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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opinion
Regardless of How the Supreme Court Scrutinizes Man–Woman Marriage Laws, They Are Constitutional
The amicus brief filed on behalf of Governor C. L. Otter of Idaho in the same-sex marriage case before the Supreme Court is remarkable for two reasons. First, aside from Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and the governors who are named parties (and thus had no choice), he is the only sitting governor with the chutzpah… -
opinion
Why There’s No Right to Gay Marriage in 6 Video Clips
On Thursday night, Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, participated in a debate about gay marriage. We’ve assembled some of the key moments and exchanges from that debate here. >>> Ryan T. Anderson will be on ABC’s “This Week” this Sunday to discuss gay marriage and the… -
opinion
Jim DeMint: Why You Should March for Marriage
Jim DeMint, president of The Heritage Foundation, talks about why Americans should attend the March for Marriage in Washington, D.C., tomorrow. -
opinion
Cartoon: The Supreme Court and Gay Marriage
Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon senior research fellow in American Principles and Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation, wrote about the same-sex marriage case earlier this week: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about gay marriage. Here’s what you need to know. 1. There simply is nothing in the U.S…. -
opinion
Why Are These Scholars Concerned About How Redefining Marriage Would Impact the Least Among Us?
A Supreme Court decision requiring states to redefine marriage would undermine the institution of marriage generally, as a number of scholars have shown. That’s particularly bad news for women and children from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, according to an amicus brief filed in the pending marriage case by scholars of women’s and children’s welfare. As Traditionally… -
opinion
Why States Should Get to Decide on Whether to Redefine Marriage
Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on same-sex marriage. In a panel this week at The Heritage Foundation, Ryan T. Anderson, a senior research fellow at Heritage, discussed why the states should be free to choose whether they recognize same-sex marriages. Anderson also talked about marriage, the Founders and Natural Law: Anderson also… -
opinion
Man–Woman Marriage Laws Do Not Infringe Gays’ and Lesbians’ Liberty
Advocates of same-sex marriage have skillfully rallied around the rhetoric of liberty, claiming that laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman curtail the liberty of gays and lesbians. While that claim makes for nice slogans—like “freedom to marry”—it is not grounded in reality. This conclusion is persuasively established by two amicus briefs… -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Gay Marriage and the Supreme Court
One week from today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about gay marriage. Here’s what you need to know. 1. There simply is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that requires all 50 states to redefine marriage. Whatever people may think about marriage as a policy matter, everyone should be able to recognize the Constitution… -
opinion
Forcing States to Recognize Gay Marriage Could Increase Number of Abortions
On the surface, abortion and same-sex marriage may seem unrelated. However, as explained in an amicus brief of 100 scholars of marriage, filed in the pending Supreme Court marriage cases and summarized here, the two are closely linked in a short and simple causal chain that the Supreme Court would be wise not to set… -
opinion
Watch Ryan T. Anderson Explain Why He Fights Against Gay Marriage
The Washington Post followed Heritage Foundation’s Ryan T. Anderson as he went to Harvard Law School to debate same-sex marriage and why he fights for marriage and against the legal redefinition of marriage. >>> Read the full Washington Post profile of Ryan T. Anderson. -
opinion
Why Do We Need Louisiana’s Marriage and Conscience Act? Ask Indiana Pizza Owners.
Recent nationwide polling shows that 81 percent of Americans agree that the government should leave people free to live and work in accordance with their belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. Nevertheless, such people are increasingly being ostracized, fired and facing death threats simply because of such beliefs. All of this… -
opinion
Big Law Thinks Gay Marriage Opponents Are Like Racist Bigots. That’s a Problem.
Sunday’s New York Times stated plainly what many of us have known for a while: Our nation’s elites are intolerant of ordinary Americans. The reporter for the Times revealed a startling reality: “In dozens of interviews, lawyers and law professors said the imbalance in legal firepower in the same-sex marriage cases resulted from a conviction… -
opinion
My Father Was Gay. Why I Oppose Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage.
It took me decades to come to my views on same-sex “marriage” in light of my personal experiences. From infancy, I was unwittingly identified under the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual (GLBT) umbrella. During the first 30 years of my life, I garnered many personal, social and professional experiences with my father, whom I always… -
opinion
I Oppose Gay Marriage. Should I Still Be Able to Get a Job?
A pizzeria in Indiana may go out of business because its owners told a local TV station they wouldn’t cater a gay wedding. Just got off the phone with #MemoriesPizza; they’re considering never opening again. Receiving a lot of death threats. — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 1, 2015 #MemoriesPizza owners say they’re considering packing up… -
opinion
How Much a Family Would Spend If They Were Like the Government
American families understand that adhering to a budget is relatively simple: Don’t spend more than you take in, and don’t borrow more than you can afford to. Those lessons are lost on the federal government, however, as the nation continues to pile on debt by spending billions more than it collects in taxes year after… -
opinion
Memo to Supreme Court: Nothing in the Constitution Requires States to Redefine Marriage
Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the constitutional status of state laws defining marriage as the exclusive union of husband and wife. The overarching question before the Supreme Court is not whether an exclusively male–female marriage policy is the best, but only whether it is allowed by the U.S. Constitution…. -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Marriage and the Supreme Court
Does the Constitution require the government to recognize same-sex marriages? With the Supreme Court set to hear arguments this term on cases about same-sex marriage, it’s a pressing question. In February, Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon fellow at The Heritage Foundation, spoke to students and faculty at The Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio… -
news
Former Fire Chief Sues Atlanta, Mayor for Firing Him ‘Solely’ Because of His Beliefs About Marriage
Former Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran filed today a federal lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and its Mayor Kasim Reed alleging they terminated his employment because of his belief in traditional marriage. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, states Cochran’s was fired “solely” because: …[Cochran]… -
opinion
Does Marriage Make You Happier? What a New Study Found
“Those who marry are more satisfied than those who remain single,” claims a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. But does marriage itself influence happiness? Or is it just that happier people are more likely to wed? This study gives support to the idea that marriage itself contributes to happiness. (In other… -
news
‘It’s a Two-Way Street’: What Americans Think About Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty
A new Associated Press-GFK poll shows that more Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, but a majority believe businesses that provide wedding services shouldn’t have to participate in a same-sex marriage if they have a religious objection. According to the poll, 44 percent of Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it, and 15 percent…