Marriage should stop being a legal term altogether. If the issue is whether or not people can file joint tax returns and procure hospital visitation rights, then everyone should be happy if legislation simply replaced the term “marriage” with “civil union.” The very fact that there are so many definitions of marriage floating about this controversy just shows that the issue should be considered beyond the scope of governmental jurisdiction.
A side note: I completely agree with the argument that gay people should be able to marry because of the dignity the act affords them. An anecdote: I know two men who have been monogamously committed to one another for over two decades. Whether or not they are granted the legal rights of a heterosexual couple, as long as they are forced to refer to one another as each other’s “boyfriends,” their relationship will be viewed as ephemeral, and less serious than that of a “husband and wife.” That said, gay marriages, like straight marriages should be considered a union based on personal and/or religious values.
