Same Sex Marriage Around the World

From my column on www.parentsociety.com:
On Tuesday, October 23, demonstrators gathered throughout France to oppose a bill that would allow same-sex marriage and adoption of children by same-sex couples. The French, like many people here in the United States, are struggling with the issue of same-sex marriage, otherwise known as marriage equality. In front of one crowd who opposed same-sex marriage in France, two women kiss one another, holding each other carefully and with love, in front of the shocked protestors surrounding them. It is a beautiful picture, made even more magnificent as it was two young women who are straight who were kissing, but who wanted to draw attention to the issue with a gesture of solidarity.

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We in the United States — especially the citizens of Maryland, Washington State, Maine, and Minnesota lately — struggle with the issue of same-sex marriage. Being given the option of being married in the eyes of our children, our extended families, our neighbors, our friends, our community, our state, and our country, matters. The ritual of a wedding and an actual marriage — for better or for worse — draws lines of demarcation that lets a couple and a family know, officially, who we are, who we interact with daily, and establishes what relationships we hold closest to our hearts, minds, and bodies. In other words, a marriage will have an impact upon not only of those who are wedded, but also upon the children in our families. Marriage helps our children know not only what to call us, but gives them a sense of security of knowing that we are, some how or other, related to one another.
Amid the protests and rallies here and abroad that arise as we slowly move towards marriage equality, it is helpful to see how same-sex marriages have “worked out” in different countries around the world. In a sense, we may get a glimpse of how our country will look once all states allow same-sex marriage.
Read more on: http://www.parentsociety.com/todays-family/same-sex-parents/same-sex-marriage-around-the-world/