Margaret Somerville,<\/p>\n
“SAME-SEX marriage creates a clash between upholding the human rights of children with respect to their coming into being and the family structure in which they will be reared, and the claims of homosexual adults who wish to marry a same-sex partner. <\/p>\n
“It forces us to choose between giving priority to children’s rights or to homosexual adults’ claims.<\/p>\n
“Opposite sex marriage does not raise this conflict, because children’s rights and adults’ claims with respect to marriage are consistent. I oppose discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and support legalising civil partnerships. But, I also believe that marriage should remain defined as being between a man and a woman.<\/p>\n
“My reasons go to the nature of marriage as the societal institution that symbolises and protects the inherently reproductive relationship that exists between a man and a woman and, thereby, establishes children’s human rights regarding their biological origins and the family structure in which they are reared. . . .<\/p>\n
“In conclusion, legalising same-sex marriage would be a very powerful statement against the horrible wrong of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. We clearly need such statements. But, in order to uphold the human rights of children, they should be made in other ways than legalising same-sex marriage.”<\/p>\n
Excellent full article, It’s all about the children, not selfish adults<\/a><\/p>\n Australian-Canadian ethicist Margaret Somerville is Samuel Gale professor of law, professor in the faculty of medicine, and founding director of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University, Montreal.<\/em><\/p>\n I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer to my question: Marriage: Why not a threesome?<\/a> – And, “Yes” it is relevant. Polygamy is alive and well and if we allow same-sex couples the right to marrage why would we not approve of the love between polygamist familiy units the privilege of marraige?<\/p>\n See,\u00a0 Marriage: Why not a threesome?<\/a>\u00a0 and\u00a0 Gay advocate: Don’t call it marriage<\/a>\u00a0 and\u00a0 Definition of Marriage: Letter responses<\/a>\u00a0from Australian politicians;\u00a0 and\u00a0 Tasmanian Labour Conference backs same-sex marriage<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also,<\/p>\n “Someone else’s child is not a ”cure” for infertility, and no one, whether gay,\u00a0 straight, single, married, young or old, should be entitled to such a child –\u00a0 despite current thinking to the contrary –\u00a0 especially when that child’s own\u00a0 human rights are ignored. The only circumstance in which this ought to happen is\u00a0 when\u00a0 the child has continuing contact with their donor parent.”<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0Our selfish creation of human life<\/a>\u00a0 and I am grateful that in the circumstances\u00a0Senator Wong and her partner are intending to do this for the IVF child her partner is carrying,\u00a0Penny Wong and gay partner expecting baby<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Margaret Somerville, “SAME-SEX marriage creates a clash between upholding the human rights of children with respect to their coming into being and the family structure in which they will be reared, and the claims of homosexual adults who wish to … Continue reading