12 Questions Marriage Equality Advocates Will Never Get Tired Of Answering

Ask away. SKYY Vodka and Freedom to Marry are teaming up to make sure every question gets answered with #toasttomarriage.

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1.

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Answer: Marriage allows same-sex couples to make a lifelong commitment to each other and to build a family, just as it allows straight couples to do. Plus, marriage offers crucial protections such as: access to Medicaid and Medicare, tax-free inheritance rights and Social Security survivor benefits, the ability to sponsor a spouse for a green card, and family and medical leave.

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2.

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Answer: Historically, marriage has been in a state of constant evolution. For thousands of years, women were treated as inferior to their husbands. Monogamous marriages accounted for a small fraction of households, mostly concentrated in Western Europe and North America. Polygamy was actually more widespread throughout the world until recently. Interracial marriage was illegal in America until 1967. What all of this shows is marriage has changed a lot over time.

Rafal Majewski / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: 128193318@N06

3.

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Answer: Research and countless studies have shown that sexual orientation has a biological basis and is not a choice. Like the fight for interracial marriage, the current struggle for marriage equality is grounded upon the idea that marriage is a fundamental right, and everyone should be able to marry the person they love.

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4.

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Answer: “What defines a marriage is love and commitment, and the ability to protect your family.” -via freedomtomarry.org

Nope. Nothing’s changing.

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5.

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Answer: Both Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships create a second-class citizen status for gay and lesbian couples. These unions offer protections that are not recognized from state to state or even between zip codes.

Not only this, but the word “marriage” carries its own significance. Studies have even shown that denying couples the right to marry can have a negative impact on their mental health.

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6.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: 30 years of research has shown that it is the quality of a family that matters, not the particular structure of family; and that children raised by gay parents are not markedly different from children raised by different-sex couples. According to the American Sociological Association, “Across a wide range of indicators, children fare just as well when they are raised by same-sex parents when compared to children raised by opposite-sex parents.”

Some studies even indicate that children who come from gay and lesbian households are better adjusted, scoring higher than their peers in academic and social competency tests.

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7.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: While some religious institutions support the rights of same-sex couples to get married, same-sex couples are seeking the freedom to share in civil marriage licenses issued by the government. Civil marriage for gay couples does not affect religious marriages, religious institutions or clergy in any way. No religion would be forced to marry same-sex couples, or recognize same-sex marriages within the context of their religious beliefs.

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8.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: Nope. In fact, this year the National Law Journal reported that states are spending upwards of $80,000 to pay lawyers defending anti-gay constitutional amendments. In addition, requests for millions of dollars more are on hold pending appeal in cases that are still in lower courts. A November 2014 report shows that marriage discrimination costs businesses in the private sector $1.3 billion every year. In addition, it has been shown that states that have legalized marriage for same-sex couples experienced a considerable economic boost within their first year of passing it and even greater economic boosts are expected with future legalization efforts. Ending marriage discrimination is, financially, good for everyone.

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9.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: Same-sex couples are already raising children, and these children need the protections of marriage. In addition, many opposite-sex couples marry and either cannot have children or make the choice not to. Allowing same-sex couples to marry is good for families.

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10.

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Answer: Terms like "gay marriage" or "same-sex marriage" suggest that gay people are trying to create a new type of marriage. The truth is, gay people simply want to share in the same protections and responsibilities of marriage as opposite-sex couples.

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11.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: As of May 2015, same-sex couples have the freedom to marry in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

(list courtesy of freedomtomarry.org)

Danielle / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: dannipenguin

12.

Tyler Haruta / BuzzFeed

Answer: You can get a dialogue going with friends and family, you can make a donation to honor a couple or donate to a pro-marriage equality organization to contribute to their research and organization efforts, you can contact your elected officials and urge them to oppose any upcoming amendments that ban marriage equality, and you can even share your own story if you have one. Every little bit helps!

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Still got questions? SKYY Vodka and Freedom to Marry have an ongoing dialogue on marriage equality with #toasttomarriage. Check it out for the latest marriage equality news and to hear other peoples stories.