be changing thousands of years of tradition.
Your response: A lot of things were “always that way” before they were changed. For example:
Dictatorial rule by kings and emperors
Lack of any legally recognized human rights
Prohibition on land ownership by people without royal blood
Ritual human sacrifice
Curing medical ailments with spells and magic
Should we go back to doing all of that?
Why is long-standing tradition a good reason to prohibit gay marriage?
Common Argument #3: The purpose of marriage is to procreate, and same-sex couples can’t have children.
Your Response: So should we also prohibit straight couples from getting married if they’re biologically incapable of having kids? What about if they simply don’t want kids?
The percentage of married couples with children has been declining over the last 25 years, but couples who don’t want kids can still get married. And does adoption count? Because around 19 percent of same-sex couples adopt kids.
In addition, there are plenty of legal benefits — like hospital
Your Response: Okay, then name one demonstrable, tangible effect that same-sex marriages have on the functioning of individual heterosexual marriages. The ability of same-sex couples to get married doesn’t alter a single aspect of heterosexual marriages — directly or indirectly. The legal rights and benefits of heterosexual couples are completely unaffected by the existence of gay marriage. It’s not as if straight couples suddenly start loving each other less or start treating their kids worse once gay people start getting married.
Have marriage rates been in decline since states started legalizing gay marriage? Well, sure, but marriage rates have been declining steadily since the 1970s, decades before any U.S. jurisdictions legalized gay marriage.
Common Argument #2: Marriage has always been between a man and a woman. Legalizing gay marriage would be changing thousands of years of tradition.
Your response: A lot of things were “always that way” before they were changed. For example:
Dictatorial rule by kings and emperors
Lack of any legally recognized human rights
Prohibition on land ownership by people without royal blood
Ritual human sacrifice
Curing medical ailments with spells and magic
Should we go back to doing all of that?
Why is long-standing tradition a good reason to prohibit gay marriage?
Common Argument #3: The purpose of marriage is to procreate, and same-sex couples can’t have children.
Your Response: So should we also prohibit straight couples from getting married if they’re biologically incapable of having kids? What about if they simply don’t want kids?
The percentage of married couples with children has been declining over the last 25 years, but couples who don’t want kids can still get married. And does adoption count? Because around 19 percent of same-sex couples adopt kids.
In addition, there are plenty of legal benefits — like hospital