As the country remains mired in recession, it’s important that proponents of marriage equality be able to articulate the ways in which our relationships can positively contribute to the economy.

The New York Times‘ fantastic “Economix” blog has a post today by Economics Professor Nancy Folbre of University of Massachusetts Amherst in which she explains how powerful the commodity of love is in today’s America, a commodity that is undervalued and unappreciated.

If we believe that marriage represents a valuable form of commitment we should support gay and lesbian couples who desire access to it.

If we want to economize on love we should pay more attention to its actual and potential economic contributions.

Photo illustration courtesy of Flickr user TW Collins.