by Toye Gillman

Created on: February 13, 2009

The California Supreme Court was absolutely correct when it legalized gay marriage. The fact is, like interracial marriage, gay marriage should never have been illegal. Marriage, in and of itself, should not be a part of the law at all, but a part of religion.

I have become so tired of hearing people quote the Bible, when stating their opposition to gay marriage. "Marriage" is a word used in legalities that is there simply because at the time of implementation, there was no other word to use. In law, the word carries many rights along with it. For example, the passing down of property is automatic, if you will. When my father passed away, my Mother automatically became the sole owner of their joint property. My Mother was eligible to be carried on my Father's employer-provided health insurance-no questions asked.

I have heard the religious right say over and over that the gays are out to destroy the "family." They contend that somehow gay marriage will jeopardize their own marriages. How is this possible? Couples marry every day all over the world. I have yet to see how one couple's marriage diminishes, or in any other way, affects other couples' marriages. Even the federal "Defense of Marriage Act" by its very name insinuates that the marriages of gay couples will somehow negatively affect marriage altogether. Opponents of gay marriage continually claim that allowing same-sex couples to legally marry will "open the door" for all kinds of sordid relationships to be sanctioned. They group gay marriage together with the worst perversions, bestiality and pedofilia, for example. What does gay marriage have in common with such unsavory practices?

Marriage is simply a word. That is all. Unfortunatley, to attain the many rights that come with it, people must become "married." What is it other than direct discrimination to tell a group of people they cannot have certain legal rights and protections because they are not married, and then make it illegal for them to marry? When this group seeks to gain this right, it is said they are seeking "special" rights. What is special about having the same rights as every other American?

I would ask anyone who is against legalizing gay marriage what they would do if they were told by the government that they could not legally marry the person they loved. What would they do if they did not have the rights that go along with marriage, such as collecting the pension of their spouses, inheriting property, or even further, from adopting

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