Prop 8 and the impasse on same-sex marriage

I picked up this video clip from Andrew Sullivan's blog. I'm completely with Savage on this one, and I think some of Perkins' arguments are specious. But that said, it seems to me that this is one of those times that your preconceptions completely predetermine who you think "wins" this exchange. If you come from a world view that civil gay marriage should be banned because of your religious convictions, then Perkins' arguments will ring a lot truer. Stuff like "using the court to overturn the will of the people." (Again, Savage is right that this is exactly one of the things that the courts are for, but most people don't see it that way when it's their will that's being overturned.)

As to the content, Savage makes two excellent points. First, he notes that we straights are the ones that have redefined civil marriage over the years in response to societal changes, so doing so is hardly unprecedented. Second, he gives the excellent and rational reply to the usual polygamy/slippery-slope objection to redefining marriage: that each such proposed change should be weighed on its own merit. Disliking polygamy has no bearing on any decision regarding same-sex marriage.

But again, if you think both same sex marriage and polygamy are abominations, does that color how you view that retort?

We will win this in time, but it will take a while.