On the object level, I don't know the relative social value of same- and opposite-sex marriages. The only cause of disparity I might expect would be through differing propensity to raise children; but if so, this could be more directly addressed by offering different recognition to childless and child-bearing couples, rather than using sexual orientation as a proxy.
But there's a broader issue this touches on, which is a general injunction against profiling. We've largely embraced an ideal that your demographic traits should not be held against you by the law.
If you wanted to reject this principle and be consistent about it, you'd have to also advocate that the government consider the expected social utility of marriages based on all available demographic factors: age, race, religion, wealth, etc.
If you bite this bullet and want to contest the non-profiling principle, that's its own discussion. If you think sexual orientation isn't like those other categories I named, that's also its own debate. |
