Those who are arguing for people to vote ‘No’ in the Same Sex Marriage Debate are like a confused ostrich with its head in the sand and not realising that it has its head in the sand.  The confusion and blindness comes from failing to make a distinction between law and morality.  The law defines what are minimum acceptable standards within the society.  Morality, ethics or ultimate ideals, are a different level of debate.  There are many behaviours and practices in our society that are legal but that do not necessarily conform to higher human values.  For example, the laws that allow such inequality of wealth to grow and develop.

Given that there are very few who would argue that same-sex relationships should be illegal, then the only just choice is to give these relationships  a legal status so that people in these relationships have the rights and protections at law that the social respect for human rights necessitates.  The same can also be said of ‘de facto’ relationships.

Similarly, the various arguments about the quality of parenting that same-sex couples might give their children, are quite irrelevant.  We cannot really legislate the quality of parenting and the love that two people and their extended family, might or might not give their children.  The complexity of hetero sexual relationships and the families developed from them, are very complex.  Many do not conform to the ideal argued for by the ‘No’ supporters in the debate.  To not acknowledge this and set much higher values that same-sex couples are to be assessed by, is totally unjust to say the least.

Rather than the vitriolic, divisive  and unloving debate, that we at times are degenerating into, we need to focus on being a more loving and caring society where people from whatever their background, can be encouraged to develop their full potential as a human being.  In other words, to reword, for our current society, the old saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ to ‘it takes a community, it takes a society to raise a child’.

Consequently, the only just response to the debate about legalising ‘Same Sex Marriages’ is to vote ‘Yes’.