Karen Celestino-Horseman: Braun’s hateful celebration of ‘nuclear families’

On June 1, Gov. Mike Braun issued a ceremonial declaration proclaiming June as “Nuclear Family Month.”

He defines a “nuclear family” as “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted or fostered children.” In other words, families headed by married same-sex parents are not included in the celebration.

Braun wielded his proclamation like a cudgel as June is also Gay Pride Month. His message is obvious. 

Braun proclaims that “research reports children living with their married biological parents have better physical and emotional well-being.”

What research really shows is that what impacts a child’s physical and emotional well-being depends upon the stability of the family, lower familial conflict, sufficient economic resources and so on.

 These external and internal factors come into play regardless of marital status or biological relationship.

There are divorced parents, foster and adoptive parents and same-sex couples who provide their children love, stability and security, and who manage to do this outside of or within marriage and/or without a biological relationship. Efforts worthy of commendation.

What moved Braun to issue his proclamation? He claims that the nuclear family is “God’s design for the family structure and has been the foundation since the creation of the world.”

First, governor, maybe you missed that science class, but men and women were not present until long after the creation of the world. Even then, who says that prehistoric people had marital unions or limited themselves to raising their own biological children or did not engage in same sex relationships?

But most importantly, while your Christian God may have this design for the family structure, others will tell you that their Christian God, through his love and grace, does not share your opinion. 

People who take on the responsibility of raising children share the same joys, problems and obligations. Regardless of their sex or biological relationship to the children, these parents weep when their children hurt, they are proud of their children’s accomplishments, and they work hard to provide for their children.

 And no one believes that children in a “nuclear family” are granted an amulet of protection against mental and physical abuse. 

If, reader, your opinion is that the only families worthy of celebration are “nuclear families” then there is little I can say to convince you otherwise.

The proclamation encompasses a myriad of opinions as justification for its existence.

It presumes that the governor of Indiana should use his bully pulpit to advocate for public policy changes based upon one narrow religious view of Christianity. It presumes as wrong the laws recognizing same-sex marriage. It presumes that Braun’s construct of family has not outlived its time and can never change.

And it refuses to recognize that approximately two-thirds of Hoosiers support same-sex marriage. 

Inherent in Braun’s proclamation is his hubristic opinion that: “My family is superior to yours because my wife and
I raised our biologically related children.” 

I agree with you, governor, that family has been and remains a very important social institution.

It is through family, whether created by choice, law, legal placement and/or biological relationship, that we can make our way through life and raise children, provide emotional and financial support to each other, help shape our values and provide care for each other.

Those fortunate enough to have a loving, caring family, no matter how it came about, should indeed celebrate and recognize their family. Family has and will keep us moving forward.•

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Celestino-Horseman is an Indianapolis attorney. Send comments to [email protected]

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