I honestly don't understand what the big deal is :/ Your life isn't going to end because a gay couple got married. If you don't like it just ignore it. If you can't deal with it then that's your own issue.. gay couples shouldn't have to be denied the same rights as straight couples just because some people don't like it. I'm tired of the gay rights debates all over the news. They want to get married, let them and this will be all over with. Denying them their right to marry because of something like religion or homophobic people seems selfish. If you're Christian or Catholic doesn't the bible say god will forgive you of your sins? If you consider being gay a sin wont they be forgiven for it? Get over it and stop being so egotistic and selfish of your religion just because you don't approve of something.

A couple of points.

First of all, those who oppose gay marriage would say that no one's right is being infringed, and that a gay man has the same right to marry a woman as a straight man does. I don't agree with the stance, but it does have a twisted sort of logic.

Secondly, I believe the government should get out of the marriage business altogether. There should be no difference in the government's eyes whether someone is married or single. No tax breaks, no advantages either way.

Marriage should be a matter of community and religion. If your religion holds that people of the same gender shouldn't get married, well, then, don't make it available. They can come over and get married at my church, which does. Or, if they're non-theists, they can get their friends and families together, and have a party to recognize their commitment to each other.

Of course, where that gets tricky is benefits. But I think things would roll along just fine if someone were able to say who their spouse was, for themselves, without anyone worrying about it.

But maybe I'm just being naive.

homosexuals are normal everyday people!
they have the same rights as everyone else except if they want to marry, thats just wrong!
let them marry!
why is it bad for them to marry?
the one thing i ask the people who are anti gay marriage, most of them a religious people(no offense, just stating the obvious) think about the other person.
you maybe this or that religion, but the people that want to be married may not be the same.
telling some one they can't do something that is being selfish.
they can make the choice for them self!
i support homosexual marriage!
*gives thumbs up
party hard gays and bis!PARTY HARD!!!!!!!
*starts doing caramelldansen

You know, as the god of insanity, I recognize that this is probably something I shouldn't be saying, as it rather defeats my own purpose - but at this point, the insanity is practically so widespread that it's considered sane. So I feel that I have to point this out:

Why on earth is marriage, a religious or cultural institution, regulated by a government which was founded on the basis of separation of church and state?

Honestly! Where do you want your finger - in the pie, or out of it? You can't have them in both places at once. Choose to be secular or admit that you aren't, for heaven sake!

I mean, unless you've dug your finger so deeply into the pie that it's gone straight through. Or if you've phased part of your finger into another dimension. But at this point and time, I doubt that the American Government has done either.

Personally, as a bi, I believe that gay marraige should be allowed. It shouldn't matter the gender of your partner so long as you're in love. They're the same as us, just aren't priveliged with the same respect. Unlike others; they value eachother for their personality and not their body parts. Nothing can become of harm from them marrying besides from bigots. People with closed minds could have some trouble with opening to this new idea.
There's a saying that states, "We originally crossed oceans not for dirt for our ploughs, but for liberty for our souls." America was called the new world; a place people escaped to for freedom. It was a chance for humanity to start over and live the life they want. Including marrying for love and not acceptance. Shouldn't it be the same for same sex couples?

I agree with earlier presented sentiments- Let People marry People. If we have to call it something else, whatever; Give everyone the same legal rights. Don't legislate discrimination.
(I believe they're looking at overturning Prop. 8 in California. Sadly, Amendment 2 is still on in Florida.)
For those who don't know, the State of Florida also voted to define the legal construct of Marriage as between a man and a woman. This was added to the state constitution under Amendment 2.
Amendment 2 not only threatens gay marriage (Which was ALREADY ILLEGAL under the current laws) but threatens domestic partnerships between men and women.

I think love is love and that whoever wants to marry, whether they be gay, straight, lesbian, or bi, should be able to. I think it's absolutely rediculous that they made it to where you can't so that in the United States, we're people too. They had no right to do that. Then you have to say "Not everyone will be happy with whatever decision they make." Yea, well I don't want to move to Canada just to be able to marry my girlfriend and have it recognised as an actual marriage, that's complete (pardon my language) bullshit.

How is it that if we wanted to ban straight marriages that it would never happen, yet they can ban us from marrying? Does that make any kind of sense what so ever??

Why don't we just ban marriage from the system? Seriously, someone here mentioned marriage started and is a religious institution, and the system kind of broke the "Separation of Church and State" thing by making it a legal mean of getting priviledges. I say, if someone's getting these priviledges, everyone should be able to >_>

PS: The Land of Freedom? >.>

Didn't marriage start in some places as an expression of patriarchalism?.
You know the father giving away the daughter in marriage. This is about an exchange of property.
The female person was owned by her father until she is owned by her husband.

Futhermore the whole female person take the male person's name in marriage reflects the exchange of property system. She is no longer herself, she is mistress husband now.
Like a coat with an owners label on it.
Coat of so and so...This is the mistress of so and so...Her own family roots don't matter, she has an ownership label now. Her female ancestry is meant to be gone so she can be her husbands property and not value her female ancestry.

How can the patriarachal system apply to homosexuals?.
Two female person getting married?. Who are they are identify with now that there's no male persons involved?.
With two male person, who is supposed to be the one who takes the idenity of the other one?.
Who gets labeled as the property of the other person?...Opps...doesn't work.

Would be nice to abolish patriarchalism and all it's ugly customs go down the toliet, still I don't see that happening soon because there's too many patriarchalists still around wanting to worship male idenity and wanting to label people who believe otherwise as radical feminists.
There's other patriarchal things in some traditional vows which I have forgotten now. Anyhow the haters can't extend their patriarchal garbage to gay marriage and it probably bothers them a lot.

Regardless of where it started, marriage is currently seen by most people as a merging of lives, an act of commitment to each other on the part of two (or more) people. I'd like, someday, to have someone that I feel safe enough with, comfortable enough with, in love enough with to make that kind of commitment, to say, "I'm going to stand by this person whatever comes, and we're going to have a family together, and we'd like you, our families and community, to recognize and support that."

Hmm the surname thing is true >.> I find my mom sad sometimes because my dad had 4 daughters and no sons, which would mean my surname ends here [unless I married in Brazil or something xD]. It's these little details most people don't notice that keeps humanity far from being homogenic. Rights these days are unbalanced, making them "priviledges" more than anything else...

PS: Maybe abolishing the surname thing and everyone keep their surnames, and give their kid the surnames in the order they want? Like, there are people whose father's family name doesn't help them stand out because of being too common...

I say male surnames passed on to male offspring and female surnames passed on to female offspring. Though this would not work with homosexual families as both parents are the same sex so I guess then half one surname and half the other one.

I hate when people want a male child to carry on their family name. There's so many unwanted female babies in China now because people want a male baby to carry their surname with the patriarchal system. Traditions which promote hatred and discrimination need to die off.

Gay marriage is just marriage. To call it anything else, I think, is demeaning, as it's the same thing. Ashton Kutcher has even made the valid point that one of the reasons the US was founded was that England refused to separate church and state. Now we're doing that exact thing by denying gays marriage. Prop 8 should not have passed, or even been considered.

With surnames, they can do exactly what they currently do; let them decide. Even with heterosexual marriage, it's only a tradition to take the male's name. My parents thought about using my mother's name, or a name further back in my dad's family, or something altogether different. When people get married, they're allowed to choose their new last name; it does not even have to be either of their last names.

I could say a lot more, but I have to start working on writing some essays. =/

i remember this topic on gaia and one of my most pressing point was why not? what is the difference of them being alowed or not?

if the two are in love they will stay together, the marage would act as a social acceptance of those two lovers. why should they be denied the wright to be joined in marrage?

there is no reason to why they should be denied other than the views of a homaphobic group that think that homasexual acts are wrong, a matter that due to new laws is now void of its validity.

Yes, they should be able to marry.
If I can marry a man they should be able to marry who ever they want.

I think anybody should be allowed to marry anyone they want. Marriage is about being with the person you love for the rest of your life (and yes, I know that you don't have to get married to do that)

Who cares if they are gay or not? Gay people getting married is not going to hurt anybody so just let them do it!

wow....I created this topic so long ago....and yet after it died...it resurfaced three times....there has got to be like 4 or 5 of the same topic.

I am for gay marriage all the way. The country claims to be a separation of church and state and yet they let religious views cloud the way they think.

Yes, all the way. I don't even see why it should be an issue, especially with the whole separation of church and state. What have they ever done to anyone? In fact, they're the ones prejudged by others. I hope it's legalized one day, I really do!

Originally Posted by Zombie Zombie

With surnames, they can do exactly what they currently do; let them decide. Even with heterosexual marriage, it's only a tradition to take the male's name. My parents thought about using my mother's name, or a name further back in my dad's family, or something altogether different. When people get married, they're allowed to choose their new last name; it does not even have to be either of their last names.

I could say a lot more, but I have to start working on writing some essays. =/

No, they cannot do what they want. Currently only a wife is allowed to take a husband's surname. A husband cannot currently take his wife's surname without a legal hassle and more legal fees. I'm fairly sure homeosexuals would get the same hassle and unfair legal fees imposed on them.
A wife taking her husband's surname is the only name change that is allowed without more legal fees...I'd say that is discrimination. I bet you parents didn't take this route because the legal system makes it more of a hassle to do so.
I'm guessing if your parents were willing to move away from a patriarchal ritual like that ( wife marries into husband's family so she can become his property), then at least they are more educated and progressive.

Incidently, I recently signed a petition to allow homeosexual marriage in VT.
It will hopefully be passed in Feb. Good luck to all the homeosexuals currently waiting to get married.

You need to cite your source, because I can honestly tell you that when I got married in 2007, I had the option to go either way.

iF this has changed, that's good. Just going by various articles that I've read.

I believe in the separation in church and state, everyone should have equal rites and benefits. The governments should call all "Marriages" i.e the legal contract of marriage civil unions whether straight or gay and let the churches on an individual basis decide whether they want to perform a spiritual ceremony for the event. So everyone can go to the court house and get hitched.

I think its quite ridiculous how they ban marriage of the same sex. Its not between an animal and a man. Its not a dressing drawer with a woman. The constitution states clearly a union between two PEOPLE. And it seems the government has forgotten that their is a separation between church and state.

And if we get the chance to vote for it the government shouldn't hide things that will take away their rights to just gain one. If I'm voting for something I should know EXACTLY what I'm voting for.

But yeah Marriage of the same sex. Yes. It is everyone person's right to fall in love and be married. The government can't choose who you fall in love with and neither can the church. They should allow it. Their is nothing wrong with it. Why deny the rights of others just because they're different?

They should be alowed to marry. Few people know that homosexuality is not a choice, and I know you can't always choose who you fall in love with. Church and state are two separate things, apparently the government is too stupid to re-read the constitution.

No, gay marriage should not be allowed. Allowing gay marriage will weaken the traditional family values that are essential to a growing society. It will make more cause in later generations to accept homosexuality as a main course for marriage creating mother&father parent ideal to vanish.

Also allowing gay marriage will at sometime create a slope in which polygamy, beastiality, and the marriage to inanimate objects. As there are people who wish those to become legal because there are people, as odd as it may sound, who really wish to marry their vehicles. Polygamy is already in effect and will only take time to be announced legal if gay marriage is legalized. Overall it will create a very slippery slope in which I do not think we would be able to get out of.