Studies showing that children benefit from marriage (such as collected in “Why Marriage Matters: Twenty-One Conclusions from the Social Sciences” written by a group of 13 family scholars) have largely only examined heterosexual marriages. I do not believe this should be construed to mean that only this type of marriage benefits children, simply that other marriage/union formats have not been studied as extensively.

There are benefits to children from marriage that may cross over to same-sex marriages, such as material well-being, durability of relationship and social acknowledgment/investment. I look forward to anyone who wants to be a formally recognized family being able to become one, for the benefit and stability of their families and society at large.