Rich wrote:
Yeah but I think calling it gay "rights" is somewhat misleading.
True, the real issue is civil rights.
Rich wrote:
Gays get jobs, just like everyone else. They can eat, shop and hang out anywhere, just like everyone else.
They just can't get married, just like everyone else.
Rich wrote:
And if they aren't allowed to do so, there are civil rights laws that help address those concerns, especially of the hate crime variety, which is most critical.
Which is a funny point, as I don't believe in the idea of hate crimes.
Rich wrote:
I think some domestic partner rights can definitely be enhanced, such as when their partner is in the hospital, etc. This is one of the biggest reasons for arguing for gay marriage but there are other ways to solve it besides marriage, such as civil unions.
"Separate But Equal" has been proven to not work, particularly where there are singnificant groups of people that are actively looking to discriminate.
Rich wrote:
At the end of the day, I think it is a state issue, which is essentially what the Supreme Court established.
The Supreme Court basically side stepped the issue, not affirmed it.
Marriage in every other instance is respected from state to state. For gay marriage, some states have made illegal to recognize in any way. Someone travelling through North Carolina loses all their marriage privileges. This makes no sense and I can see a Supreme Court overturning of those laws and probably state control of the issue because of it.
If The federal government can force private businesses to serve customers because of interstate commerce, they can force states to recognize legal marriages. This divergence in the definition of what is a marriage is a serious issue for the continuity of laws in the US