The same sex marriage debate

Unless you've been living under a rock then you'd know that for the last few weeks same sex marriage has been debated widely amongst the Australian parliamentarians and the Twittersphere.  As you'd expect the public and MPs are divided 50/50 on the matter.  Of course, those who support same sex marriage say that same sex couples should have the same legal right to marry that heterosexual couples have.  They say that it is discrimination and that the Government is disapproving of their lifestyles and treating them as second rate citizens. 

Supporters of same sex marriage hold the belief that opponents are homophobic and have an issue with gay people.

Those in homosexual relationships who support same sex marriage say they are being denied basic rights that heterosexual couples have and they want legal recognition in the case that their partner should die, or simple to be next of kin in case of emergency.

Firstly, nobody is saying that same sex couples cannot be together.  Nobody is saying they should be stoned like in countries with Sharia Law.  All opponents are saying is that marriage is between a man and a woman and should remain that way.  Nobody is saying that same sex couples cannot raise children because more often than one of the partners does have children from a previous relationship.  The main difference being that if one partner dies, the other may not be recognised as a legal guardian by the state.

That's fair but why require and be obsessed with marriage?  Why not just have a case by case family law system?

These days if you're getting married for legal rights then you're marrying for the wrong reason.  You can still be with the person you love.  The other aspect is religion is dying so why do people even need to get married in the first place? Of all the things you can spend money on it seems like an exorbitant waste of both time and money.

Same sex couples are not being discriminated against and marriage should, as it currently is, remain between a man and a woman not two women or two men.