Polygamy Argument Unbeatable in Same-Sex Marriage Debate at Boston University

By Katherine T. Phan

Genevieve Wood, Vice President for Communications of the Family Research Council, joined a debate on same-sex marriage Wednesday at Boston University that will be aired on CSPAN this Saturday, April 10 from 8:00-11:00 PM EST.

Wood debated alongside with Hadley Arkes, professor at Amherst College, and a pro-family Boston University student debated against Mary Bonauto, the plaintiff's attorney in the Goodridge same-sex "marriage" case, National Journal Columnist Jonathan Rauch and a Boston University student favoring same-sex marriage.

Yet again, the question posed by Wood that stumped the panel of advocates for same-sex marriage dealt with the fearful possibility that if same-sex marriages were legalized, there would be nothing to prevent polygamy from being justified on the same arguments used by those favoring same-sex marriage. The panel was unable to answer Wood’s questions regarding polygamy even though she repeatedly brought up the point.

The polygamy argument was first widely presented on CNN’s “Crossfire” when the show’s host Tucker Carlson debated with Human Rights Campaign President Cheryl Jacques. Carlson had asked Jacques what reason could she give for not allowing polygamists to marry and she responded saying that she didn’t “approve of that."

President of FRC, Tony Perkins, presented the same argument during an earlier debate at Harvard University on March 11 joined by an alliance of black pastors.

He asked the representative of the ACLU and the lesbian plaintiff couple, "If we create a constitutional right to marry based solely on one's choice of sexual partner, how does that not open the door to polygamy and other arrangements of consenting adults?"

Former ABC News reporter Bob Zelnick moderated the Wednesday debate, which was hosted by College of Communications at Boston University.

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