The vote in the House of Representatives on DOMA was 342-67. There are many reasons, but primary among them was the knowledge that if gay unions were solemnized and sanctioned, then nothing could prevent gay couples from adopting children on an equal footing with traditional couples. In the past, when questions have arisen about gay rights, some of us have argued that permitting rights to gay couples inevitably undermines marriage. In New Jersey, that scenario is being played out. For not only do gay couples now stand on equal footing with married couples, but so do non-married heterosexual couples.
Love is enough.
That is the message of the gay activists and others who seek to topple the existing standards on adoption. But it isn't. This ruling guarantees that children in New Jersey will be placed in homes that are less stable and less emotionally healthy than is good for them. But if judges continue to make our law and define our lives, perhaps the conclusions we reach are of no significance.