[lbo-talk] Gay marriage

[John Thornton]

Bill Bartlett wrote:
> At 11:05 AM -0500 13/11/08, Doug Henwood wrote:
>
>>> Why would anyone want identical legal protections going under two 
>>> different names, one for heterosexual couples and one for homosexual 
>>> couples?
>>> What benefit could one possibly derive from this circumstance?
>>
>> The point is to make one lesser than the other. Bill can't seem to 
>> accept that.
>
> I accept that this is how it is perceived. Objectively of course if 
> "marriage" and "civil union" had the same legal status then which is 
> "lesser" would be entirely in the eye of the beholder.
>
> Anyway, I'm clear now. The the legal status of civil unions is 
> actually irrelevant. The fight is over a label. Those opposed to gay 
> marriage I already knew were irrationally determined to preserve the 
> label exclusively for heterosexual couples. I see now that the other 
> side of the debate is just as irrationally fixated on having that word 
> to describe homosexual couples.
>
> Marriage is better than not marriage. Couples who are not "married" 
> are looked down on and this is apparently fine. Both sides agree that 
> this is the way it should be. They are all bigots.
>
> A pox on both their houses.
>
> Bill Bartlett
> Bracknell tas 

It makes no difference if one calls it marriage or civil union IF we 
only use one term.
Having civil unions confer all the rights of marriage is just fine but 
not if marriage also exists.
It isn't that marriage is "better" than non-marriage but simply that 
marriage is better than a civil union because separate but equal is 
nonsense.
I don't recall anyone here posting that marriage is better than not 
marriage or than non-married couples are or should be looked down upon 
so I'm not sure why you introduced that idea.

Why are you so opposed to the idea of marriage? What harm is done by the 
institute of marriage?
Not historically but today, right now.
What tangible benefits would I experience if I were not married but 
instead simply co-habitat with my partner?

John Thornton