Marriage Inequality is Legalized Discrimination

Today the Supreme Court will consider whether to strike down the section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that bars married gay couples from receiving federal benefits, including those around estate taxes, Social Security benefits and health benefits for federal employees. These are benefits generally afforded to hetero married couples. 

The right to marry comes with significant tax breaks and other financial benefits. If we're going to discriminate against couples based on homosexual orientation and keep them from enjoying the same benefits as straight couples, then heterosexual couples should have to earn the right to marry.

Let's take the spotlight off gays and re-examine heteros' rights in marriage.

Marriage is a lifelong legal contract. If married people break that contract and divorce, then they should be barred from entering into a subsequent lifelong contract. 

There are laws against declaring bankruptcy over and over. Likewise, there should be laws keeping people from marrying and divorcing ad infinitum. 

If you receive tax breaks because you're married, then you divorce, you should have to pay back the difference. Why not? You broke your contract. You didn't earn the right to those benefits, so why should you be afforded them and others not?

All the arguments against legalization of gay marriage are specious.

Argument against gay marriage # 1: Gay people can't make babies and marriage is for procreation.

My response: Then any hetero couple that hasn't or won't bare children should divorce and cease accepting the benefits meant for child-bearing couples. If gay couples can't benefit from those laws because they can't procreate, why should barren hetero couples be allowed to? 

Argument #2 against gay marriage: God says it's wrong.

My response: Wha? Are people really still saying this? Sadly, they are. If I were to walk into a job interview and say God wants me to have this job, I don't think I'd be taken very seriously. Why do we tolerate this argument? US laws are not dictated by the bible.

Marriage is a legal contract entered into by two consenting adults. When straight couples benefit from their orientation and gay couples are refused those same benefits, that is discrimination.