The Future of Marriage
Reviewed by Jonathan Kay | Commentary | April 2007

Just a generation ago, the idea of same-sex couples entering state-recognized marriages seemed inconceivable. Even as recently as 2003, private, consensual sodomy was still theoretically subject to criminal sanction in some American jurisdictions. Yet today, same-sex marriage is the law of the land in Massachusetts, as well as in Canada, South Africa, and a growing list of European countries. In the history of Western civilization, no formerly marginalized group has come so far, so fast.

Outside the most liberal parts of blue-state America, however, a strong majority of voters in the U.S. still oppose homosexual marriage. And in Washington, even Democrats regard the issue as a third rail. Yet many social conservatives worry that the intellectual ground is shifting. Defenders of traditional marriage tend to argue from their gut or their faith; neither carries weight in the courts, which is where such issues inevitably land. Proponents of same-sex marriage, on the other hand, make their case by appealing to the reigning principles of the age: tolerance, equality, and non-discrimination. A growing number of young Americans see this movement as their version of the civil-rights struggle.

If America does resist the movement, it will be thanks to thinkers like David Blankenhorn, a self-described liberal and life-long Democrat. In his new book, The Future of Marriage, he makes a principled case for the traditional definition of marriage. Crucially, he manages to do so while avoiding any hint of what liberal critics would call homophobia....more.