Marriage, according to my anthropology classes, is most universally a social institution for assignment of responsibility in child-rearing. I'm all for domestic partnerships and fair play, but making love the reason for marriage pretty much tears the heart out of any legally useful definition of the term.

My viewpoint will never, ever become that of the majority because, of course, it requires considerable reference to things outside the extant culture. People don't do that in any culture. Instead, in keeping with our progressively more wooly-headed ideas of egalitarianism and ever more pre-packaged notions of individuality, gay identity will be increasingly homogenised, and gay marriage will inevitably become normative. Our greatest challenge will be to find someone to feel smugly enlightened towards. Increasingly marginalised "red state" reactionaries will no doubt rise to the challenge.