Weigh In: Legalizing Gay Marriage

[sigmagrrl]

Is this something that should be done? Should we allow gays/lesbians the legal right to marry? Is marriage only something that can occur between a man and a woman?

Let's discuss....

A man and a woman.

[LeslieAGD]

Personally, I believe "marriage" is between a man and a woman.

However, I see nothing wrong with committment ceremonies that provide gay couples with legal rights (tax concerns, insurance, etc).

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by Ginger
A man and a woman.

Ditto

[DeltAlum]

I'm honestly conflicted about this.

If we're talking about marriage in the legal sense, I'm not wild about government legislating what goes on inside a couple's home.

If we're talking about the religious sense, I'm really in conflict and, frankly, that's an argument I just don't feel like having right now.

edit:

Here's something new. I'm quoting a later post. See immediately below. I guess this is pretty much how I'm feeling at the moment.

"I think marriage should be legalized for gays and lesbians. I can't think of any reasons, besides religious ones, that would make it "wrong" for gays and lesbians to get married -- and I don't think the government should be using religious justification for its laws."

Sugar and Spice, thanks, in advance, so to speak.

Problem with the religious aspect is that it generally revolves around a lot of quotes from The Bible. A great book, but written in a time and age that I can't relate to -- and the writers couldn't relate to now, either.

So, the little conservative guy on my right shoulder and the little liberal guy on my left shoulder keep yelling at me all at the same time. I'm not quite ready to agree with either of them just yet.

[sugar and spice]

I think marriage should be legalized for gays and lesbians. I can't think of any reasons, besides religious ones, that would make it "wrong" for gays and lesbians to get married -- and I don't think the government should be using religious justification for its laws.

[Allie]

Originally posted by LeslieAGD
Personally, I believe "marriage" is between a man and a woman.

However, I see nothing wrong with committment ceremonies that provide gay couples with legal rights (tax concerns, insurance, etc).

I feel the same way, wether it's call a "marriage" persay or a "committment" I feel that any couple who has chosen to be "life partners" should be eligable for tax, health, investment benefits like any traditional couple. I also feel it should be legally recognized due to the number of homosexual couples that are adopting children. I feel that those children should be looked at by the eyes of the court like any other children would if the parents were to divorce.

Anyways who am I to judge someones lifestyle? I say threat them like everyone else

[kappaloo]

I'm all for gay marriage. I mean, why don't we want these people to be in solid, committed relationships?

I'm also for a churchs right to restrict who they marry though. (some churchs will marry gay couples ... they're far and few but they exists).

I don't like calling it something else at the legal level. Either everything is a "marriage" or its a "civil union". To distinguish between gay and straight couples at the legal level (and label them differently) makes no sense to me.

[Tom Earp]

Sorry, while I have Gay Customers, friends and Brothers, I am still out on this one!

Still not sure personally!

[aephi alum]

I believe that there should be a legal status equivalent to marriage for same-sex couples. I'm not sure it should be called "marriage" as it is for opposite-sex couples, but there needs to be something - so that same-sex couples can get onto each other's health plans, visit each other in the hospital, pay the marriage tax penalty etc. And dissolving that relationship should be a similar process to divorce for opposite-sex couples.

[Lady Pi Phi]

I say let then marry. Why is this such a controversial issue?

I don't believe marriage is the sacred institution it once was. 50 percent of marriages end in divorce anyway, so it's resonable to say the same will be for homosexual marriages.

How many men and women have gotten married and said "well if it doesn't work out, I can just get a divorce". If marriage is going to be taken so lightly nowadays, what's the big deal if a same sex couple feels they want to spend the rest of their life together?

If some people are going to be so blase about marriage, then why don't heterosexual couple just have commitment ceremonies? Why is it necessary to get married?

In a commitment ceremony the vows can go something like this: "I pledge to spend the rest of my life with you...or at least until something better comes along".

[DZHBrown]

Man and woman.

[Kevin]

Saying what two people do in their own bed room is none of our business is not paying attention to the entire issue. I have no problem with gay relationships and what goes along with them.

As you should know, marriage is not just about sex.

It means many times paying less taxes, being covered by your partner's insurance from their job, etc.

Gay marriage is not an issue between the man and man or woman or woman (or whatever). It effects everyone's pocket book. If it happens, we all will end up with higher insurance premiums and higher taxes (fair to assume that since less tax money and insurance would be collected on account of more married people).

On the other hand, lawyers would enjoy being able to make their pay days off of gay divorces

[Munchkin03]

I am fully supportive of same-sex unions. and that the government has no business in our bedrooms. I think the word "marriage" smacks too much of religion, and I don't really like the term too much, even for my own partnership. I think there should be equal benefits--if one of the partners in a gay relationship dies, the survivor has no legal right to their stuff. Big problem.

Are heterosexual unions so tenuous that the creation of gay "marriage" will weaken the centuries-old practice of marriage between a man and woman?

[cash78mere]

marriage should be between a man and a woman only.