“So what is going to be taught to our people in health class in our schools? What is going to be taught to our children about who in our stories, even to little children — what are married couples? What families look like in America? So, you are going to have in our curriculum, spread throughout our curriculum, worldview that is fundamentally different than what is taught in schools today? Is that not a consequence of gay marriage?”—Rick Santorum, chatting with a young Iowa voter yesterday.

Two things, Rick.

First: Yes. That’s what’s going to happen. In fact, it’s happening already, even in states without marriage equality.

And second, if you think that prospect is likely to send shivers down the spine of any American 23-year-old in 2011, you’re deeply misreading the electorate.

Young people today know “what families look like in America.” They know that loving families are raising kids in all sorts of configurations. They see it every day. Denying those families legal recognition won’t keep kids from seeing them as families, and it won’t stop decent, moral, respectful teachers from referring to them in decent, moral, respectful ways. That battle has been lost. It was lost years ago.

Yes, you can harm these families by denying them legal equality. But that harm, even by your own degraded standards, does nobody any good.

Today’s young voters are disgusted by you, as are their younger sisters and brothers. They will not soon forget what you did to their families and their friends.