By Matt Underwood Why, after a decade of marriage equality, do we still hear the echoes of warnings that it would lead to societal collapse? The simple answer, it seems, is that some people just don’t like it when the world doesn’t conform to their narrow worldview. They predicted the end of days, a descent into chaos, the breakdown of all that is good and holy. Yet, here we are, still standing, still functioning, and still, for the most part, the same civilization we were before.
The arguments themselves were often absurd, filled with hyperbolic claims about the future of marriage, family, and the very fabric of society. They’d pull out the same tired playbook, the one that’s been used to fight against every progressive change. They spoke of a slippery slope, imagining a world where marriage would lose its meaning, where families would crumble, and where the natural order of things would be irrevocably disrupted. These were the same arguments leveled against interracial marriage, against women’s suffrage, against any change that challenged their tightly held beliefs.
Their predictions, however, have consistently failed to materialize. Civilization hasn’t crumbled. The sky hasn’t fallen. People are still getting married, having children, and living their lives. In fact, studies indicate that children raised by same-sex parents often fare just as well, if not better, than those raised by heterosexual couples. The world hasn’t changed in any meaningfully bad way.
So why are these voices still taken seriously? One major reason is the power they wield, particularly within the Republican Party. These groups provide both financial backing and unwavering loyalty to conservative causes. To ignore them would be to alienate a significant segment of the population, a segment that holds considerable political sway. This, coupled with a relentless focus on cultural battles, allows them to maintain their influence.
It’s also about fear. They masterfully tap into people’s anxieties about change, about the unknown. They paint a picture of a world in decline, a world where traditional values are under attack, a world where everything that is familiar and comfortable is at risk. This fear, amplified by social media and echo chambers, can be a powerful motivator, driving people to cling to familiar narratives, no matter how divorced from reality those narratives may be.
Moreover, the constant supply of new “threats” keeps the fear machine running. When one prediction fails, another is readily available. The focus shifts, the targets change, but the underlying message remains the same: the end is near, unless we return to “traditional” values.
The very nature of their arguments lends itself to dismissal. They often rely on bad-faith interpretations of reality, twisting facts to fit their pre-ordained conclusions. They offer up outlandish scenarios, extrapolating from isolated incidents to paint a picture of widespread moral decay.
The problem isn’t marriage equality itself. It is in their desperation to control the narrative, to police other people’s lives, and to maintain their grip on power. They are the ones who are trying to end civilization, not marriage equality.
Ultimately, their continued relevance is a testament to the power of fear, tradition, and the relentless pursuit of political power. While civilization may indeed face challenges, they aren’t caused by the basic human right to love and marry whomever you choose.