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From: woods@hao.UUCP (Greg Woods)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Re: Discrimination, gay marriages
Message-ID: <922@hao.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Apr-84 23:51:51 EST
Article-I.D.: hao.922
Posted: Mon Apr 16 23:51:51 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Apr-84 01:12:28 EST
References: <897@linus.UUCP> <19399@wivax.UUCP>, <672@bbncca.ARPA>
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 31

>          If we were to find some way of 'endowing' willing gay
>  relationships with the same legal responsibilities as those of
>  straight marriages, then I can see extending job benefits to your
>  lover/partner.  Of course, if simple 'straight' cohabitation for
>  a certain amount of time were also covered, then I see no reason
>  why a same-sex relationship (for the same amount of time) should
>  not also be covered. 

   I think the real issue is not "gay or straight", here, but "lover or
roommate".  The problem is, how the hell do you know? I've had some 
relationships with women where I didn't know if we were lovers, romantic
or what. I've also had lots of roommates (both male and female) that I
had no emotional or sexual involvement with and certainly wouldn't want to be 
held responsible for in any way. How do we decide whether there is legal
responsibility or not, be it gay or straight? Clearly, mere cohabitation isn't
enough. How does a court measure commitment? Personally I think it's a bad 
idea to even give them the *power* to do that. After the Michelle "Marvin"
case, I'm almost afraid to even be seen on a "date"! :-) I don't want to
debate the Marvin case here, I'm just using it as an extreme example. 
Maybe she deserved some compensation, maybe not. I haven't got all the
facts. The point is, do we really want to evaluate all these things on
a case-by-case basis (the only fair way to do it)? Can we afford to?
I say no. I say do away with all the legal commitments entirely. 
Everyone should always be responsible for supporting themselves. 
If it weren't for the fact that some people actually want children,
there would be no problem....   :-)

		      GREG
-- 
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