This video makes me cry EVERY time I see it.
I really really hope that people can see past their differences and just see love.
Thats what it's all about, simply, Love.

I hope that the supreme court does the right thing and overturns Prop8....or better yet, as the article says - "One conservative constitutional scholar has said that the court could both affirm its historic May 15 ruling giving gays equality and uphold Proposition 8 by requiring the state to use a term other than "marriage" and apply it to all couples, gay and straight...That would 'restore a religious meaning to a word that is a religious word,' he said. "

i don't see how families are going to be torn apart. they will still have eachother, just not the title of marriage.

Really, mdub? What if someone said tomorrow that your marriage wasn't legal? Clearly you thought the title of marriage was important to your relationship, right?

With the "title" of marriage come many things.... the respect of people who are important to you, the respect of the law ( think Annie Lebovitz... had she been 'legally married" to her partner, she would not have had to pawn off rights to so many of her photos).

Whether free thinkers ( and goodness, I'd like to think I was one) like it or not... there is a certain amount of respect given to the institution of marriage. That respect is based on two people legally binding themselves to another. That legality creates a safe place for both partners.

There are so many tiny things that happen in life that the legal title of marriage makes an easier, smoother transition. To tell a group of people "Oh, it's no big deal, so don't you worry about others denying you that right" and then to take advantage of it, yourself, is.... well, it's so hypocritical that it's sad, really.

And Mdub, there are families everywhere that no longer have each other because they didn't have the legal 'title' of marriage.

I proudly voted "No" on Prop 8 but it would be an absolute shame if the California Supreme Court overturned the vote. The people have spoken. We can revisit it in time. The wave is definitely turning towards equality of marriage.

That said, these 18,000 marriages deserve to be upheld.

The people have spoken based on ad after ad of absolute lies paid for by churches from other states and a church that has always said that it used it's money for good ( feeding the poor, etc.). FWIW I left my church based on those lies.

Yes the people have spoken but that does not mean that it was "right". If in the 60's the people in the south were able to speak and make law, they would have "spoke" to retain division between blacks/whites. Just because they spoke does not make it right nor constitutional. That's why someone higher like the Supreme Court needs to rule what's actually right according to our constitution.

The supporters of Prop 8 based their arguments on religious beliefs, but you cannot use religion to make law because what is one's belief may not be the same belief to another individual.

As our constitution says it plainly "..All men are created equal.." so why are minorities still being oppressed and denied the rights that other fellow Americans enjoy. It boggles me that people can't understand that...

if somebody knocked on my door and said that my marriage wasn't legal and there was nothing I can do to change that, I would still be together with my wife and son. We wouldn't be torn apart.

My son wouldn't be devasted if people said my wife and I couldn't be married because he wouldn't lose us. We would still go on taking care of him as father and mother.

That's all I'm saying.

So if gay couples are forced to get a divorce, I hope they would stay together and raise the kids they have together. I don't see why being forced to divorce would tear the family apart, unless, they choose to get in a divorce. That's another story.

A friend of mine (male) couldn't see his "husband" in the hospital as he lay dying because he wasn't legally a "Family Member". It goes well beyond what we simply regard as a "title". There are legal implications that affect many people and their children.

There is such a great deal of misinformation about this subject out there and out-and-out lies that were used in the campaign (It was never part of the California Education Code that the homosexual lifestyle would be explained to elementary students).

@commenters on both sides of this issue: regardless of where you stand, there is a buzz word floating around that should probably be avoided when trying to carry on a meaningful dialogue. That word is "lifestyle."

think of it this way -- would you say straight people have a heterosexual lifestyle? the preferred word is life. as in, everyone just wants to live. the debate is over whether gay people deserve to live an equal life in our society.

[ok, now have it.]

Mdub, I do trust you and your (now) girlfriend would stay together in love and raise your child.

And when you get cancer, God Forbid, it's a shame your girlfriend won't be able to visit you in the ICU during your last days. Nor will she get that pension of yours. Nor will she enjoy the over 1000 Federally granted rights given to married folks, and not to boyfriend/girlfriend. She will get your life insurance, cuz you made her beneficiary (smart man!), but she'll be taxed on every dime.

Oh, and your parents might decide to fight for custody of the child...cuz she may be the mother, but she's just your girlfriend, not your wife. And your sibs might take your house, car or furniture, unless you specifically mentioned those in your will.

Too bad about those yearly tax breaks for being married...that's gonna hurt, yah? But you and your girlfriend can still file separately, but you can both claim your child, so that's sumthin,' I guess. Shame you combine your bank accounts and bills and house payments...filing separate just took on a whooole new scramble of tax eggs, I tellya.

Sorry, Mdub...marriage carries much more with it than a title and love. Equal rights are what the Supreme Court will decide on today. Not voters thoughts, Church ideals, or 'lifestyle' choices.

They've already voted on this once before, and I've gotta think they're pretty tired of revisiting the topic, considering their opinion settled it before. Now they've got to write a more airtight opinion. Pain in the touchas and sooooo costly to taxpayers and donors alike.

stephen's the man. thanks for the insight.

@mdub: Point taken. Nicely said.

@Stephen: Also very good points. Again, nicely said.

How has this conversation gone on this long with no name-calling? This is the Beehive, right?!