My main point is that homosexual couples want the "respectability" that comes with a traditional marriage

You know, I think we just came full circle We are back to arguing the definition of traditional marriage which to you is synonymous with religious marriage and to me just means a union of two people. And that is the crux of the point I was trying to make. There are plenty of words in the english language that mean different things based on context and personal viewpoint. To me it is clear that marriage in the context of any discussion of law should mean a union of two people as it pertains to legal issues. I don't understand why people need to drag in the religious baggage.

-Mike