This is a serious question for me. While I agree that civil union is a cold word why don't homosexuals call their union something besides marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. They do not label themselves heterosexual to be like everyone else. Nor do they decide who will be the wife and who will be the husband. Why the obsession of the word marriage? Isn't declaring homosexuality about your individualism and difference? Why not have a new word to mean the union of two people in love?It seems that in terms of rights the courts have given everyone the same rights in terms of marriage/civil union.
2006-12-15 02:45:40 · 14 answers · asked by Little anionyx 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Whoa I didn't mean I'm against it. I mean that you don't point at two men and say look at those heterosexual men. Or look at a married couple and call them gay. Why does the word marriage so important when other words are not used to signify their difference?
2006-12-15 03:12:13 · update #1
The word marriage isnt whats important, its the meaning!
2006-12-15 02:52:01 · answer #1 · answered by sweet_treat101 3 · 4⤊ 2⤋
The issues of homosexuals wanting their unions to be called marriage is that of a legal nature. The majority of laws written that protect couples that are in a union (such as immigration laws, wills, adoption rights etc.), use the word marriage to identify that union. So, when same sex couples enter into a civil union, they are still not being fully protected nor do they receive the same rights that a heterosexual couple have when they enter into marriage.
In short, it is all about vocabulary and how that vocabulary is defined. My suggestion is that the state only deals with civil unions, and leaves marriage to the church.
2006-12-15 03:16:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
In the case Brown vs. Board of Ed. The US supreme court declared that separate but equal is inherently unequal. So a marriage by any other name is unequal. If there is no difference between a "civil union" and a "marriage" then what is the big deal of creating a new term? Why can't our unions be called "marriage"? All we want is equality.
You know calling it any thing else but a marriage is saying "OK we will give you the equal rights, but we don't think that your union is as good as ours so we will call it something else."
2006-12-15 02:54:41 · answer #3 · answered by Sui Generis 2 · 6⤊ 1⤋
mar·riage (mrj) KEY
NOUN:
The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife.
The state of being married; wedlock.
A common-law marriage.
A union between two persons having the customary but usually not the legal force of marriage: a same-sex marriage.
A wedding.
I can see not forcing churches to perform them but Marriage is now defined to include homosexuals and I say GOOD!!!
Get over yourself. What really changes if I say Those men are married as opposed to those men are "insert your new special word"!!!
2006-12-15 02:51:38 · answer #4 · answered by Lotus Phoenix 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because, to call it anything other than "marriage" automatically defines a gay union as something "less than" a heterosexual union.
This issue was resolved in the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, in which Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned and it was determined that separate is inherently unequal.
2006-12-15 03:05:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
First of all, "declaring homosexuality" isn't like declaring bankruptcy. It's not an arbitrary decision, it's living true to how you already are. That said, "seperate but equal" never is; the courts have decided that basic principle already. If we can't call the LEGAL part of it marriage, then neither can you; those are the rules.
2006-12-15 19:24:04 · answer #6 · answered by Atropis 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh that's right, those that are advocating gay marriage are doing so just to upset the heterocentric majority. How very dare they!
Why should the word need to be different? Or is there also a requirement for a new word for gay divorce?
2006-12-15 03:01:19 · answer #7 · answered by unclefrunk 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because the US has a bad history of "separate but equal" rights. Just ask Mr. Brown in Kansas. It won't be a marriage until it's called a marriage.
2006-12-15 02:54:55 · answer #8 · answered by lcraesharbor 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
because not calling it marriage is still separate, but not equal. it still makes us second-class citizens. and why do people like you still make the silly assumption that within gay/lesbian couples, we "decide who will be the wife and who will be the husband?" a lesbian couple is 2 women (2 wives), and a gay couple is 2 men (2 husbands). why do you keep assuming that we have to role play the husband/wife thing? just another ludicrous, untrue assumption. my question to you is, do you actually know any lesbian or gay couples? you can't judge us without knowing us...and it's only God's privilege to pass judgment.
2006-12-15 04:37:39 · answer #9 · answered by redcatt63 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why shouldn't they call it marriage? Don't assume that heterosexuals are the only ones entitled to privilege.
2006-12-15 03:13:41 · answer #10 · answered by Jason 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋