(thanks to David Flanders)
In an op-ed [in the] New York Times, David Blankenhorn announced his views have changed on the issue of marriage equality. Blankenhorn is the founder of the Institute for American Values and was made famous for his testimony in support of Proposition 8 during a hearing in the Perry case brought by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER).
Proving that evolution is still possible, a once-intractable opponent of same-sex marriage has come around to seeing that love is not the enemy, and that same-sex marriage is not a threat to “traditional” marriage.
At the base of most opposition to same-sex marriage is the belief that the LGBT community and their relationships are less valid and therefore of less value than the heterosexual version. The belief that “one man, one woman” is the only type of relationship that has value to society and can produce well-adjusted children has been fundamental. That at least one person who previously held that view has now come around to believing that loving relationships of all flavors have value for society is a step in the right direction.
For me, the most important is the equal dignity of homosexual love. I don’t believe that opposite-sex and same-sex relationships are the same, but I do believe, with growing numbers of Americans, that the time for denigrating or stigmatizing same-sex relationships is over. Whatever one’s definition of marriage, legally recognizing gay and lesbian couples and their children is a victory for basic fairness…. As I look at what our society needs most today, I have no stomach for what we often too glibly call “culture wars.” Especially on this issue, I’m more interested in conciliation than in further fighting.
The important thing here is that one doesn’t have to relinquish their belief in the sanctity of marriage to support same-sex marriage. In fact, believing in the sanctity of marriage is crucial to the acceptance of same-sex marriage. It’s recognizing that love fits in many different boxes and accepting the diversity of love that will allow us to move forward.
Stable, loving, committed relationships- of whatever flavor- are a net benefit to society. We should be endorsing and supporting them, if for no other reason than self-interest. People in long-term committed relationships on average live longer and remain healthier and happier. How that’s a bad thing is beyond me, but there are still those who believe that only their flavor of happiness is acceptable, and that anything else is by definition of lesser value and unworthy of recognition.
David Blankenhorn represents the truth that progress is made by changing one mind at a time. You don’t necessarily have to believe in same-sex marriage; just accept that others may believe differently and have every right to do so. Isn’t that diversity the sort of thing that makes America great?
