What is your full opinion on Gay Marriage?

Long answers are appreciated, and let's also have a civilized conversation shall we? Let's just all say our opinions in a few paragraphs, and our reasons why. I love to hear what others think.


Thanks!What is your full opinion on Gay Marriage?
This is how I answered a similar question. Normally I don't like to copy and paste but since I wrote the original answer anyway, I figure it's OK :-).





A marriage in the US is in a sense a legal contract. A couple obtains a marriage license and certain individuals, such as a member of the clergy or a judge, can then sign the license, legally joining the couple. That signing is usually preceded by a ceremony of some sort. It doesn't have to be religious. All is that required is that the couple affirm in front of a duly authorized party that they wish to be married. For the reasons I have stated the debate over gay marriage is a legal one, not a religious one.





Opponents of gay marriage want to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. Why stop there? Why not further define it as a union between people if child baring years? If they are going to make the argument that only ';traditional'; marriage should be allowed then shouldn't they acknowledge that ';traditional marriage'; included having children? If children become part of the definition then obviously gay couples don't meet the standard. But then again neither does any hetero couple who for any number of reasons is incapable if having children.





Something else that hasn't been defined is homosexual relationship. Aside from the obvious, on an emotional level, what is the difference between a gay couple and a straight couple? Who is qualified to say they aren't the same? And if they are the same, then what is the difference between a straight couple who cannot have kids and a gay couple wanting to get married? Why should only the straight couple have the right to have their relationship legally recognized?





I support gay marriage because I see no reason to oppose it. People of faith can oppose it on religious grounds but the government can't regulate it on those grounds.What is your full opinion on Gay Marriage?
Here's my thing.





I think marriage is an outdated concept personally. Marriage and civil unions should be two separate things, though. While I personally am against tax benefits for marriage and I am for VERY limited government intervention, I say this....As long as we have those benefits around anyway.......attach all the benefits to a civil union. Allow the religious institutions to decide whomever they decided to 'marry'. BUT, gay or straight, you would get benefits from the union, not the marriage.





Meaning, straight married couples would also have to apply for a 'civil union', if they wanted the perks.





I haven't fully thought this out. Just my current leanings.
I believe people should be able to love whoever they seek to love without other people being nosy and intruding on their private affairs. Marriage is not a heterosexual privilege, it does not belong to the church. The only people it belongs to are the couples who want to get married.





No, legalizing gay marriage will not put us on a slippery slope to letting people marry animals, because they've already legalized it in other places in the world and that hasn't happened. No, legalizing gay marriage will not force churches to marry same sex couples, that is ridiculous and an infringement of freedoms. No, the LGBT community isn't getting ';special rights';; there are 1,138 federal marriage benefits that we don't have. Yes, the Bible may in fact say things that condemn homosexuality, but it isn't my Bible. I'm an American. Why should a religious book that isn't my religious book tell me what to do?
The U.S. where I live is founded on the idea of freedom. The idea is freedoms should only be limited when they interfere with other people's freedoms. For that reason, I think the question needs to be: ';Why shouldn't gay people have the same rights as straight people?';, not ';Why should they be allowed....'; To date, I've heard no good reason.





Whether or not I or anyone else personally agrees or disagrees with it should not be the basis for people being allowed or not allowed to enjoy life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Gay marriage attacks the very institution of marriage that God has established since he breath in Adam's lungs and called him man. We humans challenge anything even our God with notions that he does not exist so we can live without having to see him face to face for our wrongs. To give in and allow Gay marriage is another reason for God to kick start the machine on Armageddon.
Well, I believe that everyone has a right to marry. Whether gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered (and any other sexual preference I missed). I think the religious people need to butt out of everyone's personal lifestyles. They say, it will ruin families!! Yea, my older sister's parents were straight, he cheated and knocked her up. Then they say, they shouldn't marry because they can't have kids. Well, then women who have hit menopause and sterile people shouldn't get married either. Basically that is saying,';If you can have kids, have them. You just don't have to take care of them. As long as you are procreating, there isn't a problem,';. Well, they might go to hell. Then let them deal with it. What do you care if other people go to a place that potentionally might not exist?? Another thing I don't get about this is.. 'Well they can get married they just have to CHOOSE to be straight,';. Now, why on earth would anyone wake-up one day and say,'; You know, I really feel like being discriminated against and not accepted for who I am and be called terrible names and having my family potentially hate me, so I think I'm going to be gay,';. It has been proven that it isn't a ';choice';. So, your precious 'god' created gay people. I don't see how other people have the right to tell other people..No, you aren't allowed to have the same happiness and benefits of a straight couple.
I don't understand why someone would want the government to get involved in their private lives by sanctifying marriage unless they were needing others' approval that it was correct. When you need others' approval, that doesn't make something correct, only approved.
I think civil unions are a fair compromise, if it will appease everybody so we can stop talking about this issue already. We have really jumped the shark with this.
I like ';Civil Unions';, but I don't care if it's ';Marriage'; Gay people LOVE too.


Sorry. Not up to a Full opinion today...you get only half.
dont care just another form of government document no value to anyone but the participants and their lawyers
Everyone should have equal rights.
It's not a marriage and it is a sin. Civilized people do not act like animals in heat.
';Gay Marriage';? That's an oxymoron!