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ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

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ORIGINAL: Irishknight

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ORIGINAL: MistresseLotus

I think it's more about the word "marriage". When you hear it you automatically think "man, woman, kids" ...the word will have no more identity other than just a commitment that is legally recognized.  I always thought a civil union held all the rights as a marriage does..no?

I can see a date.."Hi.. have you ever been married?"  Other:" Yes".."Uhhh.. to a male or female?"

Maybe a unique word to identify a gay marriage?

You automatically think that way.  Being poly, I think man, wife, wife, wife, and kids.  Slaves and subs can be added to that mix as well.  The belief that one man can have more than one wife is common to a number of religions.  Again, the intersection of state and religion.  I have the religious right to have more than one spouse yet am persecuted by the state and only allowed one.
We don't need unique worrds to talk about gay marriage.  We need to use the words "equal" and "fair."  They are supposed to be in our vocabularies already.

I totally agree with the bolded statement.....

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ORIGINAL: MistresseLotus
Unfortunately, it's impossible when everyone feels they also need to be "unique" and "special".  You are asking the government to legislate equality and define fairness.  My question is.. if a civil union has the exact same rights as a marriage between het couples..why is it so important to use a term that has been exclusively for a heterosexual union?  And while we are thinking about it.. is husband and wife (which is gender specific) going to go by the wayside also in the interest of PCness?  I don't want to be so homogenized.  I'm old fashioned that way :)

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ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave

I certainly do not idealise heterosexual marriage and I realise that it is only a convention but the underlying imperative is  human sexuality which leads to the next generation. Thats what I read in a book anyway.
Hopefully this nuclear family will be stable and considerate  and produce well rounded adults.

Since this situation is beyond the reach of homosexuals it follows that heterosexual marriage is special and should remain that way. 

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ORIGINAL: philosophy

FR

...just because a word has one meaning doesn't mean it doesn't also has others. The word 'marriage' for instance. Its root meaning is simply a union. It became the word for a heterosexual civil/religious union......but that is not the sum total of its meanings. Therefore why not use the word in its proper context? As opposed to the hijacked context suggested by some in this thread. Heterosexuals do not have a monopoly on the word.


(edited for a missing 'doesn't')

1. Homosexuality is not natural,
   .....much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control are not natural.
   
2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children.
   .....Infertile couples and old people cannot get legally married because the world needs more children.
   
3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children
   .....because straight parents only raise straight children.
   
4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful,
   ......since Britney Spears's 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.
   
5. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time,
   ...... and it hasn't changed at all: women are property, Blacks can't marry Whites, and divorce is illegal.
   
6. Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts,
   ......because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of minorities.
   
7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion.
   ........In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are always imposed on the entire country. That's why we only have one religion in America.
   
8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay,
   ......in the same way that hanging around tall people makes you tall.
   
9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets
   ......because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage license.
   
10. Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home.
    .......That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.
    
11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time,
    .........and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to cars or longer lifespans.
    
12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better,
    .......because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages will for gays & lesbians.

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ORIGINAL: Kirata

Is anybody going to answer the question, because I already know the song.
 
To the vast majority of people, and more than a majority of heterosexuals, "marriage" refers to a legally sanctioned union between a man and a woman (the reference for the definition, by the way, was dictionary.com).

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VampGoddess
Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home.
.......That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

People need to get over the gay marriage item. Why? because often when there is a marriage the wonderment is- did he marry a woman or a man.   So culturally those who are suspected to be gay- or bi, this wont go away..as some churches have married gays for years now.

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ORIGINAL: Kirata

Is anybody going to answer the question, because I already know the song.
 
To the vast majority of people, and more than a majority of heterosexuals, "marriage" refers to a legally sanctioned union between a man and a woman (the reference for the definition, by the way, was dictionary.com).
 
Does the gay community want legal recognition for their unions too, or does it just want to deprive the heterosexual community of having a word that applies specifically to theirs? Because this could have been a done deal long ago, if it was just about obtaining legal recognition for gay unions.
 
K.
 
 

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ORIGINAL: Simpleslave101

Well..in the end we will all be so PC you can't voice an opinion w/o being stoned to death. OOPS did I doth offend someone? I am pretty sure we will all be one similar color and the idea of the "typical" marriage will be outdated. We will all melt into a single race and everyone will have that long lost Uncle that was one of them..ssshhhhh...."racist". So lets all join hands and sing coum-by-ya and don't you dare bat an eye at Biff and Jeffy or Janet and Annette for holding hands now. Now run along and eat your Tofu.