How does gay-marriage threaten traditional marriage at all? Why is it that people always feel they have to suppress another, due to religion, race, or personal beliefs? If people's choices don't harm anyone, but let's them live in a happy and fulfilled life, why not just leave them alone? At one time African Americans were slaves, white women couldn't vote and why was that, because society (men) was suppressing and abusing these groups. Why is gay rights and gay marriage any different? We are all people, just trying to find happiness and dignity with our time here. I'm not a gay person standing up for my rights as some might think by reading this. I'm just a woman who believes in rights and equality for all people.

Hello they do harm society and traditional marriage. What don't you understand about traditional? They like to raise their families with traditional values you know like morally, ethical and with boundaries! So when perversity rears its ugly head in any fashion whether it be homosexuality, polygamy, incest, pedophilia etc. it can and does influence families, children etc.! Dont you people get it? Why do you think this world is in the state it is in? Immorality!

Excellent post, River, right on! I too am tired of this debate over gay marriage. Single people are the most oppresed in this society, they are the scapegoats for everything. Gay people also are treated like dirt too. Look at American Idol, they had two gay contestants at the beginning of the season, both were quickly voted off. I want to see more gay representation on my television, see that things are at least improving for one oppressed group. Life always gives us alternatives to any situation and we just have to be open to them.

I never lived in times of slavery, the sufferage fight, or anything like that. However, I assure you that these things are unrelated to the marriage of homosexual people.

This is about the preservation of the fundamental unit of society, the family. It is important for people to know that it is contrary to God's plan. Not just for the simple easy to give, it goes against the Bible response.

Families can be united together through all eternity through the power of His Holy Priesthood. Marriage was not designed to end at death; "until death do you part." It is a bigger plan than that. We aren't here just because, we were spirits before we were here, came to earth to receive a body and show we would follow his plan- marriage, children, obey the commandments- and when we return, if we have been united with them through the true priesthood, we will be with our spouses in family units where we will continue to progress. This isn't the end.

True eternal happiness will come in families- man and woman, and children. That is the plan. If we go against it, we lose his protection and you can read the bible to see the things that come next.

That is why it matters.

"This is about the preservation of the fundamental unit of society, the family."

Gay families are families, too. You don't get to decide that they aren't, just because you don't like us.

The rest of your post is religious nonsense. This is not a theocracy; your religious beliefs are completely irrelevant.

River, I am in complete agreement with you!

Jakery, Help me understand... So, are you afraid that God will reject your family if some couple you don't even know is allowed to get married? I have read your posts and I still can't see how one couple's marriage is somehow going to affect another couple's marriage in eternity...

dgriego, being in a heterosexual marriage does not automatically make one moral, or ethical, or even of normal intelligence. Nor does it preclude incest or pedophilia... and God himself encourages polygamy...

I'm struggling to understand how people like dgriego think that two homosexuals getting married would affect his marriage at all. It's like those that spout off about the "homosexual agenda" and are afraid that they are trying to turn their children gay. You are either gay or you are not. It is how you are born. I suspect that those who are afraid of being "turned gay" are really closeted homosexuals. That must be why it is so easy for them to imagine being converted....anything you want to tell us dgriego?

We allow the use of the word marriage by gay unions, but eliminate all benefits that apply to "married" couples, and continue them only to straight "married" couples, as our lawmakers originally intended.

Then we can have our lawmakers take up adding the benefits for gay "married" couples that was required to get the benefits for straight couples. And if they choose to do so, no problem. Gays won't be getting treated any different than straights have been through our history.

But that's not what gays want is it? They want every benefit that a straight couple now gets, but they don't want to have to go through the same legislative process that our government forced straights to go through. They want to be treated special.

This is really about the money, the benefits, the tax implications, insurance benefits.

This is idiotic. Maybe we should have done the same for interracial couples? Or heck, nonwhite people in general? After all, when marriage laws were first created, slavery was still around, black people weren't citizens and couldn't get married, so of COURSE marriage was designed with only white people in mind.

My life, my family and my happiness are not defined by your God.

This is not an issue of religion, this is an issue about basic human dignity and the rights of all people to be treated equally in the eyes of the law, and free from the tiereny of relition in the United States of America,

The argument always comes down to "the Bible says..." You know what? I don't care what the Bible says. This is not a theocracy. Our laws are not based on the Bible. We have freedom of religion as well as freedom form religion.

Some people seem to think that because their "holy" book says something is wrong then this should be the basis for laws that affect us all. I am so tired of this.

To all of you Bible thumpers out there: you can believe whatever you want, no matter how silly or illogical. That's your Constitutional right. Believing in something does not mean that you can force your beliefs on others. Freedom of religion does not mean freedom of religion for Christians it means freedom for believers in any religion or even in no religion. Get over it.

But that's not what gays want is it? They want every benefit that a straight couple now gets, but they don't want to have to go through the same legislative process that our government forced straights to go through. They want to be treated special.

Wait, what?? Excuse me? Someone PLEASE explain to me what this person is talking about before my head explodes from disbelief.

I have no idea Tye. He seems to be saying that gays want the SAME rights yet somehow that means they want to be SPECIAL!!! Completely illogical. How can they be the same yet different?

Primarily I'm boggled by this:

but they don't want to have to go through the same legislative process that our government forced straights to go through

a) What sort of horrific process did straight people ever have to go through to get their marriage license?

b) Gay people ARE struggling through hoops and over hurdles to get what should be basic human rights, just like people who wanted to marry someone of a different race did! Who would actually claim that gay people haven't already had to struggle to get those things? Not me!