Ake, I don't know how things are in the UK regarding the legality of same-sex marriage or civil (legally recognized) partnerships [these two are NOT the same, incidentally], but I do know that people at one time were imprisoned for "perversion." I presume that the UK has become more civilized in recent decades.

In the United States, until recently there were no same-sex civil unions, and most certainly not marriages. Within recent years, some states are recognizing civil unions, but still not marriages—with the exception of a very few states, including, in the recent election, my home state of Washington.

There is a substantial percentage of same-sex couples who have been living together for years—decades—and are, in all intents and purposes, married. EXCEPT that, despite the fact that these people would like to declare their relationship official, only a few states have, so far, allowed them to do so.

This is not just a social thing. There are rules, laws, and privileges involved which apply only to married couples (but not to civil partnerships), regarding such things as property rights, inheritance laws, next-of-kin visitation rights in hospitals, and a myriad other things that are not open to same-sex couples who ARE in FACT, if not de jure, married.

Granting these people the same legal rights IS a civil rights issue.

Considering that the divorce rate in the United States (I don't know about the UK) hovers at about 50%, the fact that some same-sex couples don't necessarily stay together all their lives hardly signifies.

Ake, why does it matter so much to you? How does it actually effect you in any way?

And DON'T continue to beat your hum-drum about "gay men spread disease" because one the one hand, encouraging stable relationships should reduce the spread rather that increase it, as you seem to be trying to imply. That argument doesn't wash!!

After all, heterosexuals did a pretty efficient job of spreading the so-called "French disease" (syphilis) all over Europe in the Sixteenth Century.

Don Firth

P. S. Kenny B., it was several religious groups, including the Mormon Church, who poured money into California to fund Proposition 8, which rescinded California's new same-sex marriage law. Washington State just passed a same-sex marriage law, and I'm sure it won't be long before the "Inquisition" gathers its forces and charges in with flaming swords.