🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Pine.GSO.3.93.960605141323.24533A-100000@spot.Colorado.EDU>, 
mills@spot.Colorado.EDU says...
>
>
>THE BOSTON GLOBE
>Box 2378
>Boston,MA   02107
>(print run 516,981)
>
>E-MAIL:  letter@globe.com
>URL:  http://www.boston.com/globe/cgi-bin/globe.cgi?nat/glnhome.htm
>
>Why can't we marry?
>
>    By Liz Winfeld, 06/05/96
>
>    In the debate over same-sex marriages, some are saying that my partner
>and I should settle for domestic partnership in which the government grants
>us some of the rights of legal marriage. They cite the backlash our marriage
>would  engender. I'll bet that they don't know that there are 170-plus
>rights and responsibilities that go with legal marriage.

[...chomp...]

>    Unlike married people, we would have to testify against the other in a
>court of law, and we would have to jump through hoops too numerous to
>mention to establish legal parental relationships to our children. 
>

As well you should, considering that at least one of you is not the 
biological parent of "your" children, and that at least one other person 
out there will be the biological parent of same, and that "your" child may 
not want to be estranged from his/her biological parent[s] to simplify
your domestic arrangements. 
Adoptive and divorced parents also 'jump through hoops' to establish legal 
parental relationships with *their* kids. Why shouldn't you?


>    As for those who argue that same-gender marriages undermine heterosexual
>ones, note that even without our being able to marry legally, the divorce
>rate among heterosexuals is greater than 50 percent; there are more than
>500,000 children in foster care in the United States - the highest number
>ever - and more than one out of every four women is the victim of domestic
>violence. It does not seem that the heterosexuals should be overly concerned
>with gays  destroying the institution of marriage.
>

Tragically true. Will it be any lower for same-sex marriages, which have 
to deal with all of the problems straight marriages deal with, plus a few
others as well? I doubt it. 

=Eric 

My opinions, not Microhouse's.