Hi y'all - it is important for me to know how many males and females I've invited for dinner and I don't like making social gaffts by asking strangers what their preferences are. For instance, if I invite Stem Cell to dinner it is necessary to ensure that I have at least 4 females sitting near him and that he is seated very close to the gents bathroom and bar. Knowledge of guest relationships would be vital at our swinger parties. It seems that most disagree with me here in using the term marriage. What's wrong with life partner? Where's the extra paperwork - just a different contract with similar rights? Let's take it to it's logical conclusion - if two males get married how do they introduce each other? Hi, this is my wife, or hi, this is my partner? If you use the word partner, aren't you making your choice in terminology?
On Oct 14, 4:55 pm, SmuglyDismissed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Sorry to just barge into this thread but... > > I don't see how the legal term for it has anything to do with how > people describe it in a socal context. If/when this is legal in my > state of residence (and if I decide to partake), I will likely use the > terms 'married' and 'husband' in spite of the official legal > definition. If someone wants to waste the energy to point out that > it's not technically the same (In a legal sense or using their own > subjective definition of what marrage means to them), then that's > their prerogative. > > Honestly though, if the term marrage applies to all unions, how often > will things be unclear? Unless you know very little about the person > and/or they are intentionally trying to make things confusing, > miscommunication seems very unlikely. Most generic terms for a spouse > that I would use in a conversation are gendered... > > Isn't it significantly more complicated from a legal standpoint to > maintain two seperate institutions with exactly the same legal > function as opposed to using a single nstitution. The fact that one > can have children with genetic material from both parents is not > important as far as the law is considered. Wouldn't a seperate > institution be more vulnerable to legal challenge? (And paperwork! How > many more forms would agencies need to make?) > > Just because I'm curious, in what sort of situations would a mistake > like this be an issue anyway? Meeting a couple for dinner and finding > out that they are gay dosen't exactly ruin the evening... If special > accomodations need to be made based on the precise numbers of males > and females that will be attending an event or if the presense of a > gay couple will be an issue, it's probably better to just ask outright > rather than making assumptions. > > In most situations, at worst, you are going to have an "Oh, I thought > he was female" moment the first time you meet someone... that dosen't > seem very significant. > > That being said, I'll have to remember to say "I'm bringing the person > I'm currently dating" or "The person I married is coming with me" when > I make plans with new people, just to keep 'em guessing. (The > situation would be even better if he had a gender neutral name.) > > On Oct 14, 2:09 pm, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Hi y'all - the legal acceptance of same sex unions is a new phenomenon > > in this country therefore it should be suitably named - there is no > > more to my argument than that. > > Let's see if I can spell it out more clearly: If I buy some real > > estate the heading on the contract is "Contract for the sale of real > > estate." If I take out a loan the heading is "Contract for a loan > > agreement." The traditional marriage certificate is entitled > > "Certificate of Marriage." As we have a new situation, which has not > > legally been recognised before, what is wrong with choosing a suitable > > name to identify it? Marriage won't do as I have indicated earlier. > > What does everyone have against a new name? The very least that would > > be achieved is that when I call someone and ask them to dinner, I > > would know if they are bringing someone of the same sex or opposite, > > and I can make preparations accordingly. In this instance, it is > > simply a matter of etiquette. > > > On Oct 14, 12:03 pm, ornamentalmind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > "This being the case, there is no harm in calling a new phenomenon by > > > a new name to remove any confusion." - clog > > > > Of course, seen from a provincial point of view, it is ‘a new > > > phenomenon’. In the larger view of all of humanity, it is not. So, > > > there is no ‘harm’ in attempting to accept that the word ‘marriage’ > > > can have different meanings, which it has ALWAYS had and will continue > > > to have. > > > > On Oct 14, 8:42 am, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Hi y'all - I agree that language changes over time. I remember one of > > > > my favorite songs as a youth containing the phrase "shall I be blamed > > > > if god has made me gay." Of course, it referred to a happy person and > > > > a womanizer. > > > > This being the case, there is no harm in calling a new phenomenon by a > > > > new name to remove any confusion. > > > > > On Oct 14, 9:58 am, Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > <<Therefore, a different purpose requires a different name. Q.E.D. >> > > > > > > No, it doesn't. The meaning of words can change and this one will. > > > > > Just like the meaning of the word "gay" changed to a new purpose.- > > > > > Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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