[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Yorick: But what are you calling marriage Cerek? What is it defined as in your mind?

In this case, I'm talking about the union of two people as recognized by the laws of the state. That's also the specific type of marriage the gays and lesbians are seeking.

You can have a legal marriage without the religious ceremony (as performed by the Justice of the Peace).
You can have a religious ceremony that isn't "legal" (such as the handjoining ceremony performed by Illumina)
And you can have a religious ceremony that is also recognized as legally binding by the state (the "normal" type wedding that most of us envision).

The gays and lesbians want their unions and marriages to be "legal" and recognized by the laws of their state so that they and their partners will then be eligible for all the benefits mentioned in this thread thus far that hetero couples are automatically granted with their Marriage Certificate.

Of course, there IS another issue that hasn't been addressed ytt, but is certain to become an issue if gay/lesbian marriages ARE allowed and recognized by the various states...and that is the 4th example of "marriage" that is known as "common law marriage".

In effect, it says that if a man and woman live together as a couple for a set period of time (usually around 7-9 years), then they will be considered "married" by the state, even without a Marriage Certificate.

Many homosexual couples have been together for more than the required amount of time, so they could claim they should be granted "common law" marriages based on the length of their relationship.