I’ve borrowed Warhol’s term because before our eyes the exploding definition of marriage is ushering in the inevitable yet plastic idea of gay marriage.
Conservatives are shocked, but shouldn’t be: they could have seen this coming from a long way off. Marriage has ALREADY been redefined by heterosexual culture during the last few decades -- an idea conservatives have written about.
Marriage is no longer a complex system of obligations, restrictions, and rewards that fuse a couple with the psychic diversity of each other (male and female), with the children, with the in-laws, with religious institutions, and with the wider community; rather, the new marriage is an exchangeable, temporary, utilitarian, legal and emotional commitment for each others’ convenience and self-fulfillment…the relatives, the community, the religion, and the kids be damned.
Gays are not redefining marriage; rather, marriage has been redefined by society to the point that it has become tailor-made for gays and their communities.
In extending this watered-down version of marriage to gays, the judicial system is just reflecting this new reality. At this point: why not? What’s the dif?
But those most surprised will be the gays that are supporting this turn of events -- for in the long run they’re helping to push out of existence exactly what it is that they want: acceptance.
Gay couples want to be accepted by society like society accepts the ‘ole traditional married couples -- but gays are trying to take a short cut; to get there via the new definition.
The new definition of marriage does not include social acceptance -- in fact, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF IT!
Keith Burgess-Jackson -- in his blog AnalPhilosopher -- recently linked to an article “For Better or for Worse?” by the Harvard Law School professor Mary Ann Glendon (in The Wall Street Journal of 2/25/04). Glendon said:
“Same-sex marriage will constitute a public, official endorsement of the following extraordinary claims made by the Massachusetts judges in the Goodridge case: that marriage is mainly an arrangement for the benefit of adults; that children do not need both a mother and a father; and that alternative family forms are just as good as a husband and wife raising kids together.”
Check it out.
Posted by Rick Penner at March 2, 2004 05:00 PM