ttbn,
The Pew Institute survey I cited earlier didn't attempt to calculate the number of homosexuals in the U.S but of the 1100 people surveyed only 4% were married and co-habiting, while some 50% expressed an interest in being married at some point in the future.
Having come this far one wonders why Gays would want to take such a massive backward step anyway, the whole point of the Gay movement was liberation from the norm and the formation of gay communes and alternate lifestyles, which in some places they've actually managed to achieve. You could say that the proof of who's behind the marriage equality movement could be discerned by inquiring as to who might have a an interest in unmaking nearly 50 years of "progress".
Have a look at this documentary about the Gay culture in California, it's weird and salacious in parts but the internal power structure of the community and the mindset of Gay men is laid bare, it's actually pretty interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCcr_ayvMo

I was amazed the Irish voted for gay marriage. Years ago in the 60s my sister in law went to visit Eire and customs opened her bags and found the contraceptive pill. Luckily she had only one packet for personal use. No abortions, no contraception? No living in sin, so to speak. Fifty years later they have done a complete turn around. My cousin waited years to get the Popes agreement to an annulment, and went to England to live eventually. I thought, 'Hey' - even though you get the Pope's OK, you still have to get a legal divorce. She'd married an American in Boston. She had an American divorce eventually. But she deserted him legally it appears.

Personally, I have known lots of gay people, some my friends. Non of them wanted marriage which is just as well as the relationships invariably didn't last long. Others were content to quietly live out the lives, have a private agreement and equity clause in their wills.What they want is social acceptance and quite honestly I don't think they will ever get it.

I can't see the RC church agreeing to conduct marriages so even civil marriages are OK. Gives the lawyers more divorce money I suspect.

However, it seems to me to be some social and political agenda here, and quite honestly I don't share their opinion, and I am not a bigot.

Bushbunny, there have been gay people accepted socially for at least as long as records are available, with some discretion required, which might also be a feature of some straight relationships that have also been accepted if not really condoned.

I can't really see what all the fuss is about.

Let's do better than our great-great-great grandparents did and get the issue behind us. What people do in the bedroom and the way they want to formalise their relationship shouldn't be connected.

An interesting thread, one that has probably now reached the appropriate stage of repetition on both sides that indicates argumentative exhaustion.

The most notable fact seems to be that not one single homosexual person has chosen to participate. Which I choose to interpret as a sign that the topic doesn't generate the same level of interest in their camp (sorry!) as it does in ours.

In a few years from now we will have forgotten that there was ever a serious debate on the topic, just as we have forgotten that there was once a serious debate on slavery etc.

It's all about growing up, people. One day, we shall all be able to act as adults, and treat all this as the irrelevant sideshow that it clearly is.

Just not yet, apparently.