Gays misled by Obama?

[appnut]

I don't give a you-know-what about what it's called. If not calling it marriage will get what we seek, COMMPROMISE!!! Life is about COMPROMISE. I just want to have the rights to visit sick partner, make medical decisions, inheritance, and probably even health insurance benefits without having to go through power of attorney and other legal documentation building. Seems to me it all blew up in facesa when y'all had to push for the term marriage!! Get over yourselves!!!!!!!

 

[jeffg]

Do you also believe interracial couples "pushed" for their marriage rights a half-century ago? How about women, did they
"push" for suffrage 80 years ago? Or black people, did they "push" to become human beings instead of chattel in the 19th Century?

Gay couples aren't pushing for anything that's not already guaranteed them by our federal and state constitutions. California's Supreme Court has stated this explicitly: marriage is a right for all people, unless the state can prove a compelling interest in denying this right to a given class of people. And no, traditional and religious bigotry are not legally or morally defensible interests.

 

[rp2813]

Well, for me, "marriage" is a religious term and has no place in any governmental reference to a union between two people. The churches can call it marriage all they want, they can sanctify opposite sex unions doomed to divorce all they want and make a mockery of their own sacred institution, but as far as what the government calls it, "civil union" should apply to all couples, same sex or opposite.

I'm with Bob. Give me and my partner of 23+ years those same rights and I don't give a rat's ass what you call it. Personally (and all the tacky tv shows about it will bear me out on this) I think "marriage" is for girls, just like tea parties and playing with dolls. Gives me chills to even think that term should apply to my LTR with my partner. NO THANKS.

 

[sudsmaster]

The problem Ralph, is that any state law short of gay marriage means that the couple will still be denied federal benefits accorded only to married people. It's a catch-22: you can't get the state to approve gay marriage, but it will grant domestic partnerships all the rights of a married couple - but only within the state. The feds don't recognize domestic partnerships for things like social security, taxes, etc., and say that marriage is a matter left up to the states. The next step should be at the federal level to get all federal agencies to accord the same rights (and responsibilities) to state-approved domestic partnerships that it accords to married couples. Then, you'd be right, call it something other than marriage and it would be equivalent.

But I suspect by the time all this could be said and done, various states will eventually allow gay marriage anyway. It remains to be seen how Obama will deal with the issue. I suspect it's not at the top of his agenda, considering the economic crisis as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[sudsmaster]

Addendum:

I get more than a little peeved at the type of argument that Warren advanced against gay marriage: he wouldn't approve of polygamy, or marrying a child, or marrying a farm animal, either.

That is disingenuous and misleading. It's carrying things to a logical absurdity. All that would be needed is a simple requirement: marriage is for two persons of consenting age. That rules out all the nonsensical "what-if's?" that the opponents of gay marriage bring up in their arguments in favor of a ban.

I sincerely doubt there would be much if any movement to allow polygamy or human-animal marriage. And even less chance that any court would approve it.

 

[travis]

I really hate my relationship to be lumped in with the relationships of humans and animals. Marriage isn't for girls, it's whatever you make it to be. If I happen to meet some cool guy and we like each other, I expect I'll get hitched at the Fox Theatre. Then my Husband and I will work as a team running the dual projector booth for some wonderful old movie.

Straight folks have already made a mockery out of marriage, what more can gay men do? Once again, I never asked for God's approval of my union, I just want all the social, health, and legal protections that straight people get.