Gay Marriage - Jonathan Rauch

A lucid, compelling argument for why gay marriage is important. It was fascinating to read an analysis of what marriage is for. I am unequivocally in favor of gay marriage, and I have never understood what people meant when they said that gay marriage would undermine marriage. Jonathan Rauch attempts to get at whay people may mean when they say that, and then explains why he thinks the failure to provide gay marriage undermines marriage. In a nutshell, more and more people believe that being gay is unchangeable, and they are not willing to discriminate. By not allowing gay marriage, organizations (states, cities, companies) are forced to come up with alternatives like civil unions or domestic partnerships, which then are competitors to marriage and reduce marriage's special place in our society. Plus I hadn't before had a conscious understanding of what marriage is for. It was clear to me that it wasn't about having children, as some people say when they are trying to say why gay people shouldn't be allowed to marry. But while I felt it was important, I couldn't have put it into words. This book gave me a framework for thinking about what marriage is for and why it is important.

I read this after reading an Op-Ed piece in the NYTimes by Jonathan Rauch and David Blankenhorn, president of the (conservative) Institute for American Values: A Reconciliation on Gay Marriage. This piece is interesting because the two authors have opposing views on gay marriage, and together they suggest a compromise acceptable to both of them.

Gay Marriage: Why it is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America
Joanathan Rauch
2004
Available from Amazon