INT. KITCHEN, CHICAGO - NIGHT
...where a father sits with his daughter, who is finishing her chicken and French fries.
Daughter: Why can't a girl marry another girl?
Father: What do you mean?
Daughter: It's illegal, right?
Father: Where did you get that?
Daughter: You were talking about it this afternoon. With your friends. About something that happened in California. You said 'illegal'.
Father: Its-- Its complicated, but if you decided you wanted to be with another girl... you could. Right now, where we live... it just wouldn't be called marriage.
Daughter: What would it be called?
Father: A civil union.
Daughter: A civil "what"?
Father: Union.
Long pause, the daughter pushing chicken around her plate.
Daughter: I don't get it.
Father: Its-- Its like a marriage, but it can't be called marriage...
Daughter: ...because that's illegal and illegal is bad.
Daughter: Stealing is illegal, right? And killing other people is illegal. And one girl marrying another girl is illegal.
Father: Its-- Its not the same, Jo.
Daughter: Why is it not the same?
Father: Finish your chicken.
Daughter: Because that's why they make stuff illegal. Because they think its bad.
Father: There's nothing bad about--
Daughter: So, I can't marry Schyler?
Father: No, but again... you could still be with Schyler if you wanted--
Daughter: Can you marry your brother?
Father: No.
Daugher: Not MY brother, but SOME brother. Is that illegal too?
Father: Yes, THAT'S illegal, but there's an actual reason, which is that if a brother and a sister get married and try to have a baby, that baby will have serious medical issues and the government doesn't want to risk that happening.
Daughter: OH! So, maybe if one girl marries another girl they would also have a sick baby and THAT'S why its illegal.
Father: No... that's not the case.
Daughter: Its not?
Father: No, there are lots of ways that two girls who get married could have a healthy baby. It wouldn't be THEIR baby in the same way with other couples...
Daughter: ...but its NOT about healthy babies?
Father: No.
Daughter: And its NOT about being bad?
Father: No.
Daughter: Like stealing and killing? Not bad like that?
Father: No.
Long pause, as the daughter pops a French fry in her mouth, chews, and swallows.
Daughter: I-- I really don't get it.
Another long pause, the Father taking his own French fry.
Father: To be honest... I don't get it either.
Thank God for Prop 8, so that I don't have to have "confusing" conversations about marriage with my child.
Because, see, without Prop 8 I'd have to have the following, tortured, interchange:
Daughter: Why can't one girl marry another girl?
Father: They can. Now eat your chicken.