Meridian Magazine:: Family Leader Network: Why Civil Unions Hurt Marriage

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On August 9, 2007, an historic event happened in the United States. This event was not a medical breakthrough or the discovery of a new planet. The event was an historic marker for how fast America is falling away from the core belief and social science proof that homes headed by a mother and a father are good for adults, good for children and good for society as a whole.

On August 9th nearly all of the Democratic presidential candidates, including the three front runners, publicly declared their support for same-sex marriage or its legal equivalent, civil unions, in a forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, HRC, the nation's largest gay advocacy group and by Logo, the gay-oriented cable channel. Logo provided a live telecast of the event to its 27 million homes and an internet simulcast.

While two of the underdog candidates, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, publicly endorse national recognition for same-sex marriage, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards and Gov. Bill Richardson all support civil unions.

Likewise HRC offered all the Republican presidential candidates the same forum, but all have declined. Among the Republican candidates, former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani has shown the most support for legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In 1998 he signed into law a domestic partnership bill for New York City.

What is the Difference between Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships?

Depending on how the legislation is written the answer can be nothing except the name. Currently Oregon (2007), New Hampshire (2007), New Jersey (2006), Connecticut (2005), California (2000) and Vermont (2000) have laws which are the legal equivalent of marriage. These laws provide same-sex couples the same benefits and obligations as marriage.

New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont use the term "civil unions," whereas California and Oregon use the term "domestic partnership." Both New Hampshire's civil union law and Oregon's domestic partnership law will take affect in 2008.

In general, civil unions are the legal equivalent of marriage for same-sex couples only. The term domestic partnership is more commonly used for a range of marriage-like benefits to a broader class of people. Washington (2007), New Jersey (2004), Maine (1999) and the District of Columbia (1992/2002) have established domestic partnership laws that follow this definition.

For example, Maine's domestic partnership law grants inheritance rights, next of kin status, victim's compensation, and guardian and conservator rights and is available to two unmarried adults regardless of gender. Washington's domestic partnership law grants the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples and to elderly heterosexual couples. One more term to add to the mix is Hawaii's (1996) "reciprocal beneficiary" status for same-sex couples.

Several polls including a recent one by the Pew Research Center confirms that support for same-sex marriage remains about one-third among American adults, yet there is much more public support for civil unions. Some see civil unions as a reasonable compromise on this controversial issue. Family Leader sees civil unions as the equivalent of marriage and any law that dilutes the meaning and purpose of marriage hurts adults, children and society.

Five Reasons Why Civil Unions Hurt Marriage

1. Government recognition of civil unions sends the message to society ? especially the rising generation — that, "You can get all the benefits of marriage in whatever relationship you choose whether it be a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Man/woman marriage is not unique but rather just one of the kinds of adult relationships that government endorses and rewards with benefits."

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has said, ''That benefits are given to married couples and not to singles or gay couples has nothing to do with discrimination; it has everything to do with building a stable new generation and nation."

2. Government recognition of civil unions on the state level clearly undermines federal policy designed to strengthen marriage. In 1996 Congress established the Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI) and declared "Marriage is an essential institution of a successful society which promotes the interests of children."

Under the HMI, the federal government spends millions of dollars each year to strengthen marriage and fatherhood. This includes marriage education and premarital counseling that is happening in 29 states. Most of these programs are funded with five-year federal grants under the $1.5 billion federal HMI. It makes no sense to spend a billion-plus tax dollars at the federal level to strengthen marriage while at the same time pass laws at the state level that dilute the role of marriage as a social good.

3. Government recognition of civil unions is based on the desires of some adults NOT what is best for children and society as a whole. Just months ago New Hampshire lawmakers legalized civil unions. The irony of this new law is that in 2005, a bipartisan commission released the results of a 16-month study that posed the question is same-sex marriage or any legal equivalent good for New Hampshire. The commission's answer came back as "NO."

Historically, government has come to the rescue of motherless or fatherless families, not deliberately create them. Decades of social science and government data are absolutely conclusive that children raised by their married mother and father in a low stress marriage have the best physical, academic and social outcomes and the best chance to avoid social hazards like dropping out of school, illegal drug use and violent crimes.

4. Civil unions pave the way for same-sex marriage. In 2000, Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions. Now, seven years later, advocates are testing the waters for gay marriage. Earlier this year Washington State legalized domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. Advocates of the new law, including the bill's sponsor, have made it abundantly clear that the new domestic partnership law is the path to same-sex marriage.

Sen. Edward Murray has said, "We'll keep coming back, and keep telling the story and hope people go Geez, let's just get it over with, let's pass marriage."

5. Scandinavian countries have proved that once same-sex marriage or its legal equivalents are established, it's only a matter of time before marriage loses meaning in society. Heterosexual couples are less inclined to marry altogether, out-of-wedlock birth rates skyrocket, and huge populations of children once protected by the shelter of married parents in a stable relationship find themselves at risk for poverty, abuse, behavioral and emotional problems, lower academic achievement, depression and drug use. Click here to read "The End of Marriage in Scandinavia."

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About the Author:

RoseMarie Briggs is executive director of the Family Leader Network. A graduate of political science and broadcast journalism, RoseMarie has broad experience in public affairs. She worked as a syndicated radio reporter for more than 200 stations in the northwest and hosted a weekly radio program called "For Families." RoseMarie was an assistant scheduler for a U.S. Senate candidate and is a former marketing director for a top political technology company in Washington, D.C. She volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America and has coached little league for her sons.