Family and Marriage News
Coverage of family life, marriage, parenting, and cultural issues shaping households across America, with clear reporting and thoughtful analysis.
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- News
Eyeing Supreme Court Gay Marriage Case, Mike Lee Unveils Bill Protecting Religious Schools
In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s impending decision on the gay marriage case, Sen. Mike Lee is attempting to protect religious non-profits by passing legislation that would prohibit the federal government from “discriminating” against faith-based institutions. “Discrimination by private parties against private parties—that’s one issue,” Lee told a small group of reporters today in a…Kelsey Bolar -
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Gay Marriage Study Retracted After Allegations One of Its Authors Falsified Data
A widely circulated study about how having conversations with people who are gay can change an individual’s views on same-sex marriage has been retracted by one of its authors. Retraction Watch, an academic blog, reports that Donald Green, a professor of political science at Columbia University, has retracted the study after his co-author “confessed to…Kate Scanlon -
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Interactive Map Contains Clues About Marriage in Your Hometown
The county you grew up in may affect the likelihood you will marry, new data reveals. The New York Times utilized data from Harvard’s Equality of Opportunity Project to compile a county-by-county map of an individual’s chances of marrying by age 26. >>> View the Interactive Map The researchers studied more than 5 million people…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Would Lincoln Have Supported Gay Marriage? Looking at How Liberals Use Him.
As America observes the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, we find that this great American’s legacy is as much a source of division as of unity. Lincoln is the first and greatest of America’s Republican presidents. Nevertheless, some voices on the contemporary left claim that the Republican Party no longer deserves to…Carson Holloway -
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26 States Have Been Forced by Courts to Allow Gay Marriages
In 2004, voters in Michigan and 10 other states passed state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Ten years later, in March 2014, a federal judge struck down the law saying it violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. But just eight months later, the 6th…Genevieve Wood -
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Green Party of England Leader ‘Open’ to Polyamorous Marriage
Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party of England, recently suggested that her party is “open” to granting legal status to marriages or civil unions involving more than two people. In a question-and-answer session with readers of PinkNews, which describes itself as “Europe’s largest gay news service,” Bennett said her party is “open to…Kate Scanlon -
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Why This Family Struggled to Secure Health Insurance Under Obamacare for Their 4-Year-Old Son
When Lindsay Franks received a letter from the Department of Health and Human Services’ health insurance marketplace in January, she was certain it was a scam. “Important,” the letter read. “Respond within 60 days to keep your Marketplace health coverage.” The message, dated Jan. 13, 2015, looked official, with the federal marketplace’s logo pasted in…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Judicial Activism on Marriage, Like Abortion, Can Cause Harms
Forty-two years ago, in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the Supreme Court tried to settle the abortion debate by declaring the Constitution somehow creates a right to abortion in all 50 states. There is nothing in the Constitution that requires abortion in all 50 states, and that’s why Roe is rightly viewed as an activist decision, as explained in this…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Anyone Can Be a Good Parent. That Doesn’t Mean We Should Redefine Marriage.
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s principal concern about Michigan’s defense of its man-woman marriage laws during Tuesday’s oral argument appears to rest on a simple misunderstanding of that defense. Michigan’s counsel, John Bursch, had pointed out that removing the man-woman definition of marriage would reduce the institution’s focus on procreation and, hence, children. Consequently, public understanding of…Gene Schaerr -
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Yes, Justice Kennedy, States Can Decide Not to Make Marriage a ‘Dignity-Bestowing Institution’
During the oral argument in Tuesday’s marriage case, Justice Anthony Kennedy had a revealing and important exchange with John Bursch, the attorney—representing the state of Michigan—who argued for the freedom of states to make marriage policy. The exchange highlights the importance of letting the states decide for themselves, not only the definition of marriage, but…Gene Schaerr -
- Opinion
In-Depth: Key Questions and Remarks From the Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Marriage
Tuesday’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court were excellent. There were so many good points made about what marriage is and why redefining marriage would cause harms. This litany of harms stands in stark contrast to the outrageous lower court rulings that had declared no rational basis to state marriage laws defining marriage as it…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Hear From Both Sides of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
The Supreme Court’s oral arguments on same-sex marriage drew supporters and opponents to Washington, D.C. Jeff Mateer, general counsel for the Liberty Institute, and Marc Solomon, national campaign director for Freedom to Marry, were inside the courtroom. After the court adjourned, they spoke to The Daily Signal about their perspectives on the case.Paul Runko -
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As Supreme Court Debates, 2016 Presidential Hopefuls Define Marriage Views
The national debate over same-sex marriage has landed back in the Supreme Court, but few major presidential candidates routinely put the issue on the front burner. “[T]he progressive left is seeking to force their view of marriage upon all Americans.”–@tedcruz Among more than a dozen possible Republican hopefuls, only three spoke out forcefully in recent days…Ken McIntyre -
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Conservative Lawmakers Speak Out on Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Case
Following Tuesday’s Supreme Court oral arguments on same-sex marriage, The Daily Signal spoke to two conservative members of Congress about the issue. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., shared their perspective from the steps of the court.Paul Runko -
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Ryan T. Anderson’s Instant Analysis of Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Case
The Daily Signal caught up with The Heritage Foundation’s Ryan T. Anderson moments after Supreme Court justices concluded oral arguments on same-sex marriage. Anderson, Heritage’s William E. Simon senior research fellow in American principles and public policy, spent the morning in the courtroom and shared his take with us on the debate and Justice Anthony Kennedy’s questions.Paul Runko -
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Inside the Court: Judges Don’t Have a Crystal Ball on Marriage
Oral arguments at the Supreme Court today were fascinating. Over two and a half hours of discussion about whether the Constitution requires all 50 states to treat same-sex relationships as marriages highlighted one essential truth: There are good policy arguments on both sides of the marriage debate and the Constitution doesn’t take sides in it….Ryan T. Anderson -
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The Key Supreme Court Briefs Supporting State Man-Woman Marriage Laws
The briefs are in—over 150 in all—and today the Supreme Court will hear the arguments in the cases on states’ freedom to make marriage policy. Here are highlights of points made in the amicus briefs supporting man-woman marriage laws that the Court should consider: More than 50 million Americans voted to retain the man-woman definition of marriage—61…Paul Runko -
- Opinion
Why Today’s Supreme Court Case on Same-Sex Marriage Matters
Today the U.S. Supreme Court will meet for more than two hours to hear oral arguments about same-sex marriage. So why does this matter? Sarah Torre, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, explains what you need to know about the case. >>> Don’t Silence the 50 Million Who Voted for One Man-One Woman MarriagePaul Runko -
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Citizens, Not Judges, Should Determine Future of Marriage
As the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments about gay marriage Tuesday, it’s important to realize what the justices are actually being asked to settle. Here’s the bottom line: Whatever people may think about marriage as a policy matter, everyone should be able to recognize the U.S. Constitution does not settle this question. Unelected judges…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Don’t Silence the 50 Million Who Voted for One Man-One Woman Marriage
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in cases involving the freedom of states to make marriage policy, thousands gathered Saturday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the third annual March for Marriage. The event’s largest crowd to date called on the Court to respect the voice of the American people,…Jennifer Marshall