More Lies From Social Conservative Groups

From Towleroad: 

This time around, NOM and The Heritage Foundation are trying to present pseudo-scientific data linking marriage equality with single motherhood, children in poverty, and the claim that men will start to leave their wives if they are allowed to marry other men.  

The data in question comes via a chart publicized by the two groups, comparing rates of poverty of single-mother households to that of two-parent households. Not surprisingly, when compared side-by-side, single-mother households ranked significantly higher. While this may not come as a shock to very many, subsequent arguments made by Heritage's Ryan T. Anderson just might:

"Redefining marriage further distances marriage from the needs of children and denies the importance of mothers and fathers. Redefining marriage rejects as a matter of policy the ideal that children need a mother and a father. Redefining marriage diminishes the social pressures for husbands to remain with their wives and children, and for men and women to marry before having children."

In other words, "redefining marriage" would create more of these single-mother households, since husbands will no longer feel obligated to stay with their wives after they have children. This would then lead to increased levels of poverty, much like the ones illustrated in the chart. Alvin McEwen was good enough to point out that “the Heritage Foundation offers no proof that marriage equality leads to single-mother families.” Furthermore, ThinkProgress also observes that...

"The study is based on census data and presents no comparable information about the experience of children in same-sex families. This follows a long trend of conservative groups citing studies about “fatherless” children — those being raised by single mothers — and trying to attribute those results to families headed by lesbian couples."

Conversely, I would posit that if we were rid of equality bans specifically and homophobia in general, there would be fewer broken homes that result from gay people being pressured by society - particularly in socially conservative areas - into "straight' marriages. I have read far too many stories where someone tried to play it straight, got married, and had kids, only to reach their breaking point and come out or get caught by a loved one. This anti-gay societal coercion has caused far too much heartache and it needs to be brought to an end.

You would think that organizations that are supposedly christian in nature and are supported heavily by Christians would adhere to the whole "thou shalt not bear false witness" thing. Unfortunately they are yet more groups that are highly selective when it comes to the bible. Their biblical philosophy seems to be "read the parts that can be used to demagogue against people I don't like and forget the rest."