Gay Marriage (book)

Summary

Rauch argues that permitting same-sex marriages will strengthen marriage as an institution. He believes that same-sex marriage would strengthen marriage by making it more universal, broadening its influence, and thus signaling society's clear preference for marriage over cohabitation. Through reinforcing marriage's normative status, same-sex marriage might slow or help to reverse society's drift toward nonmarital cohabitation. Same-sex marriage would undercut the main rationale for alternatives to marriage such as civil unions and domestic partnerships, and strengthen marriage by making the institution more just and improving its public image.

Reception

E. J. Graff reviewed the book negatively in Out magazine, accusing Rauch of misleadingly citing her work, and critizing his argument that same-sex marriage would "domesticate" gay men. Author David Blankenhorn called the book "the most precise and serious argument to date in favor of the proposition that marriage supporters should accept gay marriage." However, he rejected Rauch's case for same-sex marriage. Blankenhorn criticized Rauch for ignoring questions such as "what is marriage?" and "how did it come to exist?", neglecting the anthropological and historical record on marriage, and failing to address the connection between marriage and children. Journalist E. J. Dionne called the book "thoughtful", writing that it helped convince him to support gay marriage.