Something so fundamental to my own life and the lives of our other children, so essential to our society, is unavailable to him. We have rejoiced that perhaps the Hawaii court will give him the same right to marriage that his sisters and brother have had. But I resent the lawmakers and special interest groups who are rushing to legally remove this opportunity. I've always presumed marriage was an individual personal choice I certainly would not have wanted the government to interfere with my choice of spouse. Nor do I want the state dictating to my gay son whom he can or cannot marry.
Civil marriage is a contract.
It deals with joint custody laws, Social Security benefits, bereavement leave, tax returns, lease agreements and health care. It is not an endorsement of the individuals involved or a judgment of their relationship. This is an important distinction overlooked in the current debates in our legislatures. Our society has a real stake in seeing that our personal relationships are stable, responsible and supportive. We will all benefit when same-gender relationships are permitted and required to meet the standards of marriage.