By Abby Rathbun
Last week, Vermont passed a law that allows for gay marriage after overriding a veto from their state governor. While I personally don’t give a darn who anyone dates, it matters to me that anyone with a willing partner ought to be allowed to enter into a civil union.
I am, for most purposes, am unabashedly liberal and this matter is no different. I do not understand why two individuals do not have the right to join their finances. Marriage, in the law, is the union of two persons’ money, wealth, and property. If a church does not want to allow the same sex to marry than that is an entirely different issue.
I propose for the elimination of marriages completely under the law. In order to unite as a couple legally they would have to enter into a civil union. Priests, preacher, and other clergy would not be able to perform a legal function in uniting two persons. Those clergy would be able to unify a couple under the power invested in them from the religion that ordained them. All marriages in the church would then have to have their marriage license approved and signed by a justice of the peace or another government official to legalize the union. Those who were not able or did not want a religious ceremony could marry at the courthouse, just like now.
There are several advantages to be married that should not be withheld from homosexual individuals. If their long time partner were to be hospitalized, the partner would not be able to visit since they are not next of kin. The partner would not be able to be next of kin for medical decisions when one partner is too ill to be competent for the decision. However, if they were to be married, the partner would be next-of-kin.
Often times, it is difficult for same sex couples to have joint parenting, in case of a split, or even be able to adopt.
The couples cannot have joint insurance policies for home, auto, and health. There are several legal issues concerning dissolution and divorce.
Married couples which consist of a man and a woman are awarded legal protection in the case of divorce from a marriage or a common law marriage. There is no protection for same sex couples.
If there is no will at the time of death, the married partner receives inheritance or takes care of the estate.
There are no benefits for non-married couples for benefits like annuities, pension plans, social security, and Medicare.
There is no joint filing of custom claims or tax returns. There are benefits for one partner if the other partner was a veteran.
There is no bereavement or sick leave for a partner. There are limits on crime victims’ recovery benefits. There are no domestic violence protection orders.
The United States was founded on the ideal that all men are created equally and thus should be treated that way. To deny rights to those who have a different choice on whom to be with is wrong. Whether you believe being homosexual is right or wrong, whether you think a biblical marriage should be between a man and a woman, it is irrelevant to this issue. It is a legal issue. The church ought to have no place in determining the rights of the minority. There has been a strong tradition of separation of church and state in every issue except marriage.
