Arthur J. Finkelstein, a prominent Republican consultant who has directed a series of hard-edged political campaigns to elect conservatives in the United States and Israel over the last 25 years, said Friday that he had married his male partner in a civil ceremony at his home in Massachusetts.

Mr. Finkelstein, 59, who has made a practice of defeating Democrats by trying to demonize them as liberal, said in a brief interview that he had married his partner of 40 years to ensure that the couple had the same benefits available to married heterosexual couples.

“I believe that visitation rights, health care benefits and other human relationship contracts that are taken for granted by all married people should be available to partners,” he said.

He declined further comment on the wedding, which was in December.

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The right to create relationship contracts. Is it different from the right to marry? I think it is. I’m glad Finkelstein is putting on the table the things he entered into a marriage for, and not speaking of some “right to love” that I hear so much about. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have the right to love.

I still stand against marriage (for all people) as a promise of love and commitment. If we would start to call it what it is, a contract, maybe I would sway a little. A little. But people who believe God said you should get good grades (a frighteningly large group) will never really view marriage as a contract, so I’ll never have to. Marriage will never be more than I promise to love you forever and never leave and what will our wedding colors be? Not in this country anyway.