You are making one, huge factual mistake that is screwing up your entire argument: - Edit 1
Before modification by Burr at 20/10/2012 11:04:09 PM
..and you should really be more hesitant before asuming what someone else's beliefs are.
Claiming that gay people are being denied their rights is logically false.
1: There is no "right" to marriage. Marriage is a specifically crafted legal entity that EVERYONE has the ability/privilege to participate in on the exact same grounds.
If men can only marry women and women can only marry men, then those are different grounds. If everyone could only marry men, or if everyone could only marry women, then the law would be giving the same grounds to everyone (however absurd such a law would be). But the current law very clearly defines two different types of marriages, one to men and one to women, and then it doubly discriminates by restricting men from benefiting from the first type of marriage and by restricting women from benefiting from the second type of marriage. Boiling it down to the phrase "the opposite sex" or "between one man and one woman" to refer to the union as a whole does not change the fact that, on the level of individuals, the law is treating some individuals very differently from other individuals.
2: There is no "Equal Rights" issue because there is no "right" and everyone has equal access to the exact same legal entity. That is the definition of Equal Rights.
3: What is being requested/desired is an NEW legal entity in place of, or beside, the currently existing legal entity. My only complaint is that those who desire such are not brave enough, or honest enough, to admit it.
4: IF there was some sort of discrimination being performed, the current advocates are not seeking to eliminate it, only to place themselves as one of the accepted classes. Otherwise you would see those same advocates in favor of polygamy, or legalized incest. I guess one type of "discriminated class" is more politically acceptable than another...
As I said before I could not care less who anyone "marries". I was married once, and frankly everyone should share in the misery. I just object to the methods and dishonesty being employed. Legislating through judicial arguments is virtually ALWAYS a bad idea.