this has nothing to do with marraige, but it does have to do with gay rights. i joined the military to get money to go to college. i did everything i was suppose to. i hid my sexuality, i lied to everyone, i was miserable. yet, someone found out and they kicked me out.
we really are second class citizens. society can do whatever they want to us. since we are considered deviants to the ruling class, they do not have to treat us fairly. ellen is our spokesperson. we need her to help us get equal rights. just the fact that john mccain was even on her show is proof she has power. her power comes from her fame. people see beyond her sexuality. she shows people homosexuals are just like everyone else. thank you ellen.

it is so painful sometimes to walk down the street and not even be able to hold my partners hand out of fear. i have to consciously think about what part of town i am in because we could be yealled at or even worse, beaten for being gay. i will say that physical harm is rare, but it is a fear. i do not have the luxury of living in California. i have the misfortune of living in a red state. the thought of marriage seems like a dream that will never come true.

I am not a second class citizen. thank you ellen

Im tired of living as a second class citizen. thank you ellen!

go girl

i agree

as a lesbian in this country, i am tired of the government trying to use me as a scare tactic for people to vote republican. i am in love with a wonderful woman who has two children. we have to hide ouer love because the childrens fathers believe our lifestyle is bad for the children. we adore those children and she always puts the children first. i am tired of society painting the picture of homosexuals as deviants. this in itself is a crime. it is pure discrimination! we deserve to be happy and have a family just like everyone else.

So when people say our service men are fighting for freedom what does that really mean? Free to be or do whatever others think? Hmmm strange.

I think you got him thinking Ellen.. he knows he not right that's why he didn't have much to say. Screw all these people that think that they know what is right and what is wrong. If they were true Christians they would know that they are using their power to judge other people.

I have the desire to make this debate very very simple. It's a matter of law. The USA has a very specific legal stance that there is a seperation between church and state. Here is how that idea plays into these "protection of marriage" laws. This is based purely on legal FACT. I am not saying that gay marriage should be allowed or should not. I am looking at this from a completely objective outside view point of a young person who is not married but has spent way to long having to listen to people argue over this "law" in my short life time.

This goes one of two ways, and these are those ways.

Way Number One:
Marriage is a religious union. This means that there cannot be any laws that allow extra rights to couples that are married. This includes but is not limited to these few items listed below.
-If your spouse is in an accident you are not legally family. You do not have the right to see them in the hospital if they are in critical condition unless they have signed a release specifying so.
-If your spouse dies suddenly leaving behind no will, you are not the heir to their estate.
-If your spouse is in a vegatative state and doctors need to decide rather or not to pull the plug and there is no living will, you are not the person who gets to decide if they do or do not do this.
-You cannot get joint insurance unless it is through a carrier that recognizes a plan the covers two individuals that are not in any way legally attached to one another. Even having children together does not make you eligable for coverage under your childs father or mother's medical, dental, vision, car insurance, etc.
-If you want a divorce it must be handled souly through the church. It would not be considered a matter for civil court.

These are only a few of the items that you would no longer have the right too as married couples if marriage is a religious institution in a country where religion and law are kept seperate. Once again I have to throw out the phrase "seperation of church and state" for anyone who did not follow that.

Way Number Two:
If marriage is a legal union and not souly a religious one then these rights mentioned above and all others given to married couples must be honored for all and any USA citizen who is of legal age to be married in their state of residence.

There cannot be a law stating that marriage is between a man and woman only. This can only happen if we remove all the other laws that protect married couples. If we do not wish to remove those laws then we must allow same sex marriage in our country. To appease religion it should be up to the church rather or not they will allow these ceremonies in their temples, inside their church, or on their holy ground. End of story. That's it. No arguements. No crying, fighting, bombing, running to the supreme court blah blah blah. Whatever. None of it. It is a simple fact of law in this country. No one can make a church marry them, but state law and federal law cannot deny the same rights to one citizen that they allow to another.

Unfortunitly by passing laws stating that only certain legal adults are able to marry one another we are creating a problem. The problem is that currently it is, always will be, and always has been unconstitutional to do so. We are all equal in the eyes of the law. Male, female, gay, straight, whatever. If you are a citizen of this country you are allowed the same basic rights and privilages as all other citizens. THIS IS THE LAW OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Based upon our own law we cannot continue down this road of defining marriage based upon what any religion sees it as without undermining our entire legal system as it currently stands. The only way to do so is to remove all laws that creat any kind of treatment that is exclusive for married couples.

So there you have it. Before you decide it is soley a religious union then you need to change all the laws offering anything extra to married couples. Or we could just not pass these new laws trying to limit who can get married based upon the words of God and the Bible and follow my earlier suggestion, give everyone the same legal rights, but allow churchs to choose rather or not they will allow these marriage ceremonies to take place within their walls.

In basic terms, give civil unions by law. Give marriage by religion and remove the term marriage from any laws previously written or to be written in the future.

None of this is meant to insult either side of the arguement. It is just an overview of what the law of this country dictates must happen. For our country to move forward with these ideas in any other way is against our own laws. And where are we when we become a lawless society?