It doesn t believe in the Sixties formulation of the personal as political. It aspires not to a revolution in the traditional order, but rather to social acceptance of same-sex relationships as loving partnerships which, if not common, are nonetheless accorded respect and understanding. These homosexuals utilize moral suasion not the distasteful, protest-rally brand of argumentation of their radical counterparts. Their case is best articulated in the writings of former New Republic editor Andrew Sullivan, and they seek equality before the law as their primary goal, with the legalization of same-sex marriage as the chief marker of that equality. It is this side of the modern homosexual movement which American conservatism should fully embrace.
Marriage is perhaps the most conservative of all social institutions.
It links loving individuals together for life, gives them a stake in society larger than their own individual interests, and creates the first bonds of family. It is, in fact, the glue that holds society together and that forms communities out of what would otherwise be mere aggregations of individuals. The bond of marriage, civil and religious, makes public and eternal the commitment between two human beings. Especially in this time of rampant divorce and single-parent families, conservatives must constantly and consistently advocate the importance of marriage to the social order. And their enthusiasm should likewise extend to gay marriage.