The Family as Calf Shed

Andrew Sullivan links to a great quote from Nobel laureate and ex–Czech president Vaclav Havel, who's pleased about the same-sex partnership law his country recently passed:

"I was most intrigued in the debate by the absurd ideology advocated by the Christian Democrats and Klaus, who argue that family should have advantages since, unlike homosexual couples, it brings children to life. This is the concept of family as a sort of calf shed in which bulls can inseminate cows so that calves are born," Havel said.

And, come to think of it, maxims like the demeaning "no man will buy the cow if he can get the milk for free" do suggest a certain fondness for livestock analogies among those who style themselves "pro-family."