Everyone is in denial about the fact that when you get a marriage license, you're really marrying the government. If people would start just RECOGNIZING that fact instead of pretending there are only 2 parties being married and thinking of the goverment as just an integral fundamental part of the natural universe.... if people would just open their eyes and minds and DO that and VERBALIZE that, that we would get to the logical ends so much sooner. But that is exactly what the sponsors don't want to happen.

The spirit of bill doesn't surprise me. But the actual text manifestation is very very sloppy. Presumably they mean ANY privilege, not ALL privileges. Is there any other interpretation? They know exactly what they mean and don't mean, and yet they refuse to enumerate. If they refuse to name it, they must at least enumerate. They mean the ones that REQUIRE explicit government consent... tax status, social security benefits, the government bestowed right to force your employer to give your spouse health insurance, the government bestowed right to force an employer to give you FMLA leave, etc.

If people knew what they were really doing when they got married, more than just few would appreciate a real alternative if it existed.

I think what we desperately need in this country are marriage reporting agencies, similar to our credit reporting agencies. The Christian Coalition can have one if they like, with its own standards. And I'm sure there would be quite a few others that would attract a following as well so as to become well established and respected, and a source of accurate information for businesses and goverment alike... just like the credit agencies.

Governments could still choose what to recognize and what not to recognize. Governments could still choose to only recognize those agencies that explicitly record gender, and not to recognize same sex couples. But at least it would restore freedom to choose and set the stage for the real debates.

As it is, the government is only denying us a special right that no citizens should have. Its tough to argue for it except on a "hey, we're equal, right?" basis.