Th e article is a philosophical analysis of the meaning structure of two competing conceptions of marriage with regard to children's right to develop their sexual identity. Th ese two conceptions of marriage make diff erent metaphysical assumptions about human nature, which lead to diff erent conceptions about the preconditions of children's sexual development. Th e gender diverse conception assumes that human beings are born with a biological sex and they can be integrated persons only when

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... ersons only when living in terms with it. In order to develop their sexual identity they benefi t from male-female interaction within the nuclear family. Th e genderless conception assumes that children are free to construct their sexual identity according to their inner experience and the main precondition for such an authentic development is an environment free of sexual stereotypes.