What is wrong with giving a gay couple the same legal rights of a married heterosexual couple?

Question

Recently Gerry Studds, a US Congressman passed away. He was retired from congress and received a pension. His partner of 15 years and husband of 2 years (was married in MA after same sex marriage was legalized) is not eligible to receive pension benefits under federal law. If Gerry Studds was heterosexual and had married a female, she would have received an annual lifetime pension of $62,000.

I am not talking about MARRIAGE, I am talking about the same legal rights afforded married couples.

For another poster, you got off on a "child" tangent, there are plenty of married couples that do not have children. Based on your essay, why do we give these childless couples benefits that were meant for childbearing couples. Based on your theory if a couple is childless the gov't should annul their marriage.

Answer 1

There's nothing wrong with it - in fact, it would be in keeping with our nation's historic practice of separation of church and state.

Marriage rights - taxation, adoption, and obviously in this case, inheritance - are regulated and given by the STATE. Religion should have no say in such matters.

"Religious" people who campaign for unequal rights are preaching hatred, bigotry and discrimination and are virulent hypocrites.

Answer 2

We do all have the same rights in the US. Marriage and it's benefits are more of a concensus agreement. It is an agreement where the hetro couple and society benefit. This is not a question of rights. This is a question of practicality in law making. We are talking about these rights:
Marriage tax benefit
Shared healthcare
Death benefits

These are extended to hetero couples because it is considered in the best interest of all Americans for hetro couples to have children and raise them to be responsible well adjusted members of society. Having children is just not possible in a homo relationship. Sure there are modern techniques which will give homo couples children, but there is always a male and female part to this making of children. By going this route, a homo couple has stepped outside the natural way of having children. Therefore they should expect the added difficulty.
When the hetro couple has children, there is a large benefit to the country as a whole. Having children makes:
soldiers (yes people die in war)
tax payers
law abiding citizens
future generations of american leadership
future customers

So why the benefits tied to marrage. . .because raising children is typically best accomplished for having one parent stay home, not working. To stay home, my wife has given up her college education, a career, much personal development. If I died today she would have a long road to get that back. She could do it. We need the three benefits above to keep her at home and so she can "catch up".

To give these benefits to homo couples does what for our society. Would one member of a homo relationship sit home doing nothing? Would it give them an unfair advantage over the rest of society? We must consider why these benefits are tied to marriage. Who will pick up the tab for giving free health insurance to able bodied gay people who won't directly give them children back. Let's not forget that people engaging in homosexual sex are a higher risk health care category. That is not a stereotype, it is a fact. A healthcare actuary will show a greater risk for a gay person. So now we are not talking about equal benefit, gay people are requesting more.

That is why gay marriage as a legal issue is so tough. As a religious or cutural issue, I think any commited couple should be able to show their love for one another with a commited relationship, whether the name marriage or another term is used.

Answer 3

it may probable be greater desirable if there grew to become into gay marriage! I mean, I hear approximately gay men/women folk marrying quickly women folk/men each and all of the time! a minimum of if gay marriage grew to become into criminal, no person can get harm! EDIT: I easily LOVE how the overly-religious thumbs down anyone who's accepting of gay marriage. How immature! and you are the adults? Even the youngsters are greater mature than you all in this concern. recover from the undeniable fact that each and every physique is diverse and not each and every physique is even Christian. This, coming from a Christian.

Answer 4

What is wrong with giving equal rights to same sex couples? Well, setting aside all moral issues and dealing strictly with the legal side of things the reason that same-sex couples are not afforded the same rights as legally married heterosexual couples is because an overwhelming majority of Americans believe (as shown by votes in more than 75% of the states) that marriage should be defined as a relationship between 1 man and 1 woman. The laws of our country are constantly in flux and public policy plays a large part in the decisions of the court. For proof, look at the constitutional ammendments enforcing and then revoking prohibition. Public policy currently shows that most Americans are opposed to same-sex unions and the laws reflect the wishes of the majority.

Answer 5

Nothing.
Although I think they should be married or otherwise legally bound in order to receive those benefits just as in most cases heterosexual couples have to be. But to make this possible than all states would have to allow/recognize same sex unions/marriages which of course they should.

Answer 6

Absolutely nothing...it's these religious fanatics that make a big issue including the heterosexuals because they are running out people to complain about...Probably because they envy us because we don't have to worry about further populating this over populated world...At least I have a heart and fostered their unwanted children and provided them a stable home and showed them love and taught them to be caring adults and they now have respectable homes and healthy families. I think it is about time for those to just shut the f--k up and mind their own miserable lives and leave us alone.....

Answer 7

Same thing that's wrong with giving a live-in straight couple (ie common law couple) legal rights. Sorry to say this, but folks are "penalized" for not following societal norms.

Answer 8

I have been keeping up with this story, too. It's a shame. Did the partner appeal, though? As much as I hate the ACLU, I think it might be a good idea for THEM to get involved in this case. This could be a landmark case. Gays SHOULD have the same rights, esp if they ARE married is MAss.

Answer 9

Its not right. Marriage is a sacred process and it should not be polluted like that. I look at it like this. Can two women have a baby nomrally without someone elses sperm? No. Can to men have a baby together without some elses sperm? No. If you can't have a baby its not natural. But at the same time some women can't have babies with men, but most women can. Its impossible for homosexuals to have babies with each other. And if a women did it would not even be their baby.

Answer 10

There is no reason sexual orientation should interfere with the American rights that so many have fought and died for. Our country was founded for AMERICANS. Not white Americans, not male Americans, not black or asian or female Americans, not heterosexual Americans. Just for Americans. And it pisses me off to no end that people want to withold those rights on a single aspect of their personality.