Martha Horn and Barbara White are ready.
If a Massachusetts court legalizes gay marriage soon, the lesbian couple from Laurel plan to head north and be among the first to apply for a license. The women, who have been together for 13 years, aren't out to prove a point about gay rights, they say. They just want the legal benefits of marriage.
Specifically, they want health insurance for Horn, who suffers from diabetes but doesn't qualify as a spouse under the policy that White's employer provides.
"It's really scary at our age for one of us to be without health insurance," said White, a 50-year-old nurse practitioner, as she sat on a love seat with Horn in the condo they share with two dogs and a cat. "We pay taxes like everyone else; we should have the same benefits of straight people."
But opponents of gay marriage say legalizing such unions threatens the fabric of American society. It would, they say, sanction immoral conduct and redefine marriage, an institution with deep resonance for religious and secular people alike.
"It is about the concept of family itself and what a family is," said Peter La Barbera, senior policy analyst at the Culture and Family Institute, a think tank in Washington. "The homosexual side is saying children don't necessarily need a mom and a dad."
The gay marriage debate has heated up this summer, drawing in such heavyweights as President Bush and Pope John Paul II - both against.
At its heart are tough questions about the purpose and meaning of marriage in modern society. Is marriage about procreation and raising biological children? Or is it about the commitment and legal rights of a couple regardless of their sexual orientation?
Proponents say the issue is equal protection for homosexuals under the law. For example, some committed gay couples say they want the same visitation rights as a spouse when a partner is in the hospital or status as a beneficiary if a partner dies without a will. They also seek the community recognition that comes with a legal union.
"What gay people want out of marriage is the same thing heterosexuals want," said Susan Sommer, supervising attorney with Lambda Legal, a civil rights group. "It's a hugely powerful symbol of commitment, of love and support."
Opponents say legalizing gay marriage could lead schools to teach that homosexuality is acceptable and encourage more same-sex couples to adopt. Critics such as La Barbera acknowledge that the divorce rate has created many single-parent homes, but he says that is no reason to sanction same-sex parenting.
