Why A Debate on Marriage?

How ironic is it that on this date (06/06/06) the Senate is debating whether or not an amendment is necessary for defining marriage between a man and a woman instead of some "other" arrangement? Everyone has their opinions, so I might as well throw mine out there. The real fact is that homosexuality has been out there for a long time. It has been banned socially as being abnormal behavior, and quite frankly, it is. If the general population became homosexual, then the species (us) would become extinct within a very short time. While the proponents have stated that up to 10% of the population is homosexual, I have heard that the actual figure is much lower - like 2%. But why the recent push for acceptance, and now legality? In short, I believe it's money. The homosexual rights movement seemed to take off after AIDS became the number one disease of concern for the gay population. It became rapidly apparent that insurance companies (and employers) would not cover expensive treatment resulting from diseases that were linked to homosexual behavior. So how else can the costs of treatment be covered? Answer - make such behavior socially acceptable and legally permissible. And it is halfway there. How many times during movies and TV shows is homosexual behavior shown to be "normal" or "natural?" Are you even aware of it now? Have you become desensitized to it? That's the social component. If the normal population tolerates abnormal behavior, then the legal component has a much better chance of success. The legal component is, at the moment, based on discrimination laws. Already, many companies (like mine) cover "life partners" whether such partners are of the same sex as the employee or not to avoid violating these laws. But there is still resistance from both social and legal sides. So the answer is to make gay marriages legal. That way, there is no more problems for these partnerships to be acceptable - it becomes the law of the land. Health & retirement benefits would then be shared between partners. Where do I stand on all of this? Marriage is, legally and morally, between a man and a woman. Do I hate homosexuals? No, I do not. I hate the sin, not the sinner. And people should not be discriminated against for whatever reason, no matter what their circumstance might be.