tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post7144106868339721352..comments2023-10-29T06:41:23.910-07:00Comments on Halfway There: The high cost of bigotryZenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09058127284297728552noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-75809679907433130852008-10-20T15:55:00.000-07:002008-10-20T15:55:00.000-07:00Actually, the Scandinavian experience shows that g...Actually, the Scandinavian experience shows that gay marriage might have an effect on straight marriage. Just not the one the religious right thinks. It seems that, as gay marriage is allowed, straight marriage rates go up and divorce rates go down. Seriously. <A HREF="http://www.law.yale.edu/news/3708.htm" REL="nofollow">That's what the data shows</A>: <BR/><BR/>"A decade after Denmark, Norway and Sweden passed their respective partnership laws, heterosexual marriage rates had risen 10.7% in Denmark; 12.7% in Norway; and a whopping 28.8% in Sweden. In Denmark over the last few years, marriage rates are the highest they've been since the early 1970s. Divorce rates among heterosexual couples, on the other hand, have fallen. A decade after each country passed its partnership law, divorce rates had dropped 13.9% in Denmark; 6% in Norway; and 13.7% in Sweden. On average, divorce rates among heterosexuals remain lower now than in the years before same-sex partnerships were legalized.<BR/><BR/>In addition, out-of-wedlock birthrates in each of these countries contradict the suggestion by social conservatives that gay marriage will lead to great increases in out-of-wedlock births and therefore less family stability for children. In Denmark, the percentage of out-of-wedlock births was 46% in 1989; now it is 45%. In Norway, out-of-wedlock births jumped from 14% in 1980 to 45% right before partnerships were adopted in 1993; now they stand at 51%, a much lower rate of increase than in the decade before same-sex unions. The Swedish trend mirrors that of Norway, with much lower rates of increase post-partnership than pre-partnership."<BR/><BR/>In other words, encouraging any marriage helps all marriage. D'oh!The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-88305771867086316432008-10-20T15:12:00.000-07:002008-10-20T15:12:00.000-07:00I've also read that the more older brothers a man ...I've also read that the more older brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be gay. You're the mathematician here, but I'd put the odds of the youngest one's being gay higher than 23%, probably more like 50%.<BR/><BR/>Would someone please tell me how in any way possible gay people's being able to get married does <I>anything</I> whatsoever to opposite-sex marriages?! Considering that SSM has been legal here for years and I haven't noticed anything going on with straight folks, I'm <I>really</I> curious.Interrobanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14073177798747299275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-75200273079299801902008-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:002008-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:00You did say "at least" to take into account non-in...You did say "at least" to take into account non-independency.<BR/><BR/>But would that work the other way round, too?<BR/><BR/>Of course we don't know the family history, but assuming there's been none of teh ghey in the recent past, wouldn't the kids have a lower probability of 'catching it'?<BR/><BR/>Very good of you to donate. I should really be less greedy and share my 'wealth' around a bit more, myself.Jens Knudsen (Sili)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14078875730565068352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-81177854991515458902008-10-20T08:27:00.000-07:002008-10-20T08:27:00.000-07:00Yes. Let's do away with all this representative de...Yes. Let's do away with all this representative democracy business. The lumpenproletariat simply use it to interpose their odium between we the philosophers and our Great Works!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-2872030265678286752008-10-20T06:09:00.000-07:002008-10-20T06:09:00.000-07:00The only consolation is that if we can put this od...The only consolation is that if we can put this odious restriction into our constitution with a simple majority vote (!) we can remove it with a simple majority vote.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-968838520164206382008-10-20T03:16:00.000-07:002008-10-20T03:16:00.000-07:00The sad thing is that the spending by the religiou...The sad thing is that the spending by the religious might actually end up with a shameful chapter for California, at least if the polls are to be believed. :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com