Dear Nathan,

Certainly, this survey is flawed: we could get so much more for this $122,000,000 survey than just a binary answer.

Other than increasing their debt, the results of the survey will have no implications on future generations, because everything can be done, and already occurs, with or without this stupid formal piece of paper.

IVF and surrogacy exist whether we like them or not.
We have no moral right, neither to forbid these practices, nor to support them using the tax-payer's money.

---

Dear Cupric,

«same sex couples can't have kids.»

Assuming or wishing that this was the case, doesn't this render them better citizens?

Just imagine, had nearly everyone been homosexual, we would have no overpopulation!

We could have enjoyed the bounty of this earth with its plentiful resources - no government, no corporations, no wars, no bills, no electronic distractions, no hard labour (since we would only be picking earth's low-hanging fruit). We could instead devote most of our time to worship, prayer and meditation - in short, heaven on earth!

The rights of the child in the "yes" vs "no" debate?

Wouldn't it be great if we could put in place a
legal regime that protected children equally regardless of
their different circumstances and the diversity of their
families and that it would protect children's rights
regardless of how they were conceived and to whom?

We could then set the bar high for everyone - regardless
of gender or sexual orientation. The legal responsibility
would then be to educate, support, protect and nurture
children.

If only we could get rid of the stigma and the unjust
concept of illegitimacy concerning children in certain
non-marital families including but not limited to
children whose parents are a same-sex couple who continue
to experience inferior treatment under the law. It would
follow then that rather than undermining children's interests
and rights the adoption of Marriage Equality would
represent further progress to equalise the position of
all children.

It would be great if in this country we could
ensure laws that all children are entitled without
discrimination to respect their family relationships.

What is important to children's well being is
not simply who their birth parents are, but the quality of
the care, support and security that they receive.

Research increasingly shows that the quality of children's
relationships with their carers is what affects children's
lives and life chances.

This was adapted from the following link which I thought
summed things up rather well:

http://theconversation.com/how-same-sex-marriage-will-protect-childrens-rights-42058

AJ, here is a link to one of many studies re domestic violence in same sex households. And I doubt public opinion hasn't any relations to these figures, the situation is just as bad in countries that have had same sex marriage for many years.

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_sofindings.pdf

Thanks for the link, Big Nana.

Two interesting points I noted: firstly, it doesn’t include gay male couples, and; secondly, the biggest difference by far was observed with bisexual women (regardless of the type of relationship they were in at the time).

One of the references the study cites (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J015v23n03_03) confirms what I observed in my last post to you:

“It would hardly be surprising if you were right, though, and one way we can do our bit to reduce the problems in the LGBT community is to stop treating [gay people] with discrimination.” (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=7904#244649)

As I also noted earlier, given the stability marriage promotes and the fact that gay couples are already having children, this is only an argument in favour of same-sex marriage.

"given the stability marriage promotes "

I don't think so. Immaturity and other problems cannot be remedied by marriage. Things just become messy and others are hurt.

Even more ill-advised would be adding a child in the hope of sorting sad choices and sad lives.

leoj,

There's difference between promoting something and remedying it. Even if marriage did nothing to promote stability, though, a feigned concern for children still wouldn't be a argument against same-sex marriage, as gay couples are already having children.