Marriage is defined as the mutual relationship of husband and wife. It's the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family. In federal law, marriage is defined as a legal union between one man and one woman. As an institution, therefore, marriage transcends the mere self gratification of the married couple. By admitting homosexual and lesbian relationships to the privileges of the married state, we woul d devalue this transcendent status and weaken the duties and the sense of obligation it entails.
Discusses the disadvantages of legalization of marriages between partners of the same sex in Germany. It is argued that legalization of homosexual marriage would undermine eforts toward the emancipation of homosexuals and that homosexual marriages would result in the same inequality between partners as that which prevails in hetersosexual marriages.
Back to Index