equal taxation - unequal representation!!

-gay couples pay the same in social security taxes, but are not allowed to have spousal benefits of social security

-gay couples pay the same in state and federal tax, but they are treated differently by the public courts, the IRS, and government agencies.

-gay couples cannot get spousal healthcare if they work for federal government or state government in a state that does not recognize their marriage.

-gay couples do not have many tax privileges including transfer of personal property, filing joint tax returns, etc.

-married couples do not have to testify against each other in court

-gay couples pay the same in payroll taxes but do not have the same work benefits – including FMLA, bereavement leave, etc.

-spouses of military veterans have many benefits that gay couples do not have though an openly gay person is also not allowed to serve in the military – they are allowed to fight and die in the military as heroes– unless anyone finds out they are gay – then they are discharged

-not to mention benefits that are automatically conveyed to married couples that gay couples have to get lawyers and file documents to try and obtain (hospital visitation, inheritance, etc.)

-not all 'benefits' are positive either - marriage would come with the responsibilities like alimony/palimony, child support, joint debt ownership, etc., requirements to disclose conflicts of interest

-the GAO did a survey of benefits that provided by just the Federal government and found 1,138 benefits, rights and privileges. This does not include state and employer specific benefits of marriage

Best reason? All objections to gay marriage fall into two primary categories - religious or moral. While people certainly have the right to hold such objections, neither should be the basis of any legislation to exclude anyone from what is essentially a civil right, at least as far as a government is concerned.

The best argument to defend Marriage Equality depends on the person you are talking to.

If the person says, "Civil unions are just as good." Remind them of separate is not equal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01476/black-white_1476677a.jpg

If they say gay's shouldn't be able to join in civil unions either, you must devote more time to the conversation and figure out why they feel that way. Usually due to religious reasons which you can't do much about. Religions have very strongly built in self preservation techniques. It's really hard to tear down that wall... Just try to reason with them and use personal examples. It's easier if you or a family member is gay.

If the person thinks all gays should die... hit them.

Marriage was never a "legal" act. Marriage is not a privilege so legalizing it is a farce. Marriage "licenses" were first enacted to keep interracial marriages from happening.

You ask for government control and you'll get it.

I don't care if you marry your pet dog. Marriage is not something authorized as controlled by the US Constitution. That doesn't seem to bother anyone. They just fight over inane arguments that have no basis in law. Let gay people marry! Who gives a shit!

My marriage was performed outside of the "law" yet it doesn't change the fact that I'm married. I don't need permission from the government to do so.

Wake up and see the bigger picture. The government has no business getting into the marriage picture...unless you're looking to change your tax status...more government interference with your life.

The best reason to legalize gay marriage is to piss people off ;)

discrimination against gay marriage is based solely on religious beliefs and amounts to establishment of religion

because anything that does not infringe on the life, liberty, or propery of others should be a protected liberty given by the constitution

The whole gay marriage debate is tiresome. In all actuality there is no good reason to keep it illegal.

If someone actually brings up morals, THEY'RE GAY! Morals are gay. Who gives a fuck about someone's morals? Morals should not be part of legislation; ethics should. We know killing is bad for others, so we make it illegal. Gay marriage... does nothing, so why the fuck is it illegal?

In a perfect world, government would have nothing to do with marriage, meaning no one receives benefits through marriage. You can sign rights to someone, if you wish, but it's wrong for the government to give tax breaks and bullshit to people just cause they're "in love". And worse of all, bad for government to force a spouse to give half of their shit to their ex-spouse when they get divorced.

Marriage itself is bad all around and should be dismantled. But as long as it is a government institution, gays should be allowed to do it as well.

i think this sentiment is already expressed here, but worded differently:

Shoe on the other foot diplomacy -

if the reverse should not be legal (e.g. gays marrying their sexual partner and having it recognized by the government and given special benefits and not straight people) - then the current system should not be legal.

I think this argument might be more appealing to those with religious objections to gay marriage since shoe on the other foot is tantamount to the golden rule

gay marriages must be legalized because they are also fellow humans born with none of their fault. sensual pleasures are common, but venting away process is different. no energy can be suppressed, it will find its own way to get dissipated, by means of crime, antisocial feelings. hence i strongly support to legalize the issues to maintain balanced society.

we should think about future. What generation we will have, if govt approves it. Anyway, it should be prohibited, or to prohibit them to have children, or society would degradation.

i would just like to say that i am really behind legalizing gay marriage and i have heard all the diffrent arguments and quite a lot of them are bullshit if you are gay it dose not effect anyone else so who ever believes that they should not be allowed to see anyone should take a good look in the mirror.

It is now 2015 and the Supreme Court has declared Gay Marriage to be the law of the land.

if you believe gay marriage should not be legal, please use one of the debates that discuss whether gay marriage should be legal

Gay marriage shouldn not be legal one reason is that it is ever increasing. For all of you straights out there, do you really want to be living In a world where 50% of the people you meet are gay would you feel comfortable have gay neighbors?