Reply #5: i agree. there is no factual basis for any anti gay marriage argument.

[ejpoeta]

the only thing they have is their religious beliefs. but this country is supposed to treat everyone equally. and there are many who do not ascribe to religious beliefs. there was a reason why this was not how this government was founded. the forefathers saw other countries changing religions with their leaders. how can a country survive like that!! no one is forcing relgious people to enter into gay marriages or to participate in them in any way. in this country, gay couples should have the same rights as the rest of us!! if i want to get married, i don't even have to think about it!! i just go down to the town building with my fiance and fill out the form and pay my fee. then i go to a JP or a church and get married. I don't have to even think about it. And as a married person I enjoy a lot of protections that otherwise i would not.

I think of my dad's girlfriend. They have been together for like 20 years. After my mom died, he met her and eventually they moved in together. They were never married. Now, the sunday before easter my father died. I had wondered how my other family members would be towards my dad's girlfriend if that ever happened. She has absolutely no protections in a court if any of my siblings or myself wanted to make trouble for her. My dad owned the car. he owned the trailer. We get all the money, though there really isn't much of it. And if we wanted to make things difficult for midge, we could.

But we don't. and it is not because she has a legal right to any of his things, but because we want her to have them that she has them. and in many ways that is wrong. I am glad we all want to take care of her, but hers is the same situation gay couples would encounter. their fate rests on the whims of their partners family and how they view that person. that is not a good place for anyone to be. with no legal standing. even if they've spent twenty years with someone, helping them to have a good life. sharing memories with them. in my dad's case, i don't know if he would have made it as long as he did without midge. and her fate is in OUR hands, in a manner of speaking. at least i can say i am proud of my family and how they are handling all of this. but i worry about other families that find themselves in this situation. partners need rights. legal rights. gay or straight!!