The city of Atlanta is threatening to fine a country club $90,000 for not extending club benefits to the partners of gay members. The case illustrates how gay marriage is not about freedom for gays, but rather how it's about the government dictating the policies of businesses, clubs, and ultimately, religious institutions.
Any libertarians still on the fence regarding gay marriage should take a hard look at this case. While conservatives have balked at gay marriage because it uproots tradition and morality, some libertarians have supported it under the guise that gay marriage extends freedom. It doesn't. It forces society to give its stamp of approval--through health benefits, tax breaks, fines for business not in compliance--to unions most people in society generally disapprove. If gays want to join together in partnerships now, and even call those partnerships marriage, no one is stopping them. What they want through gay marriages and civil unions is for the power of government to compel individuals, private associations, and companies to recognize and subsidize their lifestyle choice. If a "civil unions" ordinance can dictate a private country club's policies, what's next? The Catholic Church? The Boy Scouts? The military?
There is no constitutional right to sodomy. But there is a constitutional right to freely associate. Self-described libertarians pushed hard to get courts to recognize a right to sodomy. Where are they now that gay-rights activists are infringing on First Amendment rights by dictating the rules and policies that govern private clubs?
Homosexuals used to castigate society for pushing its morality on them. Now they are pushing their morality on society. The reaction of libertarians to gay marriage will give you a pretty good indication whether they are truly libertarians, or just libertines.
Well said. This is Instance # 3,234,691 of a leftist scheme reaching heights of absurdity that leftists denied it ever would.
Fantastic post, Dan.
I will certianly link to this from my blog:
http://langborgh.blogspot.com/
--Eric
