Quote Originally Posted by bailey View Post
No one anywhere is saying benefits can't be limited to spouses...they're just saying in order to do so, you need to have marriage equality.
I know you aren't saying this, Bailey, but I think a lot of people on the left actually despise marriage as an institution, and think it's an archaic institution that should be abolished. Not most everyday liberals, mind you, but a lot of academics and thought leaders. Part of the action to support that line of thought is to assign the tangible benefits of marriage to those who aren't married, thus rendering the marriage less necessary. It is not dissimilar to the housing industry in NYC: taxes and regulation make home ownership much more difficult than it is almost anywhere else [[aside from just high prices). At the same time, the law gives renters more and more owner-like rights. Thus, the age-old goal [[and personal economic boon) of home ownership has fallen off the radar for millions of people.