# Democracy and same-sex marriage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 16, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686 "2006-11-16T15:39:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/41 "2006-11-22T18:11:02Z")

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Um, which of those are you proposing? That we leave marriage as mixed-only, or that we end discrimination against gay couples? They’re _mutually exclusive_.

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/42 "2006-11-22T18:58:45Z")

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[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves]  
Um, which of those are you proposing? That we leave marriage as mixed-only, or that we end discrimination against gay couples? They’re _mutually exclusive_.  
[/QUOTE]

I think that’s debateable… why are they mutually exclusive?

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/43 "2006-11-22T19:26:53Z")

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You’re serious? Okay. How is denying same-sex couples an equal right to marry not discriminatory?

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/44 "2006-11-22T19:36:15Z")

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[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves]  
You’re serious? Okay. How is denying same-sex couples an equal right to marry not discriminatory?  
[/QUOTE]  
Because I don’t see marriage as a “right”. If it is, who does it apply to… any two human beings without regard to any other factors at all?

And if it is so clear… why did it take so long for everybody to figure it out?

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/45 "2006-11-22T19:44:44Z")

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The right in question is equal protection.

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/46 "2006-11-22T19:56:15Z")

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[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves]  
The right in question is equal protection.  
[/QUOTE]  
Holy smokes… you mean this whole thing has been screwed up since 1868???

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/47 "2006-11-22T20:01:27Z")

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[QUOTE=What the … !!!]  
Holy smokes… you mean this whole thing has been screwed up since 1868???  
[/QUOTE]  
It wouldn’t be without precedent.

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-and-same-sex-marriage/380686/48 "2006-11-22T23:21:26Z")

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[QUOTE=What the … !!!]  
Holy smokes… you mean this whole thing has been screwed up since 1868???  
[/QUOTE]  
Much earlier than that as a principle, really - but it’s been codified at the US federal level for that long, yes.

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