Gay Marriage Seems to be Helping Straight Marriage

by Michael Jones · 2009-08-24 10:56:00 UTC
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Straight MarriageWe've long heard the predictions from anti-LGBT activists that gay marriage would "lead to the end of Western Civilization," that gay marriage would ruin the tradition of marriage, or that gay marriage will lead to adultery.  Well, five years after Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, not only has none of these doomsday predictions come true, but Massachusetts ranks as the state with the lowest divorce rate in the entire country.

Now there's a talking point: gay marriage reduces divorce.  And the evidence is there to back it up.

Not only is Massachusetts's divorce rate the lowest in the country, but it's on par with what the U.S. divorce rate was in 1940.  You know, sixty-nine years ago.

Legalizing same-sex marriage hasn't hurt the institution of marriage one bit in the Bay State.  And it won't hurt the institution of marriage in Vermont, Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut or Maine.

If anything, it seems to be helping straight people stick together.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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