civil unions and marriage

I follow the fight for sexual equality and same-sex marriage...and I have to say, I believe the frame must be changed.

Gay couples (and of course I don't literally mean all gay couples...actually there is much thought that gay marriage puts gay people back in the closet)--anyhow, so gay couples are trying to get access to marriage, when it finally occurred to me that straight people should be pursuing civil unions.

With its religious implications, sexist traditions, and current status as an elitist heterosexual club...what straight person should care to marry anymore?

Let the religious radicals keep the holy sanctity of marriage to themselves--it really is irrelevant in the context of achieving federal rights as a couple. As long as equal civil unions will be made readily available, there is no need for any religious figure to legally unite anyone--and if religious recognition is a priority, that can be done in a ceremony or tradition independent of state/federal privilege.

What would we really be missing out on anyway? A father walking his daughter down the aisle, transferring ownership from one man to another? A white dress that proves to all in attendance that the bride is pure because her hymen is still taut in her vagina?

And if the party/wedding aspect is a big deal, I would suggest that civil unions are equally important to celebrate.

I like what Obama had to say on the issue of marriage during the forum hosted by HRC:

"My view is that we should try to disentangle what has historically been the issue of the word marriage,which has religious connotations to some people, from the civil rights that are given to couples in terms of hospital visitation, in terms of whether or not they can transfer property..."

But we should not just disentangle these issues for gay people...we should disentangle them for straight people as well.