Same-Sex Marriage Violates the Rights and Dignity of Children

As a matter of natural law, a child possesses a right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to one another in marriage. (CCC 2376). No one has a right to a child; rather, “only the child possesses genuine rights: the right ‘to be the fruit of the specific act of the conjugal love of his parents,’ and ‘the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception.'” (CCC 2378).

The ubiquity of children born or raised outside traditional marriage is not a valid defense for its legitimacy. Such situations are not optimal for children, although some situations may be better in some fashion than other potential circumstances. 

Same-sex “married” couple Bob and Joe can engage in same-sex activity a million times and will never make a baby. Babies come from a father’s sperm and a mother’s egg. In terms of procreation, “parents” can never be so unless one parent is a mother and the other a father.

Today I received an e-mail alert concerning California Assembly Bill 1951, which is currently sitting on Governor Brown’s desk, awaiting signature. This bill represents an advancement of the euphemistic, erroneous, and illusory claims of those seeking to normalize same-sex relationships in the context of the human family; it is an assault upon the sanctity of the family and the human person. Legality is not the same as justice for those affected. 

If signed, AB 1951 will modify gender-specific labeling on every certificate of live birth recorded in the state. Birth certificates will have lines for two “Parents”. Each designated “Parent” will provide a checkbox option to identify if the parent is a “Mother”, “Father” or “Parent”. According to the Legislative Analysis of the Bill (go here and search ‘1951’), the law:

Requires the State Registrar, beginning January 1, 2016, to modify birth certificates to recognize same-sex couples, allowing for a gender neutral option on the certificate
identifying a “parent.”

….the current practice in completing a birth certificate
limits the choices for a same-sex couple, forcing same-sex parents to inaccurately place one of their names in the “Father” or “Mother” field.

….this bill will allow same-sex parents to accurately identify each parent as Mother, Father, or Parent in check boxes, allowing for birth certificates to reflect two mothers or two fathers, as well as a gender-neutral parent option.

Equality California, the sponsor of this bill, writes that it will allow same-sex couples to eliminate inaccurate designations on California birth certificates, stating that the current forms that designate parents as just “mother” and “father,” regardless of the gender of the parent are confusing, often inaccurate, and do not reflect the realities of modern families.

It will therefore be possible and legally permissible for any birth certificate to state that a child is born of two “parents”, but not also a mother and father. This is, of course, something entirely contrary to Truth and the natural rights of the human person.

The basis given for this assault upon the rights of the human person is that this will better “reflect the realities of modern families”, which is a euphemistic way of identifying less than just 1% of the state’s population.

According to 2010 Census data, in California there were 494,058 children age “0” (i.e., newly born) statewide. There were 23,346 children under the age of 18 living in households headed by male same-sex couples in 2010. There were 37,841 children under the age of 18 living in households headed by female same-sex couples in 2010. In total there were 61,187 children living in households headed by same-sex couples.

Assuming an even distribution of ages in those households, and dividing the total by 19, there were 3,220 children “born” to same-sex couples in the same period that there were 494,058 children born statewide, or just 0.65% of the total children born in the state.

This isn’t about fairness, confusion, or even a proper reflection of the realities of modern family. This is about forcing society at large to affirm and normalize the bad “choices” of a tiny minority of individuals. These choices — and society’s affirmation of them — harm children.

As a result of the passage of AB 1951, any children born in this state will be potentially deprived of official recognition from their government that they have a FATHER and a MOTHER. Further, every child, regardless of the options selected by his or her “parents”, will be deprived of official recognition from their government that they have a right to a FATHER and a MOTHER.

Same-sex marriage affects my marriage. Same-sex marriage affects the rights of everyone. This is just one example.