Why isn't gay marriage legal?

Answer 1

Religious people think they own marriage, and they are also afraid that if gay people get married they'll somehow be able to take over the world. It's really only about fear and ignorance.

Answer 2

There is a tricky and unfortunate part of our legal system called "equal protection under the law". That innocent-sounding phrase is the answer to your question.

If we allowed the legal definition of marriage to be anything other than between one man and one woman, then every group could invoke the "equal protection under the law" clause and demand that their definition of marriage be given equal status.

This means that perverted old men from NAMBLA could sue for the right to marry young boys. Men could demand the right to marry multiple wives. Real sickos could demand that they be allowed to marry an animal (yes, there are people that perverted).

This is not some far-fetched doomsday fantasy. This is exactly what lawyers are warning will happen. The same problem derailed the 1970's Equal Rights Amendment, because, "equal protection under the law" means that "separate, but equal" is not good enough. Girls could have demanded to join the boys football team, or join the boy scouts. Separate restrooms could not be enforced.

In the reverse, a man could demand the right to work as the towel man in a woman's gym. Any crazy, whiny demand would have to be addressed. It would have disrupted society and made the commonplace impossible.

The most important thing for you to remember is that these crazy sounding situations absolutely would destroy our legal system. There is no way all the disputes could be resolved. It would be anarchy.

The intelligent way around this problem is to create a recognized "legal union" between same sex couples, and define it as such. This would let same sex couples share health insurance, have each other in their wills, etc.

So, forget about the minority of gay marriage opponents who do so on religious grounds. The only important consideration is how changing the legal definition of marriage would turn our already beleagured courts into an absolute nightmare of endless lawsuits.

Answer 3

Its a matter of human rights, and as such, gay marriage is an official union between 2 humans.

This is now legal in Canada, Massachusetts, South Africa, Spain, Belgium and Netherlands.

Answer 4

it's legal in Massachusetts; Massachusetts has recognized same-sex marriage since 2004. Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, California, and New Hampshire (from 1 January 2008) have created legal unions that, while not called marriages, are explicitly defined as offering all the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state law to same-sex couples. Maine, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Oregon (from 1 January 2008) and Washington have created legal unions for same-sex couples that offer varying subsets of the rights and responsibilities of marriage under the laws of those jurisdictions.

Answer 5

Because gay marriage never existed to begin with, so it's just the default position.

Answer 6

It is legal in Canada.

Answer 7

because congress and the H.O.R. is controles by Republicans and or christans, who, are steadfast in there intolerant, racist positions.
they dont understand the issue of homosexuality, so it scares them, and they just use the bible as a way to justify there intolerance.

Answer 8

because people forgot about that constitution thing that gives us separation of church and state!

Answer 9

It is... Gays can marry.. it's just that you can't marry some one of the same sex... that's not what marriage is.

Answer 10

Because marriage is a union blessed by God. Now gays can have all the civil unions they want, but not marriage.