Equality and the Gay Marriage Issue

I have wonderful parents.  They are intelligent, caring, and well-informed people who instilled in me several moral principles for which I am eternally grateful.  It has been such an adulthood time-saver to not have to struggle with certain basics of ethical behavior, such as supporting equality and justice for all humans, regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation.  

To me, racism seems nothing short of insane, and as I reflect on Americans’ present-day shame of past oppression of racial minorities, I wonder if, in sixty years, we will have similar feelings of regret regarding our government’s current treatment of the gay and lesbian community.  I find it stunning that only a hand full of American states have legalized same-sex unions, meaning that the majority of our nation denies committed gay and lesbian couples legal advantages that are taken for granted by married heterosexuals.  These benefits range from the practical (ability to file taxes jointly) to the heart-wrenching (right to make emergency medical decisions for one’s partner).  The oft-used argument that the legalization of gay marriage would be corrosive to the American marital institution is laughable considering the painfully obvious fact that straight people are doing an excellent job of mucking it up all by themselves.  Americans appear to have an exceedingly cavalier view of marital commitment, as evidenced by the fifty percent divorce rate, and the popularizing of terms like “starter marriage.”  And to those who consider homosexuality a perversion, and therefore not fit for the hallowed halls of wedlock, I pose this question: as part of the marriage license process, should we institute an  interrogation of opposite gender couples regarding the intimate details of their sex lives to assure that they are not engaging in one (or more) of the plethora of kinky practices enjoyed by a surprising number of straight folks?