A pro-family group called Them Before Us launched the "Greater Than" campaign on January 28th. The campaign's goal is to highlight how legalizing same-sex marriage has allegedly threatened children’s rights. Them Before Us argues that children have a natural right to both a mother and a father, which same-sex marriage undermines. The effort seeks to overturn the 2015 Supreme Court decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, which guaranteed same-sex marriage. The campaign cites consequences like parenthood being treated as replaceable and points to IVF abuse cases as linked issues.
about 1 month ago
A new initiative called "Greater Than," launched on January 28, 2026, by the nonprofit Them Before Us, argues that legalizing same-sex marriage via the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision has harmed children's rights.1 2
The campaign centers children as the "true victims," deprived of their natural right to both a mother and father, prioritizing their needs over adult desires.1 2
Them Before Us claims same-sex marriage treats parenthood as replaceable, denying children the unique contributions of both parents essential for development.1 2
Founder Katy Faust, a mother of four and children's rights advocate, states that a decade post-Obergefell shows children deserve better than being "Greater Than adult desires."1 2
The group clarifies it does not deem gay individuals bad parents but insists children need both a mother and father.1 2
The campaign links Obergefell to inadequate child protections, citing IVF abuses: a California couple allegedly created over 20 surrogate children before arrest for abuse; a sex offender obtained a child via IVF; and a 74-year-old man kept two IVF-acquired children in cages.1 2
Supporters include CatholicVote, Live Action, Abby Johnson, Ruth Institute, Word on Fire Institute, American Family Association, and Focus on the Family.1 2
Jennifer Roback Morse of Ruth Institute emphasizes children's rights to parents, genetic identity, and heritage, viewing marriage as protecting these interests.1 2
Walker Wildmon (AFA) calls for refocusing on children's God-given right to both parents; Jim Daly (Focus on the Family) warns of societal destabilization; Lisa Bevere ties it to protecting vulnerable generations.1 2
The articles reference Catholic teaching: chastity integrates sexuality (CCC 2337), homosexual acts contradict natural law (CCC 2357), yet those with same-sex attraction deserve respect (CCC 2358).1 2
Marriage unites mothers, fathers, and children, limiting adult behaviors for child welfare, aligning with the campaign's child-centered stance.1 2
Greater Than seeks to overturn Obergefell, urging the Supreme Court to protect children's rights nationwide through a coalition of parents, faith leaders, influencers, nonprofits, and policymakers.1 2
Children’s rights require both mother and father, Catholic doctrine asserts
Catholic doctrine unequivocally supports the assertion that children's rights fundamentally include the presence and complementary love of both a mother and a father, rooted in the natural law, the biology of procreation, and the divine plan for the family. This teaching emerges from Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium, emphasizing that the family—constituted by the marital union of man and woman—is the sanctuary where children receive holistic formation. Documents like Amoris Laetitia and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church explicitly articulate this right, while philosophical and theological reflections underscore its biological and spiritual necessity. Far from a mere preference, this is presented as essential for a child's integral development, countering modern ideologies that downplay sexual complementarity.
At the heart of Catholic teaching lies the recognition that biology imposes normative obligations within the family. Children, as biological offspring of their parents, possess rights that flow directly from procreation itself. Women’s physical and emotional vulnerability during childbearing implies a claim to protection from the husband, while children have distinct needs met by their mother and father due to sexual differentiation. "Children might therefore claim an intrafamiliar right to the presence of both parents—a right that is rooted in the biological differentiation of the sexes." This is not contractual but transcends it, as parents are primarily accountable for their children's food, clothing, and education precisely because of biological ties. Ignoring these facts risks injustice, particularly against women's vulnerability and children's needs.
Marriage elevates these natural realities through grace. Gaudium et Spes, interpreted through Humanae Vitae, links spousal self-gift to parenthood: "Authentic married love is caught up in the divine love... so that this love may lead the spouses to God... and may aid and strengthen them in the sublime office of being a mother and a father." Biological roles are not invented but discovered, forming an "office" perfected by Christ. The marital act's unitive and procreative ends ensure children are "the natural fruit of a human act," not technological products.
Pope Francis, in Amoris Laetitia, states plainly: "Every child has a right to receive love from a mother and a father; both are necessary for a child’s integral and harmonious development." This echoes the Australian Bishops' observation that each parent contributes distinctly, affirming the child's "need and natural right to have a mother and a father." The mutual love of spouses reveals God's face to the child, teaching reciprocity and respect. Even if one parent is absent "for some inevitable reason," compensation is urged, but the ideal remains both parents united.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine reinforces this: the unborn child’s rights demand "the stability of a family founded on marriage, through the complementarities of the two persons, father and mother." Reproductive technologies like surrogate motherhood or gamete donation are rejected as they violate "the right of the child to be born of one father and one mother who are father and mother both from a biological and from a legal point of view." Such methods treat children as objects, separating procreation from the conjugal act.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church frames marriage as "ordered to the good of the spouses, to the procreation and the education of children," creating "primordial responsibilities" among family members. Society must protect this order, ensuring families can raise children according to their convictions.
Even in broken situations, children's primacy endures. Amoris Laetitia warns separated parents: "Never ever, take your child hostage!... They should grow up hearing their mother speak well of their father... and their father speak well of their mother." Disparaging the other wounds the child irreparably.
Historically, Popes Pius XI and John Paul II affirm parental primacy over the state. Children "belong to the family" before the state; "existence does not come from the State, but from the parents." Parents' educational rights are natural, subordinated only to divine law, not absolute state control. Familiaris Consortio lists family rights, including stability of marriage, education per family values, and protection from harms like drugs—rights owed especially to children. John Paul II calls concern for children—from conception onward—the "primary and fundamental test" of human relations.
Pope Francis extends this to society in Fratelli Tutti, portraying the family as a model of belonging where all support each other, mirroring how children thrive under parental care. Families transmit solidarity, faith, and fraternity from infancy. This fraternal vision, inspired by St. Francis, undergirds openness to every person, starting in the family.
Catholic doctrine robustly asserts children's rights to both mother and father, grounded in creation's design, redemption's perfection, and the Church's solicitude. From biological complementarity to explicit magisterial rights , this teaching prioritizes the child's good over adult desires or technological interventions. Families, aided by Church and society, must foster this environment. In a world challenging these truths, Catholics are called to witness: welcome every child as God's gift, uphold marriage's indissolubility, and advocate for family rights. This ensures children grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."