# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/21 "2009-04-22T23:20:36Z")
When my niece and her partner had a commitment ceremony, (no legal SSM here in Nebraska, yet), they both wore wedding gowns. It was great. Everybody had a lovely time, had a reception at a local hotel. It was just like a regular wedding in almost every way. Now they’re buying a house together. I think once people accept it more, it won’t be any big thing. ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/22 "2009-04-22T23:50:08Z")
There would be one less topic to debate for 20+ pages in GD. ---
**Author:** ![Dusty\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Dusty\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty_Rose)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/23 "2009-04-23T01:25:23Z")
Haven’t you been paying attention?? Everyone knows that allowing same-sex marriage will destroy hetero marriages. There will be no more sanctity of marriage at that point. People will start wanting to marry their toasters, their pets and their siblings. If we allow ssm, we’ll have to allow polygamy, too. We’ll have to start teaching all of the school kids to be gay. Oh, it will be bad. Very, very bad. /sarcasm off ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/24 "2009-04-23T01:57:56Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Ewe realize that **Linty Fresh** is just pulling the wool over our eyes, right? I don’t his eyes are where he’s “pulling the wool.”\* \*new euphemism for having sex with sheep! You heard it here first folks! ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/25 "2009-04-23T02:03:52Z")
Gays will have less sex? ETA: Same as straight married people. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/26 "2009-04-23T02:11:44Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > Dude, all the preeverts in the world would wind up marrying their _sheep!_ > > Well, **I** would, anyway. 🆒 You’re Armenian? ---
**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 23, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/27 "2009-04-23T02:13:10Z")
> [@Dusty\_Rose](#): > > Haven’t you been paying attention?? > > Everyone knows that allowing same-sex marriage will destroy hetero marriages. I agree. My wife and I hate each other as it is. > [@](#): > > People will start wanting to marry their toasters, their pets and their siblings. If we allow ssm, we’ll have to allow polygamy, too. > > We’ll have to start teaching all of the school kids to be gay. > > Oh, it will be bad. Very, very bad. > > /sarcasm off Our . . . _toasters?_ Look everyone, I’m all for allowing gay marriage, but I just don’t think the world is ready for a gay man-household appliance union. I don’t care how much you love Mr. Black and Decker, maybe you should keep _that_ forbidden love in the closet. ---
**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 23, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/28 "2009-04-23T02:15:20Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > You’re Armenian? No . . . no. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think _they_ should be allowed to marry too, but . . . no. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/29 "2009-04-23T02:32:00Z")
I’d love to know at what point it catches on at the Federal level and same sex couples can file joint federal tax returns and import spouses from abroad. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/30 "2009-04-23T03:07:39Z")
> [@Dusty\_Rose](#): > > People will start wanting to marry their toasters, And thus, with precedent set, once workable AI gets rolling, and we figure out a few power supply problems…[the party can begin.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpO57NltoAI) You thought God was angry _now?_ Well let’s see how feels…_when he’s left writhing in the dust, felled by his own obsolescence in the face of human SCIENCE!_ FORD BE PRAISED, BLESSED BE THE BOMB AND THE HOLY FALLOUT! I’M THE GOD NOW! _I’M THE GOOOOOD!_ Eh? Eh? How 'bout it? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/31 "2009-04-23T04:02:37Z")
Utah will secede, and join the “Axis of Evil.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/32 "2009-04-23T04:21:51Z")
> [@Satchmo](#): > > It was just like a regular wedding in almost every way. How did they work the throwing the garter bit? 🙂 ---
**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 23, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/33 "2009-04-23T13:59:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > How did they work the throwing the garter bit? 🙂 They threw like girls? ---
**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 23, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/34 "2009-04-23T15:00:42Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I don’t expect too much difference, except some employers who provide spousal benefits might balk. In Canada, equality in the area of spousal benefits preceded gay marriage. Almost all employer benefit plans in Canada had previously been extended to include opposite sex common law couples. When same-sex common law couples started applying for those benefits, the courts held that they were eligible, just like opposite-sex common law couples. Failure to include same-sex common law couples was held to be discriminatory, contrary to the various human rights laws. Nor was there any financial argument that employers could make - the expansion of their benefit plans to include opposite-sex common law couples were estimated to have increased their costs in the neighbourhood of 20%; including same-sex common law couples was estimated to be in the 0.5-1.5% range. Once they’d make the expansion to opposite-sex common law couples, same-sex couples were eventually included. That all happened in the 90s, long before the same-sex marriage cases began in 2003. > [@levdrakon](#): > > What is most interesting to me would be its effect in the military. Could the military continue to refuse to recognize gay marriage? The comparable event in Canada was the same-sex marriage of [two Mounties](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/05/AR2006060501178.html). Doesn’t seem to have caused any difficulties within the RCMP. That’s one of the virtues of hierarchical command structures - tell them the rules have changed, here’s the new rules, and they generally implement them. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/35 "2009-04-23T15:29:27Z")
We don’t yet have same sex ‘marriage’ in the UK, but we do have civil partnerships which have almost identical legal status, and are frequently referred to as gay marriage (gay couples will often say, for instance’ that they’re ‘getting married’ not ‘civilly partnered’). The main changes are: \> Wedding venues (hotels etc) now advertise ‘have your wedding or civil partnership here’. \> Spousal benefits are extended to SS partners, and I have never heard any companies making a fuss about this (actually, many spousal benefits are already extended to unmarried couples in any case, and it is against the law to discriminate at work on the basis of sexual orientation). \> The military accepts it, but then we already have gays in the military \> Government/official forms have been adapted to include reference to civil partners as well as spouses I think the most positive thing is that you see ‘civil partnership’ mentioned so often in the mainstream (such as on those forms and those wedding venue websites), so gay people have an increasingly public, accepted profile in society, rather than being some sub species that just hangs out in seedy Soho clubs. The only thing that grates with me is that, without the full title of ‘marriage’, newspapers frequently insist on referring to someone’s civil partner as ‘husband/wife’ in inverted commas (e.g. David Furnish is Elton John’s ‘husband’). I think the inverted commas is demeaning, and suggests they’re just playing at marriage. Amongst many gay couples, using husband or wife to describe a partner is quite acceptable, and not said with any tongues in cheeks. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/36 "2009-04-23T15:42:41Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] How did they work the throwing the garter bit? 🙂 [/QUOTE] We didn’t throw anything. No garter and no bouquet as we didn’t have those to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/37 "2009-04-23T17:44:07Z")
The terrorists will target that state. After all bestiality is OK to them just not same gender sex. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/38 "2009-04-23T17:49:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [This.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEaBEM7QH2Q) I _always_ suspected there was something going on between Vader and Tarkin… ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/39 "2009-04-23T18:01:00Z")
> [@Dusty\_Rose](#): > > Haven’t you been paying attention?? > > Everyone knows that allowing same-sex marriage will destroy hetero marriages. There will be no more sanctity of marriage at that point. > > People will start wanting to marry their toasters, their pets and their siblings. If we allow ssm, we’ll have to allow polygamy, too. > > We’ll have to start teaching all of the school kids to be gay. > > Oh, it will be bad. Very, very bad. Will dogs and cats be living together? I want to get a puppy, but I’m worried about how the cats will react. Should I wait until my state legalizes gay marriage to get a dog? ---
**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 23, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992/40 "2009-04-23T18:27:03Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I don’t his eyes are where he’s “pulling the wool.”\* > > \*new euphemism for having sex with sheep! You heard it here first folks! Prejudice is baa-a-a-a-a-ad, mmm-kay? It wouldn’t bother me so much, but this sort of thing is still illegal where I am, and someone from Aintree squealed, so now I’m on the lamb. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-results-of-normalized-gay-marriage/493992.md?page=3)