Same-sex Marriage

Massachusetts now has legal marriage for same-sex couples. What is the future of the US with Same-sex marriage. Will Massachusetts lead the way? Do you guys think this a a positve step for equal rights?

 

hell yah! A friend's mommys got married today. It made me very happy. *dances*

 

of course its a positive step... what else would we do? add a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage? that's lame

 

but...come to think of it i think civil marriage should be abolished all together. Marriage is a religious thing. First amendment anyone?

 

well, Un-President Bush would like to. Of course, he thinks Africa is a country... so, little credibility..

 

so if we get rid of civil marriage all together, then people who are married by there religion will have no rights under civil law, like all married couples get? Or would they keep those rights they have, but the people who are not and cannot be married in a religion for some reason will not have those same rights and benefits?

 

I think it's more of a step sideways than a step forward.

However, I do think that the rest of the country will follow suit, but it will take a decade or two for it to happen.

 

gay rights NOW! W00t.

 

"civil union" should have no restrictions for consenting adults, and have rights with it which are equal to (or better) than civil marriage. This should be separated from "marriage" which is religious.

 

I don't know why the distinction of the term "marriage" is such a big deal... I mean, it's a common usage thing you know... a couple is much more likely to say "we're married!" rather than "we're... civilly united!" Neither of my parents are religious... so technically, are they not married? It's as if the anti-gay religious right is clinging to their possession of the term "marriage" for some consolation. I don't really have a problem with them claiming marriage as a religious term, but I don't think it's that important, just petty semantics.

 

Sam, I believe the difference is people of the same sex could get married before, if they could find a church that would do so, but they would still not be recognized under the law.

I don't necessarily believe people need to get married unless you are religious, but I think it is only fair to give everyone equal rights. For example, I have a friend who has been with her "boyfriend" for 20 years. They never wanted to get married. They are not recognized under any laws either.

I still don't understand why any of this has to do with the government and why the government thinks it should be able to have a say in whom one falls in love with. The whole idea is silly to me.

 

Bah. Marriage is for having children. Homosexualls obviously can't have children...

I really don't care what you do in your bedroom... there's no reason to get married because of the above.

 

Thats almost... no, it is! a republican standpoint! Do you propose that infertile couples not be allowed to marry? (since marriage is for making children and all) Also, I know MANY gay couples with children. A bunch of my friends have gay parents.

 

I'm definately with charredacacia, what if a straight couple marries and decides to not have kids? Marriage has become so much more than the right way to have children, surprisingly theres actually some emotional attatchment and love involved. People have kids without being married all the time, and people who have kids already get divorced, it's all legal.

 

Really? Why don't we just run around naked having random sex? We'd be much more efficient in producing children that way.

 

I think it's a little strange that people keep referring to marriage as a "religious" status... although marriage, in a traditional environment, typically involves religious ceremony and union, for many people it means much more. Marriage entitles the couple to the following list of economic and political benefits:
*joint parenting;

*joint adoption;

*joint foster care, custody, and visitation (including non-biological parents);

*status as next-of-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions where one partner is too ill to be competent;

*joint insurance policies for home, auto and health;

*dissolution and divorce protections such as community property and child support;

*immigration and residency for partners from other countries;

*inheritance automatically in the absence of a will;

*joint leases with automatic renewal rights in the event one partner dies or leaves the house or apartment;

*inheritance of jointly-owned real and personal property through the right of survivorship (which avoids the time and expense and taxes in probate);

*benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Social Security, and Medicare;

*spousal exemptions to property tax increases upon the death of one partner who is a co-owner of the home;

*veterans' discounts on medical care, education, and home loans; joint filing of tax returns;

*joint filing of customs claims when traveling;

*wrongful death benefits for a surviving partner and children;

*bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child;

*decision-making power with respect to whether a deceased partner will be cremated or not and where to bury him or her;

*crime victims' recovery benefits;

*loss of consortium tort benefits;

*domestic violence protection orders;

*judicial protections and evidentiary immunity;

*and more....



Perhaps, when discussing the objections to same-sex marriage... it's important to remember these benefits that would be endowed to many more people if it were legalized. And, if it were legalized, would it be fair to expect the same argument from other types of alternative couples?

with love,
kayatree

 

It's definitely a step in the right direction. I think with time the rest of the states will follow.
I've not seen any good arguments against gay marriage yet.

 

Our country was founded on freedom to all.
That means we must give it to all.
not just those who fit what we believe to be right in there lifestyles.
As for the legal benefits of marriage I think gays should have these rights just as everyone else.
Thus ensuring that we are still a free country.
It is not right to deny people something for religious reasons espescially in America.
That was the whole point of this country in the first place.Freedom for all religion no matter what that might be.
Give them marriage or give me death!!!!!

 

That is quite ignorant. Marriage is for a lot more than having children. What a silly, silly statement.

 

Marraige has been a financial and civil contract long before it was considered "religious." Kayatree laid out a lot of the benefits of marraige. One of the reasons Bear and I got married was for insurance and tax reasons. Also, it is easier economically. Womyn are actually more protected from a lot of different financial abuses under marrage than without it.

As someone once said, kind of in jest "Let gay people get married, they should have the right to be just as miserable as the rest of us." I'm being silly, but there is a LOT more to marraige than religion and children.