Marriage-lite

Heather Mac Donald writes:

...compromises devised in the hope of placating the modern non-discrimination principle have huge unintended consequences [...] Nearly one-third of all official heterosexual unions in France now are a form of marriage-lite, a civil union-type category devised a decade ago for gays. Ninety-two percent of all new so-called Civil Solidarity Pacts (ugh! and it’s no better in French) last year were entered into by heterosexuals; for every two marriages, one pacte civil de solidarité is created. The pacts can be dissolved by one party declaring his desire to separate in court; no property or alimony claims are allowed.

I have no doubt that denying marriage to gays -- and instead coming up with alternative compromises like civil unions -- serves to weaken the social significance of marriage.

It's sad how the anti-gay bigotry of those who seek to "defend" marriage from gay "encroachment" harms the very institution they want to protect.