NYT: "Gay marriage" is just like real marriage—only completely different

Thursday, February 11, 2010

From a January 29th article in The New York Times:

As the trial phase of the constitutional battle to overturn the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage concludes in federal court, gay nuptials are portrayed by opponents as an effort to rewrite the traditional rules of matrimony. Quietly, outside of the news media and courtroom spotlight, many gay couples are doing just that, according to groundbreaking new research.

A study to be released next month is offering a rare glimpse inside gay relationships and reveals that monogamy is not a central feature for many. Some gay men and lesbians argue that, as a result, they have stronger, longer-lasting and more honest relationships. And while that may sound counterintuitive, some experts say boundary-challenging gay relationships represent an evolution in marriage — one that might point the way for the survival of the institution.

Go figure: while the vast majority of people who get married have the old-fashioned, quirky notion that fidelity, loyalty, and monogamy are essential qualities for a marriage to be, well, a marriage, "monogamy is not a central feature for many" gay relationships. Shocking. the rest