# What bad things might happen if same-sex couples get married? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624 "2009-05-25T23:45:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/41 "2009-05-26T03:13:16Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > This, dipshit. \ Here’s a little experiment that you can try at home: [ol] [li]Turn off all radios on your cell phone.[/li][li]Note the time according to your phone’s clock.[/li][li]Power down your device via the phone’s power button.[/li][li]Remove the battery.[/li][li]Wait 30 seconds.[/li][li]Re-insert the battery.[/li][li]Power the device on.[/li][li]When the device has booted back up, note the time again.[/li][/ol] I just tried this on my Blackberry 8320. The clock _did not_ reset. It obviously has some kind of CMOS with an attached battery that provides a trickle charge to prevent the clock from resetting due to a loss of power and network connectivity, ala the button battery on a PC system board. While it’s _unlikely_ that the internal battery would have enough juice to power a GPS or GSM radio for any significant length of time, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Who’s the idiot? \ ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/42 "2009-05-26T03:18:26Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > What does this have to do with anything we were talking about? Um, because he’s calling **magellan01** an idiot, when Snowboarder is the idiot? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/43 "2009-05-26T03:19:55Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > Did you provide a cite in the other thread? That the evil GOVERNMENT can track you via cell phone, even without a battery? Waiting. Four cites, actually, but what the hell does this have to do with marriage? And he didn’t say anything about the government being evil; that sounds more like you, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/44 "2009-05-26T03:27:44Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > what the hell does this have to do with marriage? Not much, but that’s still about a bazillion times more than any of **magellan01** ’s tormented scribblings. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/45 "2009-05-26T03:28:46Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Four cites, actually, but what the hell does this have to do with marriage? > > And he didn’t say anything about the government being evil; that sounds more like you, anyway. NONE of his cites said what he claimed. But your not interested in facts, are you? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/46 "2009-05-26T03:33:48Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > Um, because he’s calling **magellan01** an idiot, when Snowboarder is the idiot? Snowboarder’s status is relevant to a thread about how much of an idiot magellan01 is because? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/47 "2009-05-26T03:39:38Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > NONE of his cites said what he claimed. Actually, they did. > [@third article](#): > > Kaplan’s opinion said that the eavesdropping technique “functioned whether the phone was powered on or off.” And this is STILL not relevant to people getting married. At all. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/48 "2009-05-26T03:39:49Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Snowboarder’s status is relevant to a thread about how much of an idiot magellan01 is because? How soon before college starts again? It’s gonna be a long summer. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/49 "2009-05-26T03:39:56Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Snowboarder’s status is relevant to a thread about how much of an idiot magellan01 is because? Well, **Snowboarder** called **magellean01** an idiot, and then **Carol Stream** said **Snowboarder** was an idiot too 'cause of what he said over on that other thread, and then **Lobohan** called **Carol Stream** an idiot 'cause of something… or other… or… shit, I don’t know, and I started this thread in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/50 "2009-05-26T03:40:18Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Four cites, actually, but what the hell does this have to do with marriage? Nothing. \*\*Cretin Stream \*\*is desperate to derail a thread that is going badly for the marriage nazis. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/51 "2009-05-26T03:43:41Z")
Well, let’s get started with a devil’s advocate argument: If gays get married, then what’s to prevent two guys from marrying each other and fraudulently obtaining marriage benefits? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/52 "2009-05-26T03:47:30Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Actually, they did. Which one, doofus? Surely if it’s true, you can cite it. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/53 "2009-05-26T03:50:17Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Well, let’s get started with a devil’s advocate argument: > If gays get married, then what’s to prevent two guys from marrying each other and fraudulently obtaining marriage benefits? Nothing. But, that risk exists for hetero marriage also. How many men and women marry solely for the benefits? Why would the rate be higher if same sex marriage was allowed? The down side is enormous also; eventually, these marriages of convenience would sour, then somebody files for divorce and the community property hits the fan. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/54 "2009-05-26T03:53:19Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Well, let’s get started with a devil’s advocate argument: > If gays get married, then what’s to prevent two guys from marrying each other and fraudulently obtaining marriage benefits? And what’s to keep them from indulging their pedophilia (which all the gays have) by tracking children through their cellphones? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/55 "2009-05-26T03:55:30Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Snowboarder’s status is relevant to a thread about how much of an idiot magellan01 is because? Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! I know, I know! Because\*\* Carol Stream\*\* is an idiot? Really, dude, go get your own pit thread.\* \ ***Carol Stream** , not **The Tao’s Revenge**. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/56 "2009-05-26T03:57:14Z")
What bad things could happen? Well, what bad things _couldn’t_ happen, I ask you? Betcha people will stub their toes on doorframes. Betcha a million dollars. Let that be a warning to you all. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/57 "2009-05-26T03:57:59Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > Which one, doofus? Surely if it’s true, you can cite it. Right? Was there something preventing you from disputing his point in the thread it actually occurred in? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/58 "2009-05-26T04:01:31Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > What bad things could happen? Well, what bad things _couldn’t_ happen, I ask you? Betcha people will stub their toes on doorframes. Betcha a million dollars. Let that be a warning to you all. But what if they get past that, only to break their necks on the stairs? How about that, smart guy? Huh? Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/59 "2009-05-26T04:14:37Z")
Sorry, I just keep seeing the good things. Like even with adoption, I’m bound to save a few bucks on workplace baby showers. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624/60 "2009-05-26T04:24:25Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Nothing. But, that risk exists for hetero marriage also. How many men and women marry solely for the benefits? Why would the rate be higher if same sex marriage was allowed? The down side is enormous also; eventually, these marriages of convenience would sour, then somebody files for divorce and the community property hits the fan. Continuing with the devil’s advocacy: some people would regard marrying a friend of the same sex as less significant or real than marrying one of the opposite sex, and thus same-sex unions would be more likely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bad-things-might-happen-if-same-sex-couples-get-married/497624.md?page=4)