Most forget that contraception is a recent historical development. Without it, a man and woman rather fond of each other tend to produce children, and society at large have an interest in keeping those parents together for optimal raising of their offspring and to prevent them otherwise becoming a burden on society, along with ensuring there is sufficient stable procreation for continuation of the society. Hence the institution of marriage.
Without that likely outcome from intra-gender fondness, and with society still holding the institution in high regard for bonding and protecting that fondness with special societal recognition and privileges, the focus drifts from the reproduction (now very optional) to the fondness that led to it ... and with reproduction rendered optional (even discouraged), romantic attraction with utterly no possibility of reproduction (not to be confused with choice or malfunction) demands the same societal recognition and privileges.
Without reproduction, the institution of marriage would never have arisen.
Without reproduction, the institution of marriage becomes a quaint anachronism abused and misapplied for its lingering societal benefit.
“Most forget that contraception is a recent historical development. Without it, a man and woman rather fond of each other tend to produce children, and society at large have an interest in keeping those parents together for optimal raising of their offspring and to prevent them otherwise becoming a burden on society, along with ensuring there is sufficient stable procreation for continuation of the society. Hence the institution of marriage.
“Without that likely outcome from intra-gender fondness, and with society still holding the institution in high regard for bonding and protecting that fondness with special societal recognition and privileges, the focus drifts from the reproduction (now very optional) to the fondness that led to it ... and with reproduction rendered optional (even discouraged), romantic attraction with utterly no possibility of reproduction (not to be confused with choice or malfunction) demands the same societal recognition and privileges.
“Without reproduction, the institution of marriage would never have arisen.
Without reproduction, the institution of marriage becomes a quaint anachronism abused and misapplied for its lingering societal benefit.”
And that about sums it up.