you see, the FEDERAL constitutional amendment (the one Bush wants) will take-away all the gains that gays have made over the years.
That's why the federal amendment is worded in that way.
For example, the federal amendment will remove domestic partnerships, insurance benefits to gay couples and their children, civil unions, the right of gay couples to visit each other in the hospital, child custody issues, inheritance rights, real estate transfer rights, arguably adoptions and guardianships, remove Massachusetts gay marriage and all its benefits and obligations, remove the chance of reciprocity with foreign marriages such as Canadian gay marriages, and all other benefits that have been gained that may be said to be similar to those granted to same-sex marrieds.
It goes much further than merely the marriage union, itself.
Most Americans are unaware that their congress has raised this issue, again and again . . . most Americans don't realize that it's not just about "straight" marriage or treating gays "equally."
Most Americans do NOT REALIZE that the federal amendment will remove all the benefits of marriage-like "stuff" that the various states have granted to gay couples.
And it will be the law across ALL OF AMERICA since it would be in our federal constitution, thereby over-riding all state laws, judges case law, and state constitutions.
It will expressly place, for the very first time, blatant legal discrimination against a group of people, in our federal constitution. That's an outrage!
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"I believe that it points up the fact that we
need common sense judges who understand
that our rights were derived from God. Those
are the kind of judges I intend to put on the bench."
— GWBush, June 27, 2002, explaining his litmus
test for federal judicial nominees
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