# What would be the results of normalized gay marriage? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992 "2009-04-22T17:27:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/1 "2009-04-22T17:27:10Z")
I don’t mean in some sort of deep sociological impact kind of way, but culturally. Will there be debuttante balls for young gay men coming out? How do you think this will manifest in society? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/2 "2009-04-22T17:30:27Z")
I think it will happen the same way it happens in states that have legalized it…a lot of couples will get married, and surprise surprise, the world doesn’t come to an end. I think debutante balls are only for high society girls in the South and maybe England. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/3 "2009-04-22T17:38:42Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > debuttante balls Now that’s a Freudian slip! ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/4 "2009-04-22T17:40:40Z")
Dude, all the preeverts in the world would wind up marrying their _sheep!_ Well, **I** would, anyway. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/5 "2009-04-22T17:45:58Z")
Well, we’ve had it here in parts of Canada since 2003, and in all of Canada since 2005. I’ve not noticed much difference in our society since then. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/6 "2009-04-22T18:14:10Z")
The whole country will be in the same condition as the few states that have legalized it so far (i.e. desolate wastelands roamed by hordes of gay mutants). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/7 "2009-04-22T18:22:59Z")
[This.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEaBEM7QH2Q) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/8 "2009-04-22T18:32:07Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > Dude, all the preeverts in the world would wind up marrying their _sheep!_ > > Well, **I** would, anyway. 🆒 Sicko. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/9 "2009-04-22T18:45:00Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Sicko. Ewe realize that **Linty Fresh** is just pulling the wool over our eyes, right? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/10 "2009-04-22T18:56:05Z")
Same-sex marriage is legal here. Admittedly it hasn’t been for long, but before that same-sex registered partnerships were legal for years. And the net cultural result is… …I got nothin’. Well, I suppose the greeting card and cake topper industries have had to make some adjustments. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/11 "2009-04-22T19:11:56Z")
I’ll add that the net result of the arrival of legal same-sex marriage in Toronto was a) the rewriting of assorted government forms to say “spouse” or “applicant” instead of “husband” and “wife”; b) a lot of newspaper headlines, and c) some _faaabulous_ wedding-oriented trade shows. Except that some people are now happily free to marry, who couldn’t before, it isn’t any different. The whole thing is now obscured by the economic collapse, and that didn’t start here. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/12 "2009-04-22T20:38:10Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > …I think debutante balls are only for high society girls in the South and maybe England. The Queen got rid of them in the 50s because she thought they were too elitist. Her annual garden party replaced them. ---
**Author:** ![Lungfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/13 "2009-04-22T21:00:45Z")
More work for divorce lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/14 "2009-04-22T21:02:46Z")
ummm…married gay people? We have SSM in the world now and no major upheavals. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/15 "2009-04-22T21:10:41Z")
How do the grooms/brides usually dress at same-sex weddings? Both in tuxes/wedding dresses? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/16 "2009-04-22T21:23:21Z")
I don’t expect too much difference, except some employers who provide spousal benefits might balk. What is most interesting to me would be its effect in the military. Could the military continue to refuse to recognize gay marriage? If it had to recognize gay marriage, would service members get the same benefits for their spouses? Would the military let gay parents adopt? Could service members marry someone of the same sex from a different country where SSM isn’t legal? Heaven knows soldiers and sailors love coming home with foreign spouses. Would there be an increase in convenience marriages? It’s quite common for people to pair off & marry just for the extra money and especially the better housing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/17 "2009-04-22T21:29:03Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > What is most interesting to me would be its effect in the military. Could the military continue to refuse to recognize gay marriage? No. Of course, they could refuse to allow people in SSMs to enlist (or discharge serving personnel who got SSMed) under DADT. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/18 "2009-04-22T21:31:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How do the grooms/brides usually dress at same-sex weddings? Both in tuxes/wedding dresses? Depends. There’s probably as much variation as there is in hetero weddings – two different dressy but non-tux suits, two different non-white dresses, religious garb, two tuxes, two wedding gowns, one tux one dress – though I’ve only seen this with lesbians. I have to say, for some reason, even though I have no fondness for the whole ‘fairytale wedding idea,’ something about seeing two lesbians getting married in traditional white gowns makes me happy (e.g. [here](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/498066984_c7a3b79cda.jpg)). ETA: I really don’t see it having much of an affect, except maybe on the brains of the bigoted. Sure more spouses will get benefits – but at this point in time, closeted people who might have had a sham wedding in the past are probably more likely to be in long-term, open gay relationships. As for sham gay weddings a la [Chuck and Larry](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762107/), I really don’t see them being any more popular or successful than fake marriages for green cards. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/19 "2009-04-22T22:19:05Z")
Gays in general will experience greater cultural acceptance as the government recognizes them as having rights equal to heterosexuals. This cannot but be to the good. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/20 "2009-04-22T22:30:25Z")
Our boys and girls will all turn gay and the human race will slowly die off. Or you’ll just go to a extra wedding or two each year. I can’t imagine any significant changes happening because of gay marriages. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992.md?page=2)