> no consenting people need permission from anyone else to call themselves "married."
I agree, but nobody did needed permission to call themselves married before today. If we haven't been referring to gay couples as "married" before today, it has been for political reasons, not legal reasons. To wit,
- Gay couples refused to call themselves "married" because doing so would have detracted from impetus to change the legal situation (which actually does change their real rights), and
- People opposed to gay marriage refused to call gay couples "married" because doing so would confer legitimacy on gay relationships.
The real issue here is about the rights and responsibilities that are associated with marriage, and while I'd like people's legal ability to voluntarily enter into those arrangements expanded, I'm not sure they should be expanded without bound.
> The real issue here is about the rights and responsibilities that are associated with marriage.
Indeed, that's my point. Those rights and responsibilities should not be legally associated with marriage. I would prefer that one be able to live with whomever one pleases, arrange for hospital visitation and medical decision making with whomever one pleases, share bank accounts with whomever one pleases, et cetera.
I agree, but nobody did needed permission to call themselves married before today. If we haven't been referring to gay couples as "married" before today, it has been for political reasons, not legal reasons. To wit,
- Gay couples refused to call themselves "married" because doing so would have detracted from impetus to change the legal situation (which actually does change their real rights), and
- People opposed to gay marriage refused to call gay couples "married" because doing so would confer legitimacy on gay relationships.
The real issue here is about the rights and responsibilities that are associated with marriage, and while I'd like people's legal ability to voluntarily enter into those arrangements expanded, I'm not sure they should be expanded without bound.