The welfare state hands out goodies and gives tax deductions to all kinds of groups, based largely on who the politicians want to cozy up to in order to get re-elected. Part of this voter buying comes in the form of benefits to traditional families, such as income tax deductions for married couples. But this has created a barrier in the way of gay marriage. Many gay couples want access to economic benefits, which they are barred from by other groups who oppose gay marriage and want to preserve the benefits for traditional families. If these benefits did not exist it would be much easier to defend gay marriage for what it is - and what all marriages are - namely a private contract between consenting adults. In a sense, therefore, the issue of gay marriage illustrates how one government incursion into private citizens' lives (redistribution of income between married couples and singles) creates another incursion (a ban on a private contract between consenting adults).