Marriage and Family Policy

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Marriage and Family Policy
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De Beauvoir married woman

• Marriage makes woman the vassal of the man, one
  pledging loyalty and servitude
• She loses her status as an independent person
  while he does not
• All her roles are dependent ones
• These traditional gender roles in marriage create
  inequality, oppress women and prevent men and
  women from having rewarding relationships as
  equals
• Marriage should not be a career for women
• Written 1952 Does it still apply today?

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What is a family?

• Biology?
• Long term commitments?
• Sexuality?
• Mutual recognition of responsibility?
• Whatever we say it is?

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Sullivan Virtually Normal

• Marriage ought to be equally accessible to
  homosexuals
• Not to do so is discrimination
• Marriage is a social, public recognition of
  private commitment, a lifetime commitment
• Not necessarily tied to children
• Homosexuals, like heterosexuals, need emotional
  and econ. stability
• State can exclude children and family members
• Civil unions undermine marriage create 2nd
  class citizenship Gay marriage strengthens

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Questions for Sullivan

• He is worried that civil unions would admit frat
  buddies or sisters, non-sexual relationships. Is
  this a concern?
• Should we as a society reward those who make long
  term commitments to each other? Why or why not?

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Weston Is Straight to Gay..

• Gay and Lesbian understandings of family focus
  less on biology and procreation and more on
  families we choose
• Wide variety of gay families
• Disjoins family from sexuality and procreation
  and emphasizes love and commitment

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Some current proposals

• Libertarian contract model State has no place in
  private, family life
• Family law should protect the vulnerable
  (children, those in long-term relationships)
• But delink rights to children from sexuality
• People can register as parents (however many) but
  incurs a lifetime obligation that can never be
  renounced
• People can register their commitments to each
  other as well