Let's Focus on the Family

Thanks to the article "What are the Legal Benefits of Marriage?" by Kathy Belge, I was able to find a list of some of the legal rights that married couples have that gays and lesbians are denied, even when "married".

Joint parental rights of children
Joint adoption
Status as "next-of-kin" for hospital visits and medical decisions
Right to make a decision about the disposal of loved ones remains
Immigration and residency for partners from other countries
Crime victims recovery benefits
Domestic violence protection orders
Judicial protections and immunity
Automatic inheritance in the absence of a will
Public safety officers death benefits
Spousal veterans benefits
Social Security
Medicare
Joint filing of tax returns
Wrongful death benefits for surviving partner and children
Bereavement or sick leave to care for partner or children
Child support
Joint Insurance Plans
Tax credits including: Child tax credit, Hope and lifetime learning credits
Deferred Compensation for pension and IRAs
Estate and gift tax benefits
Welfare and public assistance
Joint housing for elderly
Credit protection
Medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans

Can you imagine being in a marriage where you were so legally disconnected to your spouse and family? I couldn't. Yet these rights are being given to people everyday who are abusing these legal priveledges. Some people get married solely for money or medicare, while homosexual couples can't even have legal parental rights of their own children or share their income and taxes like normal couples. It is said that homosexuality would ruin the institution of marriage, but how is it that giving homosexual families these same rights would ruin anything? Would it ruin marriage if homosexual couples both had custody over their children? Would it ruin marriage if they could make medical decisions for thei loved ones? Frankly, if we're not going to let homosexual couples marry, we should at least grant them certain legal benefits that any normal family should receive. Whether or not our government is willing to see two people as married does not make them and their partner or children any less of a family, so it is insulting to ban them of these familial rights.