This has been quite an interesting summer for the LGBT community.

California got the ball rolling in May when its State Supreme Court struck down their former ban on gay marriages, a move that shocked the nation. The decision prompted thousands of same-sex couples to flock to the Golden State where they enjoyed their new “right to marry” by tying the knot with their significant other. Then on July 31st, Massachusetts, the first state to give the title “married” to gay couples, became the second state to allow out-of-state couples to marry.

Needless to say, opponents of gay marriages were outraged and are still lobbying to get a new Amendment written into our nation’s Constitution that would reserve the word “married” for heterosexual couples. Simultaneously, groups in California are gaining support for Proposition 8 which, if passed in November, will prevent gay marriages from occurring or being recognized throughout the state.

Why? Well the Christian groups that I’ve seen are all about quoting Leviticus and Romans when it comes to the question of gay marriage. They claim that it’s prohibited by the Bible and looked upon as a bad thing by God. First of all, I know plenty of gay and straight Christians that don’t adhere strictly to the Bible. For example, Leviticus 13:47-50 clearly explains that any clothing infected with mildew must be brought immediately to a priest for inspection. Leviticus 19:19 states that two different types of animals should not be mated (isn’t that how we get mules?) and that clothing made of two different types of material should not be worn (half of the clothing manufacturers out there would be bankrupt).

Also, not everyone is a Christian. Legislators and state officials should not me relying on religion to dictate policy. Yet one of the primary reasons why people don’t want our country to allow gay marriages is that they want to strengthen and preserve the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. In a recent interview, Senator Barack Obama said “I think my faith is strong enough and my marriage is strong enough that I can afford those civil rights to others, even if I have a different perspective or a different view.” Although he doesn’t support gay marriage, he is an advocate for civil unions which is a huge step above past and current policies held by the Presidents of the United States.

Half of my friends’ parents are divorced or single parents. My other friends have parents that live together in happily married bliss. They have joint health insurance and file their tax returns together. One visits the other when he or she is in the hospital, no questions asked. These privileges that are so common, so familiar to straight couples are being kept from gay couples seeking the same rights and protections. Domestic partnerships and civil unions don’t even come close to covering all of the rights that straight couples have. And when it comes down to it, the words “domestic partnership” and “civil union” don’t pack the same punch as “married.”