Full Marriage Rights for LGBT Couples

Personal and economic commitments are at the core of matrimony. Love, honor, obe
y - and support.
At the core of the gay marriage argument is the lack of equality along with expl
icit discrimination based on sexual preference. Marriage is blessed by religious
ceremonies where a man and a woman stand in front of their families, friends, a
nd for believers, before God, and proclaim their pledge to each other and only t
o each other.
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) couples also want to publicly declare
their promise for the identical reasons as straight couples - love and backing.
For myself, I am not so sentimental.
Unfortunately, the federal government and most states offer exclusive, special b
enefits solely to married couples made up of one man and one woman. In the U.S.,
married couples get more than 1,300 legal and financial benefits not offered to
unattached persons. That's just on the federal level with regard to taxes, esta
tes, housing, employment, survivor, social security, and military dependents, am
id others.
One of the main flaws of democracy is mob rule. We have protections in the U.S.
Constitution and the Bill of Rights which are laid out to protect individuals, b
ut governments have found ways to benefit one group above another predicated on
race, gender, national origin, or sexual preference.
In the case of 1,300+ benefits in favor of married couples, the couple has to be
one man and one woman. All other partners need not make a claim.
To confine marriage rights and benefits only to opposite gender partners mandate
d the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. This law prohibits
the federal government from recognizing anything other than a one man-one woman
marriage and permits the states to pay no attention to same-sex marriages perfor
med in other states.
In a one-page law, Congress ditched "equal protection" based on sexual preferenc
e as well as the "full faith and credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution which r
equires states to recognize marriages performed in other states.
For example, when I was growing up in Virginia, couples too young to marry would
drive to South Carolina to legally get married then return home. Virginia would
acknowledge the "underage" marriage as legally binding. (Before 1967, though, V
irginia would not accept interracial marriages performed in other states.)
Most gay couples want to have their commitments respected as are customary marri
ages.
Until same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, and civil unions are accepted b
y the federal government, LGBT and unconventional families will have to rely on
a mixture of a Secure Couple LLC and additional legal documents to secure even a
tiny portion of the 1,300+ legal and economic benefits available to married cou
ples.
Visit http://securecouplellc.com for more information on how to construct your l
ife to declare your relationship until the general public and society catch up w
ith reality.
Charles F. Lamm is a retired attorney now supporting Secure Couple LLC - http://
www.securecouplellc.com - for couples who cannot or who choose not to marry.