This week, I read a blog post composed by Stephen Walt, professor of international affairs as Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The title, “Why Gay Marriage is Good for Foreign Policy,” struck me as odd at first. Though I’m all for equal rights and the legalization of gay marriage, I’ve never thought about the link between those things and their effects on the global community.
I recommend you read it if you have time (it’s not too long and it’s pretty thought-provoking), but in case you can’t, this quote sums up Walt’s argument:
“In American jurisprudence [the study and theory of law], the courts often look to whether the state has a “compelling interest” in regulating or interfering in some domain of activity. In this case, I’d argue that to the extent the state has an interest in this matter, that interest lies overwhelming in extending the privileges (and obligations) of marriage to all Americans. Not just because it is consistent with our commitment to liberty and to equality under the law, but also because it will be good for our global image, national cohesion, and even our long-term strength and prosperity.”
To expand on the idea of how it is good for our long-term strength and prosperity, Walt argues that permitting gay marriage would encourage an influx of human capital from other countries – the logic being that if you make the US “gay-friendly” in every way, then gays from abroad will choose to move here, bringing with them their ideas, skills, and talents that ultimately will contribute to the growth of the economy. Walt made a similar argument in past blog posts regarding the ability of gays to openly serve in the military before the end of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era – the US wants the best and the brightest from serving in our military, and the only way to do that is to put an end to any sort of “artificial restriction.”
Walt’s argument for permitting gay marriage in order to contribute to long-term strength and prosperity isn’t the most talked about, or the most popular, but it does make sense when you think about it logically. Economies thrive when new ideas are presented in the marketplace (whether it concerns a new good, technology, service, etc), and by legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states, it adds an incentive for gays from foreign countries to move here and bring their ideas with them subsequently boosting our economy. Walt acknowledges that this “isn’t going to cause a flood of gay foreigners to flood our shores, but at the margin, it will make the United States a more attractive destination for some,” which is better than nothing at all.
This isn’t Walt’s only argument (he mentions the US’s commitment to individual liberties and freedoms, as well as non-discrimination policies), but I believe it is one of the more thought-provoking considerations he discusses for those who are against gay marriage for whatever reason. Walt also closes out the post pretty nicely: “So if you’re still having trouble backing gay marriage on the simple grounds of fairness, you might consider supporting it on the basis of national security instead.”
The issue of gay marriage is more prominent than ever, and while there are a million arguments for the issue, there are also a million arguments against. Over the past few weeks, the legitimacy of reasons on both sides have been discussed extensively, and hundreds of protestors have sat/are still currently sitting outside of the Supreme Court with signs promoting their views or discrediting those of their opposition. The time for change has arrived and it is inevitable; whether it happens due to the rulings of the two Supreme Court cases currently in session or due to future occurrences of civic justice – one day, equality will subsist.
