Politics has a funny way of rewarding small groups of people with acute needs. When politicians spend money to prop up an industry, for example, the cost to the average taxpayer is small enough that nobody really notices. Yet the industry in need must be having a severe problem and undergoing great pain, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of seeking help from the politicians. In the same way, I believe that gay marriage will eventually become the norm in America, and in most of the world, though it will surely take a long time. This is because the need of the couples seeking marriage is far more acute and severe than the cost to those who oppose it.

For any couple, marriage is one of the most important and life-changing decisions that can be made. This is an issue of critical and vital importance to gays. The people opposing gay marriage don’t really stand to lose anything, on the other hand. While they may feel threatened, and may feel a religious duty (however misguided) to oppose it, they really don’t feel any real pain. Therefore, the people seeking the legal benefit of same-sex nuptials will continue to fight for their rights, while those opposing will tire of the struggle, allocate their political resources elsewhere, and get used to the idea, because they just don’t have enough at stake. I think that the actions of the city of San Francisco support this view, and I applaud the efforts being made.

MSNBC - San Francisco issues marriage licenses to gays: “San Francisco issues marriage licenses to gays”