Everyone seems to agree that Senator Larry Craig's vote against gay marriage, combined with his alleged penchant for gay sex, is evidence of hypocrisy.   I see it differently.

The argument against gay marriage is an argument in favor of preserving the traditional definition of marriage because it encourages people to conform to societal norms for the common good.  When couples marry, they create an optimal environment for producing and raising productive citizens for the next generation.  In return for this public service, they earn a degree of respect from their peers.   This social approval is predicated on the conviction that raising the next generation of citizens in an optimal environment is critical to the future success of our civilization. 

Gay marriage proponents argue that society has no right to coerce individuals into conformance with societal norms, especially when the norm goes against the natural inclinations of the individual.  They want gay couples to enjoy the same social approval that married heterosexual couples enjoy, regardless of whether gay couples deliver the public service that the social approval is based on.

Opponents of gay marriage, like Senator Craig, believe it is necessary to coerce individuals in this manner because a decision to procreate with one and only one woman for the rest of his life is not something that would come naturally to any man.  For most of us, our natural inclination would be to procreate with as many woman as possible, as often as possible.  When we marry, we supress these urges.  We do this because our desire for social approval is stronger than our natural inclinations.

As for Senator Craig, let's assume, despite his claims to the contrary, that he may have different natural inclinations than most men.  Still, he chose to get married, and stay married, to a woman, contributing three children as productive citizens for the next generation in the process.  Is there any doubt that Senator Craig's choice was influenced by a desire for the social approval that comes with traditional marriage? In Senator Craig's case, the institution worked as intended.

When one considers the vow that he took on his wedding day, it is easy to see that Senator Craig's alleged behaviour is hypocritical.  When it comes to public policy, however, Senator Craig lived his own personal life the same way that he now advocates for the rest of us: he conformed to societal norms for the common good. Can someone explain to me how his vote against gay marriage is hypocritical?