‘The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage’

The constitutional challenge to California’s Prop. 8 continued today in a federal court in San Francisco. One of the key players this go around, as noted back in May, is none other than conservative litigation juggernaut Theodore Olson, who represented George W. Bush in Bush v. Gore.

Why does Olson support gay marriage? Here’s what he had to say in a bit of commentary he wrote for Newsweek:

Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one’s own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspirations, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance. Conservatives should celebrate this, rather than lament it.

Much more here. As a point of reference, this reasoning differs from why I voted no on Proposition 8.