Stanley Kurtz asks "the Libertarian question(s)":

Why should any form of adult consensual sex be illegal? What rational or compelling interest does the state have in regulating consensual adult sex? More specifically, how does the marriage of two gay men undermine my marriage? Will the fact that two married gay men live next door make me leave my wife? Hardly. So how, then, does gay marriage undermine heterosexual marriage? Why not get the state out of such matters altogether?

I acknowledge that those questions are compelling when we have pretty much accepted the idea that sex is a form of recreation. It reminds me of the "obvious" character of arguing for the end of prohibition.

Still thousands of deaths annually are proximately caused by alcohol, and millions of people have died or infected with AIDS because of casual sex. How many die from abuse of drugs? It doesn't matter, since none of these deaths counts for anything with libertarians.

They haven't victimized anyone else, besides having their medical expenses paid by insurance and medicare/medicaid. What obligation does any of us have to society? None. Everybody gets to do whatever he/she wants to, and those who don't like it can stay at home.

Thus the libertarian society becomes defined by the lowest common denominator. Everything is claimed as a constitutional right, and anybody who complains about the effect on the moral climate is a bigot.

I hear people speak of worrying about bringing children into a world like this. I never felt it myself so keenly.