talkpolitics | Marriage by Any Other Name

Entry tags:

gay rights

Marriage by Any Other Name

While a rose may be a rose by any other name, the same does not hold true of marriage. Marriage is marriage. Civil unions are not equal to marriage, both in society's eyes and the law's - couples joined under a civil union do not have the same rights as a married couple. Denoting long-term, committed same-sex relations as 'lesser' opens a legal Pandora's box and provides a venue for continued discrimination, by applying a different set of rights to opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

To deny a civil marriage to a same-sex couple is blatant discrimination per the 14th Amendment. Just as the anti-interracial marriage arguement that all races had the "same right" to marry others of their own race didn't work in Loving vs. Virginia, the arguement that homosexuals have the "same right" to marry people of the opposite sex doesn't work, either.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Personally I want to see the gay community answer some important questions before I support their gay-married.

Who takes who's last name?
Who is walked down the isle?
Do both guys attend the batchlore party?
Do both women attend the batchlorette party?
Do we call the married couple Mr and Mr? Mrs and Mrs? T

It's usually up to the couple. While in a heterosexual realtionship these things are defined by gender roles, there really isn't an equivalent in a homosexual relationship.

They have seperate bachlor(ette) parties.

Most would go by Mr and Mr/Mrs and Mrs, yes.

You're presuming that heterosexuality-on-the-Western-model will transliterate exactly to homophilic relationships. Things are never that simple.

You are 100% right. I am making that exact presumtion but I have a reason for that, I have no other basis to understand what traditions they willl have. In fact, I have been waiting for the homosexual community to come up with their own unique traditions for civil unions/marriage or whatever.

Part of the problem is that gay traditions were evolving....until AIDS hit in the 80s and eliminated the first traditions that were growing. The gay community has never recovered from that decimation in terms of its political voice.

I can't speak for the homosexuals, but most of your questions are a bit silly from even a heterosexual perspective.

"Who takes who's last name?"

My wife didn't take my last name or vice versa. She's still "Alvarez", I'm still "Yocom".

"Who is walked down the isle?"

We also got married in a spartan ceremony in the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office: Assistant County Clerk to officiate, two of my friends as witnesses, no guests. No aisles, and certainly nobody getting walked down them.

"Do both guys attend the batchlore party?
Do both women attend the batchlorette party?"

We also didn't have bachelor/bachelorette parties. I would assume gays might have two parties, just like many het. couples have separate bachelor and bachelorette parties.

"Do we call the married couple Mr and Mr? Mrs and Mrs?"

Yes

Here in Canada we've had Same-Sex Marriage for a bunch of years now.
The answer, of course, is unless you're involved, who gives a shit.
What would these questions impact your support for or against SSM?
If I told you the last names are taken from the name in alphabetical order, would that sway your vote either way?
I hope your questions are not serious.

I hope your questions are not serious.

I took it more as simple curiousity than ignorance, maybe the first few lines could be phrased better, but that's how it came off to me.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Marriage by Any Other Name

Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics

Re: Let's argue the semantics