State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, received quite a bit of flack for the legislation he introduced last week condemning single parenthood. The discussion surrounding Grothman’s bill, SB 507, has focused on his idea that single parents are unqualified to raise children and are more likely to abuse them. However, much of the criticism overlooks what the bill is actually promoting rather than bringing down. SB 507 is not just an attack on single parents. This ideologically based attack extends far and wide in its scope.
SB 507 specifically requires “the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board to emphasize non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.” In this case, non-marital does not necessarily mean the same thing as “single.” This includes co-habitating, unmarried parents. This also includes homosexual parents, who are not allowed to marry in Wisconsin..
If the bill actively promotes marriage as the only legitimate source of stability for a child, then it promotes marriage over other lifestyles. The next problem lies in the fact that promoting marriage in a state where only heterosexual marriage is legal promotes a heterosexuality over other sexual preferences. Therefore, as well as stigmatizing single parenthood, this bill implies homosexuality is bad and homosexuals are more likely to abuse their children whether they are single or part of a couple or not.
By advocating marriage, this legislation also condemns anyone having sex outside of marriage, which, as it happens, is a pretty large portion of Wisconsin’s population. In considering this bill, you must also take into account Grothman’s voting record. He is strictly pro-life and in favor of abstinence-only sex education. If comprehensive sexual education is bad, abortion is bad and now single parenthood is also bad, then Grothman either really likes adoption or has a serious problem with pre-marital sex. Signs seem to point to the latter.
Grothman can believe whatever he likes; this is America, after all. However, SB 507 would require the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, a government agency, to adopt these principles in their decision making and training as well. It would therefore be government policy to condemn lifestyles not compatible with Grothman’s backwards vision of the world. The fact of the matter remains that it is not up to Grothman, the government, any single person or institution, and that decision should not be made based on lifestyle choices such as marriage or sexual preference.
