That's a good point, and one I've voiced before. There really is no such thing as "gay marriage".
Sure there is. Just go to the 36 of 50 States where they are performed every day.
They can go through the motions and they can play make believe, but true marriage is a spiritual union that can only occur between a man and a woman.
And you are more than welcome to whatever subjective interpretation of marriage you wish. No one really cares. What gays and lesbians are interested in is legal recognition for their marriage.
And in the majority of the nation, they have it.
Congratulations!
Oh wait, you didn't actually win the people over to the idea, you had hack Leftist judges find rights that don't exist in the Constitution to overturn popularly passed state laws.
Actually a pretty firm majority (55%) support gay marriage. With gay marriage support out pacing gay marriage opposition by between 12 to 19 points. So there's clearly a leader in 'winning the people over'.
Second, rights aren't something that are subject to a vote. You can't strip someone of their rights with a 50% plus 1 majority. That's what the founders referred to as the 'tyranny of the majority'. And one of the reasons that democracy was so poorly regarded in the era of the founders. Rights trump State powers. If a state enacts a law that abrogates the rights of its citizens, that law is invalid. As the States don't possess such powers as of the ratification of the 14th amendment.
Your assessment of a 'hack leftist judge' is anyone who doesn't agree with you. And agreement with you is neither a standard of legality nor reason.
The weight of rulings is leans toward gay marriage to an almost ludicrous degree, with Reagan appointed judges finding the same truck sized holes in the reasoning of gay marriage opponents as those appointed by Clinton or Bush.
Its the logic of opposition to gay marriage that doesn't work.
And you are a superb example as to why.
Your opposition to homosexuality is based in your religious conviction. But your belief that 'God said it' isn't a legal standard or legal evidence. Which puts your ilk at a rather stark disadvantage. As generally speaking its either religion or a rampant hatred of gays that primarily motivates your crowd (with you seemingly in the former category).
And neither are admissible as evidence in any court.
So what you're left with are a series of shitty second tier arguments that just don't work. As demonstrated by your rather spectacular failure to produce any rational or logical reason to oppose homosexuality or gay marriage outside your own religious beliefs. You couldn't produce one. Neither can most of your ilk. As there really isn't any.
And in the law, reason and logic are far more credible that religious beliefs or irrational enmity.
Kind of a hollow victory. It's almost like when the communists violently took over in Russia and China and then claimed they had the popular support of the people. You couldn't win by convincing people, so you used force.
The 12 to 19 point lead that supporters of gay marriage have over non-supporters says otherwise. Gay marriage enjoys rather broad support. And if you move outside the conservative crowd to measure support among youth, independants, moderates and liberals (a.k.a. the overwhelming majority of the electorate), support shoots up to the 60 to 70% range.
And then there is that sweet, sweet legal recognition. The rights. The protections. The benefits. In 36 of 50 States, gays and lesbians enjoy them directly, as there is no longer 'gay' and 'straight' marriage. There's just marriage. With same sex couples enjoying it with as much legal recognition and validity as the straights.
As it should be.
But....and this is the fun part: gay marriage is already legally across the country. As States lack the authority to deny the contracts and binding agreements recognized by another State. Reciprocity of contracts is part of the constitution. So if a same sex couple gets married in say, San Francisco....and then moves to Austin Texas.....the State of Texas has to recognize the legal validity of their marriage and protect it as they would that of any straight. Extending them the same legal rights and benefits.
Ain't 'equal protection in the law' grand?
That's not quite the American way, but whatever it takes for you to have gay butt sex, right?
That's explicitly the American way. Look at Richard and Mildred Loving who ran afoul of unconstitutional interracial marriage laws in Virginia. The courts stepped in and struck down such laws as violating their rights. And rightfully invalidated all such laws around the country.
Despite the fact that the public overwhelmingly supported such bans by absurd margins. With such bans retaining popular support well into the 1990s. See, rights aren't subject to a vote.
Your problem is that you don't quite get what right are. You think of them as something that can be stripped from anyone with a majority vote. They aren't. Our democratic republic puts rights above powers. Any State lacks the authority to strip any citizen of any federally recognized right.
As the federal courts are once again demonstrating to your ilk.