Gay Marriage

[The Jays]

Guide to civil unions

check out that website, I didn't look it over but it came up in the google search. Should probably answer most of your questions.

I'm reading the page now. One of the pages is this

Because lesbians and gay men cannot marry, they have no right to . . .

Accidental death benefit for the surviving spouse of a government employee;

Appointment as guardian of a minor;

Award of child custody in divorce proceedings;

Beneficial owner status of corporate securities;

Bill of Rights benefits for victims and witnesses;

Burial of service member's dependents;

Certificates of occupation;

Consent to post-mortem examination;

Continuation of rights under existing homestead leases;

Control, division, acquisition, and disposition of community property

Criminal injuries compensation;

Death benefit for surviving spouse for government employee

Disclosure of vital statistics records;

Division of property after dissolution of marriage;

Eligibility for housing opportunity allowance program of the Housing, Finance and Development Corporation;

Exemption from claims of Department of Human Services for social services payments, financial assistance, or burial payments;

Exemption from conveyance tax;

Exemption from regulation of condominium sales to owner-occupants;

Funeral leave for government employees;

Homes of totally disabled veterans exempt from property taxes;

Income tax deductions, credits, rates exemption, and estimates;

Inheritance of land patents;

Insurance licenses, coverage, eligibility, and benefits organization of mutual benefits society;

Legal status with partner’s children;

Making, revoking, and objecting to anatomical gifts;

Making partner medical decisions;

Nonresident tuition deferential waiver;

Notice of guardian ad litem proceedings;

Notice of probate proceedings;

Payment of wages to a relative of deceased employee;

Payment of worker's compensation benefits after death;

Permission to make arrangements for burial or cremation;

Proof of business partnership;

Public assistance from the Department of Human Services;

Qualification at a facility for the elderly;

Real property exemption from attachment or execution;

Right of survivorship to custodial trust;

Right to be notified of parole or escape of inmate;

Right to change names;

Right to enter into pre-marital agreement;

Right to file action for nonsupport;

Right to inherit property;

Right to purchase leases and cash freehold agreements concerning the management and disposition of public land;

Right to sue for tort and death by wrongful act;

Right to support after divorce;

Right to support from spouse;

Rights and proceedings for involuntary hospitalization and treatment;

Rights by way of dour or courtesy;

Rights to notice, protection, benefits, and inheritance under the uniform probate code;

Sole interest in property;

Spousal privilege and confidential marriage communications;

Spousal immigration benefits;

Status of children;

Support payments in divorce action;

Tax relief for natural disaster losses;

Vacation allowance on termination of public employment by death;

Veterans' preference to spouse in public employment;

In vitro fertilization coverage;

Waiver of fees for certified copies and searches of vital statistics.

The wording just seems funny. Those don't sound like rights, they sound like benefits. A right is something that no one can take away from you, unless you go to jail I guess. But, something like tax relief for disasters, the government can take that away.

I'm just trying to understand both sides of the issue, and formulate an opinion. One side says that the purpose of marriage is for the procreation of and raising of children. And the other says...?

Can you please just bare with as I try to understand this?