In an April 30 editorial you call for a “thoroughgoing public debate” on the wisdom of recognizing same-sex marriage. You then dismiss the idea in a mere nine sentences, arguing that marriage is “in its essence heterosexual, an institution contrived to bring order and stability to the process of creating and rearing children.”
With respect to marriage being “essentially heterosexual,” it is hard to respond to such a claim other than to note that with this as a starting assumption, it is not difficult to imagine what a thoroughgoing debate would be like (“is not,” “is too”). Wasn’t marriage “essentially” intraracial 35 years ago?
Far from cheapening the institution, recognizing homosexual marriage honors heterosexual marriage by reaffirming its foundation in love and mutual commitment, not sex.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")