There are all sorts of possible consequences. Not by definition positive or negative, but it's wise to consider them. For example, currently close blood relatives are forbidden to marry - partly because this has been culturally unacceptable, and partly because of concerns about genetic damage to children from such a union. But marriages between same-sex couples necessarily rule out the production of children. So why would the ban on marrying a close blood relative continue? There would be no good reason to stop a man marrying his brother, or a woman her mother. And, using the principle of equality, if those two examples are acceptable, why not a man his sister, or a woman her father? Similarly, given the tax and legal advantages of marriage, there would be no reason to stop people marrying purely to obtain these convenient benefits (for example, flatmates who have no romantic interest in one another). The existing test of whether a marriage is consummated is without legal meaning in a same-sex marriage, and given the principle of equality would stop being applicable to marriages between men and women.
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
