Gay marriage will destroy heterosexual marriages? Not so, says the facts.... (tradition, divorce)

[Green Gaia]

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2...tml#1162396316

Seventeen years after recognizing same-sex relationships in Scandinavia there are higher marriage rates for heterosexuals, lower divorce rates, lower rates for out-of-wedlock births, lower STD rates, more stable and durable gay relationships, more monogamy among gay couples, and so far no slippery slope to polygamy, incestuous marriages, or "man-on-dog" unions.

[T]here is no evidence that allowing same-sex couples to marry weakens the institution. If anything, the numbers indicate the opposite. A decade after Denmark, Norway and Sweden passed their respective partnership laws, heterosexual marriage rates had risen 10.7% in Denmark; 12.7% in Norway; and a whopping 28.8% in Sweden. In Denmark over the last few years, marriage rates are the highest they've been since the early 1970s. Divorce rates among heterosexual couples, on the other hand, have fallen. A decade after each country passed its partnership law, divorce rates had dropped 13.9% in Denmark; 6% in Norway; and 13.7% in Sweden. On average, divorce rates among heterosexuals remain lower now than in the years before same-sex partnerships were legalized.

In addition, out-of-wedlock birthrates in each of these countries contradict the suggestion by social conservatives that gay marriage will lead to great increases in out-of-wedlock births and therefore less family stability for children. In Denmark, the percentage of out-of-wedlock births was 46% in 1989; now it is 45%. In Norway, out-of-wedlock births jumped from 14% in 1980 to 45% right before partnerships were adopted in 1993; now they stand at 51%, a much lower rate of increase than in the decade before same-sex unions. The Swedish trend mirrors that of Norway, with much lower rates of increase post-partnership than pre-partnership.
Is there a correlation, then, between same-sex marriage and a strengthening of the institution of marriage?

Our research has also uncovered additional social benefits. In dozens of interviews with partnered couples and through other sources, we found that marriage rights had an important beneficial effect not only on the couples themselves, but on their local and national communities as well. Couples reported that their relationships were stronger and more durable, that relationships with family members had deepened, that co-workers had become more tolerant and supportive, and their children felt greater validation by having married parents. Many couples reported a greater emphasis on monogamy, which may be reflected by the fact that national rates of HIV and STD infections declined in each of the Scandinavian countries in the years after they passed their partnership laws.

Finally, what about the "slippery slope" argument — that same-sex marriage would start a dangerous movement toward legal recognition of socially unacceptable relationships? This hasn't happened in Scandinavia; 17 years later, there are still no calls for recognizing polygamy, incestual marriage or marriage to animals. Danes you ask about the slippery slope think you are joking. They realize that same-sex marriages serve essentially the same goal as opposite-sex marriages: lifetime commitment to your better half, the person who completes you.

Gee, who knew? The sky didn't fall, in fact the weather has been lovely.

[Sunstone]

Gay marriage doesn't cause the fall of Western Civilization??? Drats! I'm going to have to rethink my support of it.

[jewscout]

the bigger threat to heterosexual marriage is heterosexuals.

[Victor]

It was always my understanding that it would modify the traditional family. I never believed that it would destroy hetrosexual marriage. Not unless everybody magically becomes gay out of the blue.

[CaptainXeroid]

I'm still trying to figure how recognizing gay marriage was supposed to destroy heterosexual marriage.

I realize some people are not going to support it, but perhaps information like this will sway some fence sitters.

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by Victor

It was always my understanding that it would modify the traditional family. I never believed that it would destroy hetrosexual marriage. Not unless everybody magically becomes gay out of the blue.

divorce and remarriage also modifies the "traditional family"

[MaddLlama]

Originally Posted by Victor

It was always my understanding that it would modify the traditional family. I never believed that it would destroy hetrosexual marriage. Not unless everybody magically becomes gay out of the blue.

Not to derail the thread, but is there such a thing as the "traditional family"? I've never heard any well read historian or social scientist claim that such a concept exists, let alone that it's definition is the "one man, one woman" defintion.

I guess you're right though, it will modify the traditional family in that this buzzword will become meaningless.

Anyway, this is probably better left for another thread.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by CaptainXeroid

I'm still trying to figure how recognizing gay marriage was supposed to destroy heterosexual marriage.

I realize some people are not going to support it, but perhaps information like this will sway some fence sitters.

I think the information shows that supporting stable long term relationships for homosexuals is just as important to the state as supporting stable long term relationships for heterosexuals.