Marriage and Democracy

The battle for marriage is the battle for democracy in our time.

“Same-sex marriage arrived in Connecticut this week the only way it could: by bypassing the democratic process.”

Thus begins Peter Wolfgang’s column in today’s Hartford Courant.

“Only three states have had same-sex marriage, and in each case it was imposed by a 4-3 vote of the states’ high courts,” he continues. “In California, the people reasserted their right to self-government and — thanks especially to African-American turnout — voted on Nov. 4 to overturn their court and restore the traditional definition of marriage. With Arizona reversing an earlier vote, same-sex marriage has now lost in all 30 of the 30 states that held referendums on amending their constitutions.”

“Connecticut was supposed to be different. Same-sex marriage activists saw in our state their best chance for a democratic victory and so they frequently brought their cause to the General Assembly. Their repeated failure to democratically pass same-sex marriage undermines the legitimacy of their court victory.”

He then gives a heart-breaking account of Connecticut’s Question 1 loss, and ends:

“The people of Connecticut and their elected representatives never voted for same-sex marriage. Had it been otherwise, same-sex couples could have reasonably claimed that Connecticut now ‘accepts’ it. Instead, their undemocratic victory will continue to haunt them in the battles for religious liberty and parental rights that now lie ahead.”

Read the whole thing.