In the May 11 letter “Mother and father bringing new life into world is basis of marriage,” John Clark calls gay marriage a distraction from the purpose of being wed, which he says is procreation. Would he also consider a childless heterosexual marriage such a distraction, and would he deny them rights as well? Perhaps we should just invalidate the marriages of infertile couples because, after all, they have no children. And if one marries only to procreate, why do people enter into second marriages well after their childbearing years have ended?
Procreation is one of several different reasons to marry, and should not be used as a defining factor or prerequisite. I married my husband because I wanted to share my life with him; our children are a bonus we did not initially plan for.
Comments
Wonderfully stated! As a man that has been married for just under 34 years, I echo your statement. We married because we loved each other and wanted to share a life together. That is what marriage should be about.
This is a common misunderstanding. Marriage only allows and approves of procreation, it doesn't require it. Same-sex couples should not be given the equal right to conceive children together that all marriages should always have. Reproducing with someone of the same sex would require expensive and unethical use of experimental genetically modified sperm or eggs created from one of the couple's stem cells. It might never be possible, but we shouldn't cavalierly declare that they have an equal right to attempt to conceive offspring before we consider what that entails. It means we have to not only allow it and regulate but provide it for free, like we already do fertility treatments using donor eggs and sperm. And it also means that male-female married couples have their reproductive rights declared equal to couples that must use genetically engineered gametes or a donor gamete, which negates their right to use their own genes. In this age of genetic testing, it is very important to remember that married couples have a right to use their own genes and have their own natural children, the state should not equate their right to procreate to a same-sex couple's.