Stefanie wrote:

"Separate but equal" is the best way? He goes on and on about fighting "discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity," but when it comes to marriage, he assigns a different social status to homosexual couples by suggesting that their unions should be something other than real marriages. So, he supports equal rights, except where doing so might cost him some votes. Swell.

I'm going to give you a completely different take on this. Marriage is traditionally a religious institution, adopted by the state for simple standards. If you want the best solution out of this you're going to get, here it is. Civil unions, with the state resolving the "separate but equal" issue by eliminating marriage as a state institution.

Marriage is between people and their church. If a church wants to marry gay people it will and there's not a damn thing the government can do to stop them. State amendment that says "marriage is between a man and a woman?" Tough shit state, freedom of religion in the first amendment trumps it. The only way out of that trap is for the government to either allow gay marriage, or eliminate marriage as a state institution.

RE: Historic Congressional Hearing on Workplace Protections for Transgender Americans