tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9286932.post8822159084984371078..comments2023-10-24T08:08:44.274-05:00Comments on the opinion box: My Problems with Prop 8Raphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749238964003017949noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9286932.post-79877922557403174822008-11-22T11:50:00.000-06:002008-11-22T11:50:00.000-06:00I do confess I went ranting off without doing my r...I do confess I went ranting off without doing my research on what rights exactly are conferred on marrying couples. (I also confess that the wife and self are not married officially in the US - just in India - and are unlikely to reap those 400 benifits!). <BR/><BR/>Which raises a question - Hypothetically, if all the 400 rights unique to married couples were conferred upon gay couples, without calling them married, would it be enough?<BR/><BR/>I do in principle support the right of homosexuals to marry. All humans are equal, and if they think they would be happier being married - then the state in a developed country ought not stop it.<BR/><BR/>That being said, I do think the issue is more trivial than a lot of other issues - because no one is actually being harmed by not marrying.<BR/><BR/>Campaigning for this, therefore, in my opinion, would be more of a misallocation of resources. <BR/><BR/>I do expect this will work next time around, as the more conservative people play with this idea and get comfortable with it.Raphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11749238964003017949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9286932.post-1718000878004274302008-11-21T08:44:00.000-06:002008-11-21T08:44:00.000-06:00I understand you unique international perspective,...I understand you unique international perspective, and in that regard you offer a very valid and very important point. However, marriage is not just a token right. There are about 1,400 legal rights are conferred upon married couples in the United States, about 1,000 federal rights and it depends on what state you live in but in average about 400 state rights. The majority of these rights cannot be duplicated with civil unions; most of these rights are specific to marriage. So, while the persecution of homosexuals around the world should be more than just a blip on the GLBT community’s radar, the struggle for civil rights for the GLBT community in the United States is far from over. <BR/><BR/>If you are interested in supporting the GLBT community you should visit http://allies.tamu.edu/ and become an Aggie Ally.Teddy Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13049816481371090138noreply@blogger.com