How About A Movement Where Straights Refuse To Marry

[ruggerson]

until gay couples have full equal rights? A nationwide boycott of the institution of marriage until the laws are changed?

It would have to be started by straight couples and maintained by straight couples. Kind of like all the white folks who went down South to fight for civil rights.

What would the ramifications of this be?

[blondeatlast]

1. The standard right-wing rheroic would be that the straight couples

are not worthy of concern since they can't possibly be God-fearing, GWB-voting Young Republicans.

An interesting idea. If I weren't already married, I'd enlist.

[realisticphish]

5. just get divorced

and dont remarry :evilgrin:

[blondeatlast]

6. There are huge technical issues involved in that--

gotta have my hubby's health insurance. I have diabetes and am under treatment for heart problems.

Even a great political statement isn't enough to risk my life about.

[seabeyond]

2. told hubby we need to get a divorce to support,

i hear ya. our marriage is our own, no one can define it, cannot be hurt from anyone outside. and this is a big enough deal to us, we will support anyway we can, even giving up title of married, even giving up being married, dont really care. i haev two little ones. wouldnt hurt them a bit.

[In_The_Wind]

3. I'm all for that !

staggering !

[radwriter0555]

4. OHMYGAWD what would the WEDDING INDUSTRY in Uhmurrikkkuh DO???

They'd have no virgins to adorn in white... and fields of flowers left undissimated and no chicken breasts slathered in white sauce.. THINK OF THE BROCCOLI FLORETS that would go uneaten and unpicked????

Think of the appliances gathering dust at Crate & Barrel!

Think of the seafoam green bridesmaids dresses hanging limp on the rack... and the miles of tulle unused!

OH the HUMANITY!

[Chipper Chat]

8. Your humor cracked me up! A++

How 'bout a boycott by wedding planners, dress designers, hotel banquet facilities, and church organists? Lotsa gays there. Let freedom reign!
PS: The broccoli florets would stay uneaten either way!

[Shallah Kali]

10. Seriously how much of the US economy is part of the marriage industry?

I remember reading once that it was something like 5% but have no idea how accurate the info was. Look at all the $$$$$ being spend on the wedding of the runaway bride that the MSM was drooling all over. 500 guests, many flying from around the country, 14 bridesmaides, 14 groomsmen, catering, hotel rentals, car rentals, gifts, etc. If heteros refused marriage in solidarity it would really be a hit on the economy.

[radwriter0555]

14. My wedding 2 weeks ago cost us about $300, including the license,

copies of the license; lovely champagne and snacks for our group of 7 at L'Hermitage then a lovely, well indulged dinner at the Hamlet here in Los Angeles. The restaurant provided the dinner and champagne gratis...

Oh wait, my daughter and I spent about $300 a couple pieces of clothing for the day...

oh the horror! We didn't spend a million bucks on ancient, archaic and obsolete hallmark traditions!

[Shallah Kali]

15. Marriage is a $79 Billion per year - average is $24,000!

Congratulations on your marriage! You were wise to buck the national trend towards extravagent marriages IMO.


The Gay-Marriage Windfall: $16.8 Billion
http://www.forbes.com/2004/04/05/cx_al_0405gaymarriage_print.html

Of course, they wouldn't all get married right away, so it might be several years before the industry reaped the entire windfall. But it seems reasonable to presume that if same-sex marriage were to be legalized, a large percentage of gay couples immediately would begin making plans to march down the aisle together. The industry would catch the bouquet in the form of a short-term gain of prodigious proportions.

From caterers to jewelers to travel agents, the $70 billion-per-year U.S. wedding industry embraces a wide array of sectors. If gay couples could say "I do," and assuming they spend as much on the occasion as their heterosexual counterparts, then such companies as Tiffany (nyse: TIF - news - people ), Williams-Sonoma (nyse: WSM - news - people ), Marriott International (nyse: MAR - news - people ), Federated Department Stores (nyse: FD - news - people ) and May Department Stores (nyse: MAY - news - people ) would see a serious boost in their matrimony-related business.

SNIP

Gay marriage would inject a sudden growth spurt into an industry whose expansion prospects are constrained by the limited growth in annual marriages. That's not to say that the sector has been stagnant in recent years: The average cost of a wedding has climbed steadily in the last decade to reach $22,000 in 2004, according to The Knot, the largest online wedding site with about 1.1 million new couples registering each year.

hmmmm. This article has me wondering why the businesses who profit so much from hetero weddings are not lobbying for same sex marriage. There is a lot of $ for them to gain from this!

[blogbear]

7. There is time..I need to get the guys to be my flower girls ready..

[Cleita]

9. We should really make marriage into a contract

between the parties involved, with terms and whatever set out legally, like which property is jointly owned, who gets to do what, responsibility toward children, or even if there was going to be sex involved at all, and so on.

It could be traditional but also opens up the possiblity for variations. IMHO

[eternalburn]

11. It exists already...

...

http://www.unmarried.org/marriage-boycott.html

[liveoaktx]

12. Problem-it would be like living together and without property rights

which, is one main reason, sentimentality aside, that gays want to be able to marry, so that legally their joint assets are protected, in case of death or divorce.

[digno dave]

13. energies best use elsewhere