Now...I pose this question...How many states have to legalize Gay Marriage before the federal government gets on with it and makes it a national law?
Marriage is not about religion! At least not in America it's not! Marriage is about the thousands of legal rights that married couples have in our society!
I fully understand and support the portion of New York's new law that states basically...no church/clergy can be forced to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony. Well DUH! Why would we want to be married by someone who doesn't want to perform our ceremony? There are tons of officiants we can turn to...so if you don't want to perform a ceremony DON'T!
I guess there has to come a point where, as a society, we realize that everyone has their own belief system and to coexist as one nation we must learn to respect those beliefs! I 100% support your right to dislike gay marriage...if you don't like gay marriage don't marry someone gay! But in turn...you must respect my rights to believe/live as I choose! I am not out protesting that straight people can get married and how I think it's gross! It's really none of my business who you choose to marry/live/sleep with...just as it is none of your business who I choose to be with!
What is my business is this...when I die (which is going to happen sooner rather than later)...we had better hope that we have all of the dozens of different forms/wills/powers of attorney/etc. that we need, to afford Cris the same rights as a straight person who's spouse has died! When straight couples marry it is assumed that when one of them dies the rights of inheritance are automatic! LGBT couples must have tons of paperwork and attorneys fees just to ensure that our partners can decide where are bodies are buried and that they get to keep our home! And God/ess help you if your partner dies and their family decides to fight all of the legal paperwork you worked so hard to compile!
I have actually heard of couples that were together for 20+ years...one dies...they had their paperwork all legal & filed w/the courts...but the deceased partner's family (who never liked that fact the he/she was LGBT) came in and challenged the paperwork and won! 20 years together and the surviving partner is left destitute on the street! This is something a marriage license would have prevented! Rights of survivorship are automatic when you are married!
SEE...IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGION...IT'S ABOUT RIGHTS!
