1. In most states, we cannot make medical decisions for our partners in case of an emergency. Hospitals are forced by state laws to go to the families who have been estranged from us for several years, who are often hostile to us. They may ignore our wishes regarding treatment of those we love. They may also legally bar us from seeing our partners in the hospital room.

2. If a heterosexual couple (one American, one from a foreign country) wish to be married, they can be. And citizenship is automatically offered to the non-American spouse. Should this happen in a gay relationship, the non-American partner can and will be ripped away once their visa expires.

3. Upon death, even a carefully drawn-up will or power of attorney can be challenged by the family of the deceased. Custody decisions can be overturned quickly by a homophobic judge, and visits to a hospital bed, funeral or even grave site may be denied to us by our partner's family. A property purchased in life by a gay couple may quickly be seized by the family, sold off, and the surviving partner will be left with remaining mortgage payments.

4. If our partners are arrested, we may be forced to testify or provide evidence against them, which legally married couples cannot be forced to do. Visitation rights may be denied by a hostile or homophobic judge and conjugal visits (a well-established practice by heterosexual couples) are not available to gay couples.

5. In America, there is a Separation of Church and State as defined in the US Constitution. The current trend is to allow a religious institution to own a word and therefore an institution. Allowing this goes specifically against what our forefathers laid out for us.

6. Some think that Civil Unions or Domestic Partnerships afford all the same rights and responsibilities as a heterosexual marriage. While there are some states which come very close to Marriage Equality, none of them offer FULL Equality under Domestic Partnerships or Civil Unions as they are currently set up.

7. Many argue that children raised in the environment of a gay marriage will not grow up normal or simply that a male and female role model. There have been many studies, including that of the American Psychological Association have concluded that there is absolutely no difference between a child raised by a gay couple and those raised by heterosexual couples. However, in the case of the gay couple, that child will grow up to discover that the state or country they live in do not recognize their family as a real family. One can assume there will be some frustration and anger upon learning that they are not protected under the law the way their friends are.

8. There are hundreds of silly arguments; everything from "They are trying to recruit more gays" to "If we legalize gay marriage, what's to stop someone from marrying their pet Dolphin?" There is no reality in any of these arguments and those you speak to attempting to use these types of arguments, should know better and more than likely are not the people we need to focus on.

9. There are 1,138 Federal rights, benefits and responsibilities afforded to heterosexual married couples. This will not change no matter how many states allow Equal Marriage Rights. This will only change when the Federal government recognizes Equal Rights.

10. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."