Last year, Maxim's Paul Henderson did a paper on "Family in the 21st Century" at the Institute for Marriage and the Family Canada, so what did he have to say about civil unions or same-sex marriage? Nothing. Henderson differentiates 'socially constructed' families from the official 'traditional' nuclear family, despite the fact that family historian Lawrence Stone argues that that model itself only dates from eighteenth century Europe. However, all of these 'alternative' models are faulty, argues Henderson. You see, solo motherhood leads children to earlier sexual activity and adverse educational results, while cohabitation leads to partnering instability, child poverty, malnutrition and misbehaviour, while stepfamilies precipitate teenage families. And LGBT families? Absolutely nothing. Not in the main text, nor even in the bibliography. How do "we" counter these adverse outcomes? Despite the fact that Henderson hasn't mentioned same-sex marriage at all until this point, he argues for a same-sex marriage ban law or constitutional amendment with no grounds whatsoever for doing so. Predictably too, he twitters about welfare privatisation and throwing money at fundamentalist and conservative Catholic 'faith based initiatives' under minimal governmental accountability, as in Australia and the United States. Paul, mate? If you're going to advocate particular public policies, at least come up with some evidence-based proof to back up your case. Which, in the case of same-sex marriage bans here, he hasn't. ********** Not Recommended: http://www.imfc.ca Institute for Marriage and the Family Canada (a Focus on the Family Canada front group) http://www.maxim.org.nz Maxim Institute Recommended: http://www.legalmomentum.org http://falcon.arts.cornell.edu/ams3/npmbasis.html US feminist objections to coercive marriage promotion welfare privatisation laws. Lawrence Stone: Family Sex and Marriage in England: 1500-1800: Harmondsworth: Penguin: 1982. Judith Stacey and Tim Biblarz: How Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter?" American Sociological Review: 58: 2 (April 2001): 158-183. Craig Young - 31st March 2007