Bennifits of Mara-wige

[matrix4b]

Ok, something that has confused me for quite some time. I am more of how it is put together person, meaning that I like taking things apart. First a bit of background:

I am in favor of same sex maraige (spellings wrong, I know). To me it is all about being happy with your choosen partner. It is a spiritual joining and not a finacial agreement. The fact that same sex mariage and mariage in general is in the hands of the government is just plain WRONG. So that said, I have a question that I need answering.

What is the benifits of being able to Marry? Racking my brain here is what I have been able to come up with and all have to do with money in one way or another:

Taxes:
1. Filing Jointly and getting that discount
I am not aware of any restrictions for this that would prevent two people of the same sex from filing jointly, as in the same house hold. I may just be naive and un-informed.
2. Inheritance Taxes: Willing stuff to non-blood and non-spouse does incure an inheritance tax in most states. Specificly Non-Blood relative in Iowa. Only state I have experience with this. Thank goodness.
Loans: it is easier for a couple to get a loan for a house and the like due to two incomes being on the application and Sharing your life also shares and differ the costs of living. But how is this prejiduced against for same sex households. It shouldn't.

Adoption: It is easier to adopt with a man and a woman that are maried. But I have heard that in some states it is permissible for one parent to adopt, why not same sex. I am not sure that they can't. Just a sigma in society that says that life is more stable for the child with a mother and a father, not always true. Also, a way around this is for a third party to be involved to actually give birth to a kid and give up gaurdianship to the other parent in the case of two men, non issue for the case of two women. That's what sperm banks are for.

Insurance: Medical insurance is the bigest thing. The wrong assumption is that a woman and a man are healtier than two men or two women. But this should be alowd..

Asside from these issues, where is Being Legaly maried come into things for a couple? That is my boggle. I just don't understand. Only on the issues of Insurance or Adoption is the issue of Gay Marriage or Same Sex marriage or even just marriage important.

Please help, as I do not have the knowledge on why it is such a big deal. It is a big deal in my mind to ban it as that shouldn't be why we have govenment and the govenment should keep it's dirty hands off the situation but they aren't. So beyond the issues I outlined and the fact that govenment shouldn't be involved, What are the other benifits that I am missing that a marriage cerimony of your choosen faith (assuming that your faith is compatible with your beliefs. Why shouldn't it be?!) can't fix?

Dave
Help a somewhat ignoant out. Please?

Comments

[belleweather.livejournal.com]

Marriage gives your spouse not only a legal right to inherit without property tax, but a legal right to inherit full stop, and without going through probate. It's a legal right that can't be interfered with by meddling relatives who are trying to overturn the will. Likewise, married people have the right to make legal and medical decisions for their spouses if the spouse is incapactiated, and the right to make decisions about burial. Also, married people can draw on the social security and retirement benefits of their spouse, which is important if one partner is out of the workforce to care for children/elderly family members. They can far more easily set up parenting and visitation agreements for children who might not be biologically or even legally the child of both spouses (ie. foster kids), a whole host of legal protections including the right to recover in a wrongful death suit or a tort action if someone kills or permanetly injures your spouse, crime victim's recovery benefits, the privilege of not being forced to testify against your spouse in a court of law, customs and immigration benefits... need I go on?

All in all, there are 1049 Federal legal benefits that accrue to married couples which do not accrue to cohabitating unmarried couples and can't be created through contracts. There are also state benefits depending on your state of residence.

So, to answer the unasked question: YES, same-sex marriage is a BIG DEAL.

[matrix4b.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I did not realize the number of of statutes. Hmmm, It strikes me that the Law is really lacking in this area. I figured it was a big deal, There wouldn't be so many people gunning for it if it wasn't. Most of what you mention I didn't even realize that I had the right to. Especially the testifing in court. I just did not know WHAT the deal was. Shows how much I know about Marriage in general where it applies to the Govenment and rights. With all that is a part of te law, I wonder why on earth people would ban same sex marriage? What decent human being would wish to deny such useful laws to their fellow human? This information that you point out is rather disturbing. I find it disturbing that someone would wish upon someone's loved one to deny things lke being able to make medical decisions for your partner and burial and other things. I mean seriously, wouldn't someone that is your partner in life know what you want done with your body when you are gone better than someone that isn't with that person so much.

You have opened my eyes a bit. While, I don't agree that many of the issues you bring up that are a part of the law, I can see that they do come up.

Hmm, I wonder how the law would change if we were say speaking of trinary marriages or group marriages that logically is the next logical step beyond those rights that you mention. I can hear your inner laywer shuddering at the thought but should it be successful for Same Sex marriages get the respect that they deserve and be just as legal as an complamentary sex marriage then it is the next logical step to consider other groupings of partnerships in spirit and love and by ugly neccesity in law.

This just highlights just what has been bugging me about the social development of the human race. It is slow and not growing in it's understanding and respect of it's fellow being. Put simply, because this issue exists my beleif in my fellow homo sapien is lowered and just another reminder of how backwards we are as yet as a species. No wonder none of the other Galactic civilisations out there have not seen fit to let us know of their existance. We are too primitive socially. But hope is there still.

I wonder how much of the LAW could be subverted into a workable solution to bypass a Same Sex ban on Marriage. Should be be that backward and lacking in respect of our fellow person.

Well Thank you.

Dave

[angeldess.livejournal.com]

Belleweather kinnda summed it up there, I for one am all for it. HI DAVE! Sorry, I didn't know how to get a hold of you...did you still want to talk to me about the "art" thing? Alisia aka table maker ;)

[angeldess.livejournal.com]

Oh, alisia@alkime.org.