Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, continuing his already well established anti-gay rhetoric, told a gay man at a campaign stop in Fulton, Missouri, on Friday that marriage is a “privilege” that only heterosexuals get because it is only the “intrinsic good” of their unions that benefit society.
When asked by a gay audience member why gay couples don’t deserve equal rights when it comes to marriage, Santorum said that gay people are not entitled to “special” treatment under the law and went on to say:
[Marriage is] not a right, it’s something that has existed since the beginning of human history as an institution where men and women come together for the purposes of forming a natural relationship as God made it to be. And for the purposes of having children and continuing that civilization. It is an intrinsic good…And as a result of that, we extend a privilege. We extend certain privileges to people who do that because we want to encourage that behavior. [...]
Two people who may like each other or may love each other who are same-sex, is that a special relationship? Yes it is, but it is not the same relationship that benefits society like a marriage between a man and a woman.
Sadly, and ignoring the inaccuracies Santorum offered about the history of marriage and the circular logic he uses to back up each and every anti-gay argument, candidate Santorum’s assertions regarding same-sex marriage not benefiting society are demonstrably false.
Firstly, marriage is classed as a civil right. It may not have explicit constitutional reference but the freedom to marry has consistently been upheld by courts across America. Thus, there does exist a state sanctioned right to marry that is quite apart from the issue of how various religions choose to recognize and sanction marriage.
Secondly, married same-sex couples pay, on average, higher levels of tax and are forced to claim fewer benefits than their heterosexual counterparts thanks to the federal ban on gay marriage (DOMA), and this is further compounded for gay and lesbian couples in long-term relationships living in states where they cannot marry at all. If anything, in economic terms married gay couples are forced to contribute more to society.
Further, many same-sex couples are today raising children who have been shown in studies to do at least as well as their peers and, according to some studies, have demonstrated slightly elevated levels of social adjustment. This even in the face of their parents being thoroughly disadvantaged by prejudicial laws. Clearly, if having children and continuing the human race is the “intrinsic good” then gay couples have it in plentiful supply and Santorum’s argument falls down under a most basic test. Another quick consideration is that of heterosexual couples who cannot or do not want to have children. They are, if one follows the logic, also substandard in Santorum’s view.
This isn’t the first time Santorum has attacked gay couples of course. The former senator surprised many during a question and answer session in New Hampshire last month when he declared that research shows children do better in families where a father is incarcerated and has abandoned his child than those in a same-sex parent household. No such research is thought to exist.
Santorum, who believes he’s been pretty restrained on gay rights issues, also recently said that he would “invalidate” all same-sex marriages, seemingly abandoning his small government ideals when it benefits his agenda. –Care2
When asked by a gay audience member why gay couples don’t deserve equal rights when it comes to marriage, Santorum said that gay people are not entitled to “special” treatment under the law and went on to say:
[Marriage is] not a right, it’s something that has existed since the beginning of human history as an institution where men and women come together for the purposes of forming a natural relationship as God made it to be. And for the purposes of having children and continuing that civilization. It is an intrinsic good…And as a result of that, we extend a privilege. We extend certain privileges to people who do that because we want to encourage that behavior. [...]
Two people who may like each other or may love each other who are same-sex, is that a special relationship? Yes it is, but it is not the same relationship that benefits society like a marriage between a man and a woman.
Sadly, and ignoring the inaccuracies Santorum offered about the history of marriage and the circular logic he uses to back up each and every anti-gay argument, candidate Santorum’s assertions regarding same-sex marriage not benefiting society are demonstrably false.
Firstly, marriage is classed as a civil right. It may not have explicit constitutional reference but the freedom to marry has consistently been upheld by courts across America. Thus, there does exist a state sanctioned right to marry that is quite apart from the issue of how various religions choose to recognize and sanction marriage.
Secondly, married same-sex couples pay, on average, higher levels of tax and are forced to claim fewer benefits than their heterosexual counterparts thanks to the federal ban on gay marriage (DOMA), and this is further compounded for gay and lesbian couples in long-term relationships living in states where they cannot marry at all. If anything, in economic terms married gay couples are forced to contribute more to society.
Further, many same-sex couples are today raising children who have been shown in studies to do at least as well as their peers and, according to some studies, have demonstrated slightly elevated levels of social adjustment. This even in the face of their parents being thoroughly disadvantaged by prejudicial laws. Clearly, if having children and continuing the human race is the “intrinsic good” then gay couples have it in plentiful supply and Santorum’s argument falls down under a most basic test. Another quick consideration is that of heterosexual couples who cannot or do not want to have children. They are, if one follows the logic, also substandard in Santorum’s view.
This isn’t the first time Santorum has attacked gay couples of course. The former senator surprised many during a question and answer session in New Hampshire last month when he declared that research shows children do better in families where a father is incarcerated and has abandoned his child than those in a same-sex parent household. No such research is thought to exist.
Santorum, who believes he’s been pretty restrained on gay rights issues, also recently said that he would “invalidate” all same-sex marriages, seemingly abandoning his small government ideals when it benefits his agenda. –Care2
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