Civil Conversations:

The Future of Marriage

David Blankenhorn, Founder & President, Institute for American Values

Jonathan Rauch, Guest Scholar, Brookings Institution

Moderdated by Krista Tippett, "On Being", American Public Media

Redefining the definition of marriage is a monumental cultural transition.  But we’ve reduced our public deliberation of this matter – even inside our religious institutions – to a matter of votes and laws.  The reality is, even one-third of Democrats still express opposition to gay marriage.  But younger people of every political and moral persuasion are coming to a collective comfort level and consensus.  Jonathan Rauch is a gay man and gay marriage advocate who respects the values and concerns of social conservatives and wants them taken seriously.  David Blankenhorn is a self-identified liberal democrat and long time family and marriage advocate, who testified for gay marriage opponents during California’s Prop. 8 ballot initiative. But he has recently withdrawn his legal opposition to gay marriage, acknowledging the emerging moral consensus.  They have developed a friendship that has surprised and changed them both.  We’ll listen in on their common struggle to respond compassionately to both sides of our human and civilizational encounter with same sex union, and to discuss it in terms of civil society and a pro-family agenda.  

Jonathan Rauch is a contributing editor of National Journal and The Atlantic and a guest scholar in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is also vice president of the Independent Gay Forum.  His books include Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America.

David Blankenhorn is founder and president of the Institute for American Values. Previously he helped to found the National Fatherhood Initiative. His books include The Future of Marriage. 

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