Yeah, homosexual relationships do appear to be vastly different to heterosexual ones. For starters, err... both have similar voice pitch? If it's blokes, they both leave the toilet lid up? If its women, they must fight like hell over what to watch on telly! Either gender, I bet the war over soft furnishings is a bloody one eh?

err,, What other sexual orientations? Let's see, we have men wishing to marry women, men wishing to marry men, women wishing to marry women. I reckon I have run out of permutations there Akenaton. What other permutations are left with regard to marriage? I suppose you have polygamy, although not much call for it outside Utah USA, to all accounts, and then not exactly widespread since the Mormons dropped it outside of living memory.

Tell you what, start a thread on different sexual behaviours, as that seems to be your fascination. You keep talking about it rather than marriage, so start a bloody thread about it and perhaps allow this thread to carry on about matrimony?

All your arguments against Gay marriage would equate to civil partnerships too. Are you against that also? Why? Society has civil partnerships already so the only debate here is the difference, if there is any between that and marriage. Do you have anything to offer that debate or do you just want to remain the resident homophobic rant merchant?

Keith - We have had years of chipping away at barriers to equality and just because marriage is a word that Christians claim is purely religious, (although how they equate it to non Christian marriage is something they keep quiet about) doesn't make it bad.

A similar argument to yours there was put about regarding the suffragettes. Why change tradition in the name of equality? Why the 1911 Childrens Act? I thought they enjoyed 80 hour weeks in factories and mines? Why did we stop burning witches? It was alright for my great great great great granddad so why can't I do it?

Equality isn't a Labour whim. It isn't a Conservative whim either. It started in modern history with votes for women, got a kick start with the post war government and Human Rights, continued with European values and now, the final frontier, removing the stigma of choice of those you wish to marry and intend to share your life with.

And don't say they can do that but with a piece of paper that says "Contract between two disgusting queers to share financial liability and assets just like normal people." Stakeholders in society deserve no more and no less than equality.