While fully agreeing with this article from the New York Times, I have to say that Jaye Cee Whitehead leaves out the best examples of her own argument and analysis.

Basically, she says it is dehumanising to argue for equality on the basis of economic competitiveness or the revenue a booming wedding industry brings in.  True.

But the biggest economic gains are not from weddings, they are actually from the better health that people have throughout their life when someone is there to care for them – they live longer, healthier etc and are therefore also not a big fat burden on the state.

And secondly the best reason for equality isn’t because we are citizens, even if that sounds the most idealistic reason (children are citizens too; fathers and daughters are citizens but not good marriage partners); it’s because we are as capable of fulfilling the obligations of marriage as any other adult.

Finally, after what the banks and their leaders just did to our economies, supporting marriage equality is the least they can do.