Why is it better if gay people live together without benefit of marriage? Why not let free people contract with each other in the manner they choose? How much control do you think you deserve to have over other free people? Why do you care if people you don't know contract with each other as they choose?
Because it would equate an abnormal situation with marriage, which is the foundation of civilization. It would give legal status to a perversion, much the way legal slavery did and I don't want to go there again. If gays are granted legal status they could hardly be barred from adopting children and we should do what we can to prevent children from being raised in harmful situations. We have enough problems with child abuse already; we don't need any more.
When gays engage in abnormal sexual activities and spread horrible diseases I shouldn't have to help pay for it, but I do. Pretending that it's normal and giving it legal status will surely make me pay even more, compounding the wrong. (Admittedly, there are numerous other things I have to pay for because of people trying for a Darwin award.)
Here's how I see things going down: Next April 15th gays from Massachusetts will file their federal income taxes and claim to be married. The feds will say they are not in the eyes of the federal government. The gays will file suit and the decision will come down to 1 person on the entire planet, Sandra Day O'Connor. Don't worry, you'll win since O'Connor is the champion of fuzzy think.
I guess we can just agree to disagree, muir_redwoods, and wait for O'Connor's decision. So long.