08-23-2004, 06:17 PM
Hi,
For a start, let me repost the link I gave Occhi. That document is quite a few pages long and only covers the provisions of the USA Federal government and then only the ones that are "code" (I think that means provisions that exist as laws as passed by congress and does not include regulations enacted by agencies, but I'd prefer a legal eagle to clarify that).
On top of that, add the laws and regulations of the States which cover things like ownership of properties, survivor's rights, etc. And at the State or County level, you have such regulations as visiting privileges at hospitals (ever seen those "family only" signs?). Even more important is the implied limited power of attorney. If one member of a heterosexual couple that have know each other for five days and have been married for five minutes is injured and needs an operation, the other member who is a (comparative) stranger but who happens to be the spouse can give permission for surgery. But if it is a homosexual couple, even if they have lived together for years, that privilege does not apply.
And then there is the whole industrial thing. There are many aspects to this (such as survivor benefits on retirement plans) but the biggest pole in that tent has to be health insurance. In many cases, the coverage of a worker is extended to his/her spouse but only if they are "legally married".
As I said, it is a huge topic. And the rhetoric around same sex marriage ignores most of it. However, anyone who claims that "marriage is a union of a man and a woman" is clearly ignoring all the other ramifications. And anyone who thinks the solution is to re-write all the laws, regulations, policies, signs, etc. is clearly in a dream world. We can't even get the media to use the word "media" right (i.e., it's plural, dammit!).
--Pete
For a start, let me repost the link I gave Occhi. That document is quite a few pages long and only covers the provisions of the USA Federal government and then only the ones that are "code" (I think that means provisions that exist as laws as passed by congress and does not include regulations enacted by agencies, but I'd prefer a legal eagle to clarify that).
On top of that, add the laws and regulations of the States which cover things like ownership of properties, survivor's rights, etc. And at the State or County level, you have such regulations as visiting privileges at hospitals (ever seen those "family only" signs?). Even more important is the implied limited power of attorney. If one member of a heterosexual couple that have know each other for five days and have been married for five minutes is injured and needs an operation, the other member who is a (comparative) stranger but who happens to be the spouse can give permission for surgery. But if it is a homosexual couple, even if they have lived together for years, that privilege does not apply.
And then there is the whole industrial thing. There are many aspects to this (such as survivor benefits on retirement plans) but the biggest pole in that tent has to be health insurance. In many cases, the coverage of a worker is extended to his/her spouse but only if they are "legally married".
As I said, it is a huge topic. And the rhetoric around same sex marriage ignores most of it. However, anyone who claims that "marriage is a union of a man and a woman" is clearly ignoring all the other ramifications. And anyone who thinks the solution is to re-write all the laws, regulations, policies, signs, etc. is clearly in a dream world. We can't even get the media to use the word "media" right (i.e., it's plural, dammit!).
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?