I support gay marriage for ethical and religious reasons. I'm not nearly as concerned with defining it as a civil right as I am concerned with getting it legally recognized.
I would like to see Prop 8 overturned because it's wrong. On a number of levels.
I haven't really considered the idea of marriage as a civil right, until today. I'm not sure there is a "right" to marriage for anyone; it's like saying there's a "right" to baptism. But since the law is already involved, I don't think anyone should be barred from marriage by law - unless everyone is.
Now I'll try to give you my reasoning on the civil rights question, which is one I had not considered until today.
It seems to me that if legal recognition of marriage is wrong for some, it's wrong for all. If it's right for some, it's right for all. If the state stopped keeping records of marriages and divorces entirely, would that be denying the civil rights of citizens to marry? I'm not sure. I'd have to give it more thought. Right now I'm leaning towards no.
However, if the state said "only certain adults are allowed to vote. It should be all or nothing; therefore no one is allowed to vote," that does deny a civil right. Marriage, perhaps because of the muddle of state and religion, is not so clear to me. I can't draw a clear parallel.
But I don't need an answer to that question in order to know that I oppose Prop 8 on the grounds that it is discriminatory - a view I've held since the election.
