In February of 2006 Portugal blocked the “marriage” of a lesbian couple challenging the country’s judicial position to not legally recognize their union. I remember the decision and supported the court. Yesterday however, Portugal reversed course when the Parliament forced a bill through effectively legally recognizing same-sex unions as “marriages.” Aside from the arguments that help to define what marriage is and isn’t I think that Portugal’s decision to legally recognize this is wrong. This is why:

Usually, the issue boils down to the idea of “equal rights” for all people. The problem is that heterosexual unions and homosexual unions are not equal by definition. One produces offspring, the other does not. It is in the government’s best interest to protect and aid stable, healthy, heterosexual unions because they produce offspring that ensure the survivability of the people and government. For example, future generations of stable, healthy individuals contribute to the economy through work and taxes, contribute to the safety of that country by providing military might, contribute to the furthering of that country’s unique language and culture through education, art, commerce, and food. By removing the protection and “uniqueness” of stable, healthy, heterosexual unions, Governments undermine their own survivability. As I’ve written before, this is not a moral issue it’s a public issue.

“Society needs strong, healthy families that naturally produce healthy children for the good of and future of the state. In other words, it is in the state’s best interest (for future tax revenue, military protection, job creation, education, etc.) to protect the institution of marriage. Homosexual couples by natural process do not produce future generations, therefore they should not be privy to the special protections guaranteed to stable heterosexual marriages that do. These protections ought to be denied to them because in this important distinction, they are not equal. This is not intolerance, it is simply stating what is.”

Notice that I am not denying homosexual’s the right to make long-term commitments to each other, the right to do things in private that they want, or the right to will their money to their partners. They can do all of those things as they see fit right now without government intervention. Rather, I am trying to make the argument that because these two unions are not equal the government should protect the one that contributes to it’s future through stable, healthy offspring. Beyond those few simple protections, government should stay out of the bedrooms of it’s citizens and leave them to their own lifestyles. Legally equating these two very different unions is wrong and in doing so, Portugal made a big mistake.

[Update]
After my post last week, this news item appeared in my news reader: “Portuguese Split on Same-Sex Marriage” by the Angus-Reid Global Monitor. What I find interesting are two stats: First, that Jose Socrates and his Socialist Party only won 36% of the vote in September 2009. Secondly, that over half of the Portuguese population oppose homosexual “marriage” and that nearly 70% of Portuguese oppose homosexual adoption! The fact that such a small coalition government can force the majority of Portuguese people to adopt a bill they oppose speaks volumes.

Tags: Portugal, Why Europe