Straight Ex-spouses: Legalize Gay Marriage

The chorus of voices calling for marriage equality in Washington, D.C., includes ex-spouses of gay people. They argue that the legalization of same-sex marriage would help avert the pain and disappointment of marrying a partner who later comes out as gay.

The exes -- some bitter, others relieved -- spoke with The Washington Post. All were women.

"Many of these former spouses -- from those who still feel raw resentment toward their exes to those who have reached a mutual understanding -- see the legalization of same-sex marriage as a step toward protecting not only homosexuals but also heterosexuals," the Post reported. "If homosexuality was more accepted, they say, they might have been spared doomed marriages followed by years of self-doubt."

Women like Carolyn Lowengart advocate with groups such as the Straight Spouse Network.

"We want people to have the right to be who they are," Lowengart told the Post. "If that were the case, people like me wouldn't exist."