Consider the question, "Why do we ritualize procreative marriages so universally?" Here we is pretty clearly all of humanity and there are probably some good functional explanations. For example, modern technology, reproduction is pretty heavily tied to sex, and men and women are biologically situated differently relative to parenthood. Everywhere, mothers are mothers because they give birth. Everywhere fathers are fathers because they are recognized as such by society (and this is only loosely tied to biological parenthood even in the most strict cultures like our own).
At the same time, what message does this send to folks who are GLBT? Is it saying "you aren't human?"
I think at some point you just have to come to terms with the fact that "we" will always have some exclusions and not worry too much about it.
Consider the question, "Why do we ritualize procreative marriages so universally?" Here we is pretty clearly all of humanity and there are probably some good functional explanations. For example, modern technology, reproduction is pretty heavily tied to sex, and men and women are biologically situated differently relative to parenthood. Everywhere, mothers are mothers because they give birth. Everywhere fathers are fathers because they are recognized as such by society (and this is only loosely tied to biological parenthood even in the most strict cultures like our own).
At the same time, what message does this send to folks who are GLBT? Is it saying "you aren't human?"
I think at some point you just have to come to terms with the fact that "we" will always have some exclusions and not worry too much about it.