Do you think the word marriage is important?

[ccharles000]

Some people think that civil unions are enough. Do you think the word marriage is important? I as a gay man think yes.


PS.everyone be nice.

[cynatnite]

1. It is to me, but probably not for everyone...

Husband and I decide what our marriage means to us. No one else's business and I resent anyone telling me what marriage is supposed to mean.

[Fresh_Start]

2. Other, the word is not important - equal rights are important

either allow everyone to marry legally or allow no one to marry legally(civil unions instead) for all. Leave marriage to religion as a sacrament and take it out of the legal system

[TeeYiYi]

4. What NYCALIZ said! ...nt

TYY

[Stinky The Clown]

7. That's my position, too.

Of course, it has the capacity to make some right wing heads explode.

[FreeState]

10. I have a problem with this approach though

if the US was to make all legal marriages into Civil Unions can you imagine the years and years of hate that will be directed towards GLBT folks by the GOP, and probably some Democrats, that gays destroyed marriage in America?

When you take away the word marriage you take away any social standing the word has in society - thats why the CA court just ruled that it had to be marriage - because of the social standing that comes with the word.

Marriage is Civil. When someone gets married in a Church it is always stated "by the power appointed to me by the state of XXX I pronounce you married." Wonder why that is - oh because Marriage in the US is a Civil institution recognized by the state.

[Fresh_Start]

13. I had two options.

a) marriage for all
b) civil unions for all - marriage only a religious sacrament

I am against marriage for some and civil unions for others.
I am indifferent between marriage not a legal transaction and marriage for all.

I do see your point.

[Booster]

17. Absolutely agree. Take the word out: argument over.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Maybe if heterosexuals could also have civil unions with the same

legal, fundamental, and civil rights as marriage, but under the title "civil union", there wouldn't be the impramateur of two classes of "marriages", one "legitimate and sanctioned" and the other one not.

[hunter]

5. Yes. Without a doubt.

No "separate but equal" bullshit.

[ccharles000]

20. I agree.

[TahitiNut]

6. Reminder: When Obama was born, he was considered a bastard in 17 states.

Until Loving v. Virginia, 17 states still had "anti-miscegenation" laws that prohibited marriage between whites and 'colored.' His parents' marriage was considered illegal. Indeed, they'd be taking their very lives at risk checking into a hotel/motel room in many places. It's not that long ago.

[uppityperson]

8. As part of a hetero couple, I would be glad to have mine called a civil union.

Make it equal for all and I don't have an issue with it. I consider my "marriage" a civil union, since there is no religious quality attached to it.

[newmajority]

9. There are two issues here.

The first is separation of church and state. This is necessary, because religious objections should not dictate law. Religious people perceive the word "marriage" as referring to a sacred ceremony. Some churches would perform same sex weddings, others would not. And that question - of ceremony - absolutely should be left up to the churches to answer for themselves.

The second, and more important issue is that of legal equality. Any two people who enter into this legal partnership should have exactly the same rights. That's the standard that should be enforced by law. If that means the words "marriage license" are no longer used to define that legal document, I have no objection. Call it a "civil union license" or something to that effect whether the couple in question is homo or hetero.

[JerseygirlCT]

11. Absolutely

And everyone is entitled to use it.

It has religious significance for those who believe, and it has long-standing cultural significance. Other words are less than, and that's just not equal.

Less-than might be a necessary in-between step, but the goal should remain true equality.

[LanternWaste]

12. Seems to me that...

Seems to me that Marriage is an additional way to tell someone you love them. And call me an old softy, or even a romantic-- but I think that any possible way you can communicate that to someone, it's important.


"Let's get married
We're ready for tying the knot
Let's get married
Set the seal on the feelings we've got
Let's get married
We can make each other happy or we can make each other blue
Yeah, it's just a piece of paper but it says "I Love You"
For the good times
For the days when we can do no wrong
For the moments when we think we can't go on
For the family
For the lives of the children that we've planned
Let's get married
C'mon darlin', please take my hand"

The Proclaimers

[bowens43]

14. IMO rigths are important, words not so much

but I am absolutely in favor of everyone being able to use the word.

[yellerpup]

15. No, I don't.

Never liked the idea of 'sacrificial virgin' so I never got married in white or in church. I said the same tired old vows three times (to two different men) and ended up divorced even tho' I promised and 'he' promised forever and ever every single time. When it came to my third husband and fourth marriage, I refused to parrot the same script and promise to love, honor, yadayada and in front of family and friends, so I repeated the vows that I wrote myself that didn't include any of the stock phrases. It was not a particularly romantic script and read much more like a contract--but I'd been through it before, you see, and knew by then that it wasn't what you say but what you do that makes/breaks a relationship. That was the marriage that took and we've been rocking along quite happily for almost 30 years but have been shacking up more than 30 years. My point is, words never made a difference.

[truebrit71]

16. Call it what you want...it's what it means to the two people involved that counts...

...my opinion as a married heterosexual parent shouldn't really enter into the equation...

[Fleshdancer]

18. Once everyone has the rights, then the word will naturally follow

50 years from now, I doubt anyone will be using the term "civil union" to describe two gay people who have dedicated their lives together. The way I see it, we should focus on the rights first, and worry about the word later when we have the luxury to do so.

[MedleyMisty]

19. I voted other

Because I don't think that any word is all that important.

However, I definitely am pro gay marriage.

And if you want some feel-good story about what people I know think - I hang out on another forum that is mostly populated by teenagers and young adults.

I can't think of a poster who isn't pro gay marriage. In a thread about the recent California decision, they were all like "Yes, now we just need to convince 48 other states." and "When my class heard about it we all went crazy. It's about time."

I should hang out there more often - it's such a breath of fresh air after all the subtle underground prejudice around here.

And polls back up what I see when I interact with young people. If we can survive until my generation and those younger than me are in power, I think that there won't be much of a question about full equality for all sexual orientations and gender identities.