should homosexuals be allowed to get married?

Answer 1

Marriage is an issue of faith. Those churches that oppose gay marriages should not have to perform them. Those churches that support gay marriages should be able to perform them. The government should ONLY take care of civil unions, and those should be for any couple that is legally of age.

I have been seriously concerned about this for some time. Not because we particularly support gay marriage -- we've been together nearly 15 years, we don't need a piece of paper, we are quite happy thank you. -- Rather, I am concerned because the use of the government to enforce the views of one group of denominations (Christian and non-Christian) on another group of denominations (Christian and non-Christian) breaches the wall of separation and creates a de facto established faith.

I support freedom of religion. My ancestors fought in the Revolution. Seeing one of the core principles for which they fought destroyed, and a subset of faiths setup as protectors and controllers of the public morality AND as the de facto state religion, chills me to the bone. Seeing one of the basic freedoms guaranteed us frittered away, while the press only sees it as a struggle between secularism and religion which is PRECISELY WHAT IT IS NOT -- the entire debate is religious -- is not only chilling, it is appalling.

So I say, let each faith do what it believes.

Regards,

Reynolds Jones
Schenectady, NY
http://www.rebuff.org
[e-mail]

Answer 2

I see no reason why homosexuals should not marry either in church or by a civil celebrant. I am not homosexual myself but I believe that everybody has the right to marry the person of their choice. I am against paedophilia and any form of child abuse, so my comments on marriage would only relate to consenting adults; ie., over 18 years of age

Answer 3

This question has already been asked a million times! do a search if you want to see people's replies.

If straight people are allowed to get married then gay people should be allowed to get married.

Straight people should not get to "vote" whether gays can get married or not because it does not affect them. That's like gays saying straight people arn't allowed to get married. It's not their choice. We need to leave the choice up to the two people in love whether they want to marry or not.

Answer 4

Same question asked 100 times in the last month.

Marriage is an institution created by government so that partners have legal rights and responsibilities.

Folks who are married less than 2 minutes (think Las Vegas weddings) have more legal rights than a gay/lesbian couple who've been together for more than 15 years.

The fact that we cannot be married denies us, and our families, to over 1,138 federal rights, protections and responsibilities automatically granted upon marriage. A few of these are:

- The right to make decisions on a partner's behalf in a medical emergency. Specifically, the states generally provide that spouses automatically assume this right in an emergency. If an individual is unmarried, the legal "next of kin" automatically assumes this right. This means, for example, that a gay man with a life partner of many years may be forced to accept the financial and medical decisions of a sibling or parent with whom he may have a distant or even hostile relationship.

- The right to take up to 12 weeks of leave from work to care for a seriously ill partner or parent of a partner. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 permits individuals to take such leave to care for ill spouses, children and parents but not a partner or a partner's parents.

- The right to petition for same-sex partners to immigrate.

- The right to assume parenting rights and responsibilities when children are brought into a family through birth, adoption, surrogacy or other means. For example, in most states, there is no law providing a noncustodial, nonbiological or nonadoptive parent's right to visit a child - or responsibility to provide financial support for that child - in the event of a breakup.

- The right to share equitably all jointly held property and debt in the event of a breakup, since there are no laws that cover the dissolution of domestic partnerships.

- Family-related Social security benefits, income and estate tax benefits, disability benefits, family-related military and veterans benefits and other important benefits.

- The right to inherit property from a partner in the absence of a will.

- The right to purchase continued health coverage for a domestic partner after the loss of a job.

And there are many more! A dear friend of mine lost his partner after 15 years. My friend was the primary breadwinner and paid for his partner's life insurance and some income property. When his partner died, and he inherited it, he had to pay taxes, whereas a married couple would not. Why?

The argument that marriage is for procreation is hogwash. One does not need to be married to have children. If that argument is held up, then why allow folks past child-bearing age to marry? Or those who are impotent or sterile?

The majority of hippocrites claim that gay marriage would erode the "institution of marriage." Unlike those marriages that last about a week and are dissolved.

If that was their true belief, then why not outlaw divorce? Because they want, and need, an out.

Whether or not you want to be married is your choice. But do not deny me a choice -- with rights, responsibilities and benefits -- because my family does not resemble yours.

If you don't want a gay marriage, don't have one.

Answer 5

Yes

Answer 6

Yes. They should be allowed to be as unhappy as the rest of the married people are. (It's a joke)
My answer is a resounding YES!

Answer 7

Not to screw with the so called institution of marriage however to establish a legal binding way to aquire the same tax breaks benefits,and all other monetary,and legal writs ---YES.

Answer 8

Yes and happy to say it's already legal here in Canada.

Answer 9

we see this question dozens of times a day....of course the answer is yes! what harm could it really do to anyone? considering the divorce rate, infidelity and abuse....could we really do any worse than straight people?

Answer 10

absolutely. NO ONE should be denied the right to choice in this country. our nation was founded for freedom. gays and lesbians are being denied their freedom. still, another form of prejudice and injustice exists.