"Marriage Will Never Set Us Free"

When I read the title Dean Spade and Craig Willse's "Marriage Will Never Set Us Free", I was instantly thinking that was a bold statement to make. I have always believed in marriage equality. I believe two people can form a union, and there shouldn't be restrictions. I thought this article brought up some interesting topics that I never thought about. "While marriage is being rewarded, other ways of organizing family, relationships and sexual behavior do not receive these benefits and are stigmatized and criminalized. In short, people are punished or rewarded based on whether or not they marry. The idea that same-sex marriage advocacy is a fight for the “freedom to marry” or “equality” is absurd since the existence of legal marriage is a form of coercive regulation in which achieving or not achieving marital status is linked to accessing vital life resources like health care and paths to legalized immigration. There is nothing freeing nor equalizing about such a system." This quote made me think about how I never viewed marriage as "rewarding" in such a way. I always believe marriage was a bond shared between two people that everyone should deserve the same happiness. The wording " there is nothing freeing nor equalizing about such a system" really bothered me. I never thought of marriage as a system of sorts. I do agree with Wendy that the traditions of a wedding are mainly done for guests, and not the couple. I thought this article was a different viewpoint from my own, but it made me notice different levels of marriage.