Denying marriage based on sex is the same as denying it based on race, i.e. amounting to a denial of an individual's fundamental right to marry.
But does the fundamental right to marry mean that marriage can include whatever group of consenting N people agree to it? Is there a fundamental right to polygamous marriage? A fundamental right to incestuous marriage? Not likely.
It should be obvious to anyone that the sex of the participants is a lot more significant to the marital relationship than the race of the participants. At least as far as state-sanctioned marriage is concerned, there's a lot more to it than just "any two people willing to enter into the relationship can get married." You can't just say it's an "individual's right to marry", because first you have to define what the "right to marry" means, and in world history, it's never extended to the right to marry someone of the same gender.
I have to reiterate that I still think gay marriage is a good thing and should be made legal--but that doesn't make it a basic human right.
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Date: 2008-05-16 02:18 am (UTC)But does the fundamental right to marry mean that marriage can include whatever group of consenting N people agree to it? Is there a fundamental right to polygamous marriage? A fundamental right to incestuous marriage? Not likely.
It should be obvious to anyone that the sex of the participants is a lot more significant to the marital relationship than the race of the participants. At least as far as state-sanctioned marriage is concerned, there's a lot more to it than just "any two people willing to enter into the relationship can get married." You can't just say it's an "individual's right to marry", because first you have to define what the "right to marry" means, and in world history, it's never extended to the right to marry someone of the same gender.
I have to reiterate that I still think gay marriage is a good thing and should be made legal--but that doesn't make it a basic human right.