Of course, private marriage-like contracts between any number informed, consenting adults, of any race, creed, or gender, should be legally enforcable just like any other contracts.

Right, because what we all need most is yet another reason to have to hire lawyers.

Straights can get the latter without the former. No couple in any state has to get married in a church.

You and your partner can already arrange a medical power of attorney without getting married. Pick up a form, fill in the blanks, have it notarized. It's actually considerably easier than getting married.

In fact, all the aspects of marriage that represent a agreements between the two of you (joint property, inheritance) can be arranged without getting married. What you can't arrange without getting married are the aspects of marriage that represent benefits confered by the state (social security) or third parties (employer medical insurance). But in my opinion, those aspects shouldn't exist -- they constitute unwarrented descrimination on the basis of relationship status, pure and simple.

Nothing like a little man-on-dog action to work up Santorum.

*shakes fist disapprovingly at Utah*

In the meantime, let the government confer the civil and legal benefits formerly exclusive to the marriage contract on any two consenting adults, gay or straight, who choose to apply for it.

I do like the sound of "the-union-formerly-known-as-marriage." Parents could say to their pregnant children "shouldn't you be getting formerly-know-as-married?" Judges could say "I now pronouce you formerly-known-as-man-and-wife." Social conservatives could say "I don't think the state should condone homosexual relationships by according them the status formerly-known-as-marriage."

It's all very amusing, but the better solution is really for the state to stop doing anything like it at all.

Once the state sanctifies the union of a man and a woman, where would it stop? Polygamy? Miscegenation? Dogs marrying cats?

Where would it stop?

How about then? Could she have a straight marriage since Cali is allowing gay marriage?