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Sugrue discusses same-sex marriage at Canadian parliament
July 7, 2006
Dr. Seana Sugrue, associate professor of politics at Ave Maria University and chair of the university's politics department, spoke on the dangerous effects of same-sex marriage at a meeting on Canada's Parliament Hill, Ottawa, June 5. The event was cosponsored by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada and Canadian members of parliament John McKay of the Liberal Party and David Anderson of the Conservative Party.
According to Sugrue, Canada's legalization of same-sex marriage in June 2005 is one of the many ways in which traditional, child-centered marriage is being undermined today.
"Same-sex marriage, like unilateral divorce and acceptance of premarital sex, reflects the ‘companionate' view of marriage, according to which marriage is the union of consenting adults for their mutual betterment," Sugrue said. "It is a view of marriage that severs procreation from sexuality; it values the desires of adults more than the needs of children."
Sugrue's presentation was given as Canadian politicians debate whether or not to reopen last year's decision to legally recognize same-sex unions. Sugrue hopes that her presentation demonstrated to the members of parliament present that same-sex marriage, in addition to harming children, also damages the most fundamental structures on which society is built.
"Companionate marriage erodes other institutions of civil society, and hence weakens civilization as a whole," Sugrue said. "Declining fertility rates, declining religiosity and declining marital stability are all prevalent where companionate marriage prevails. With these, markets and religious institutions face grave threats; while state power grows, the civilization which it represents declines in strength and vitality."