The next thing I hope tackle with Rod in our Same Sex Blogalogue is the “slippery slope,” which keeps coming up in the comments.  The argument usually goes like this: if we allow gay marriage, the next thing we know, people will be marrying their dogs.

Dan Kimball blogged this same sentiment (substituting polygamy for dogs), and has since removed the post.  Regardless, Zach Lind has written a cogent defense of why the legalization of same sex marriage will not lead to polygamy.  Money Quote:

Polygamy, as it stands in the mainstream culture of marriage, is
already dead and buried and it’s not coming back. You can put together
the most effective and convincing argument for polygamy and spend
billions of dollars promoting your argument and it wouldn’t change a
damn thing. It’s been rejected because whatever argument you come up
with can’t breakthrough the negative, demeaning experiences of human
beings that polygamy has left in its wake. On the other hand, SSM
isn’t facing the same stiff opposition. Yeah, it confronts the dogma
and certainty of many, but those certainties are sinking in the face of
experience and empathy for our gay brothers and sisters who want to be
accepted and have their relationships honored like everyone elses. The
success of the opponents to SSM won’t hinge
on whether they can convince you it’s inherently wrong. Their success
will come from the ability to show that the overwhelming majority of
experiences of those involved in or touched by SSM have proven to be hurtful and devaluing.