Great writeup.
I am at the same time deeply conflicted and apathetic about this issue.
On the one hand, as a libertarian I believe people should be able to live as they choose and I don't care if someone is gay, lesbian or whatever so if they want to get married and they're not hurting anyone that's fine.
On the other hand, I hate the way the left is bashing anyone opposed to their view. The demonisation of conservatives and churchies is way over the top. I see danger of supporting anything that empowers this mob. Whats next? Polygamy? All the same arguments can be used "If 3 people love each other very much, why can't they be married?" Well...why not...?
So I'm on the fence and inclined to abstain....but then I also believe in more direct democracy and people having more say about issues than letting the cronies in power just decide behind closed doors, so I support the idea of a plebiscite and I want to participate. I just wish it was a more important issue we were deciding on (brace for incoming abuse)
But really, I am in agreeance with you. The state has no place in legislating the status of peoples relationships and marriage actually has nothing to do with love. People arguing this is a plebiscite about love are being silly. You don't need any government to put a rubber stamp on certifying your commitment to another person.
How dare you! There is nothing more important than where one puts their Johnson. (so telling that you would expect backlash from that comment, a sign of the times.)
The bashing is one sided, without a doubt (I don't think they realise that they are the bourgeois establishment). We have so much to fix in this country too. You would think that these kind and empathetic people would put aside there own personal issues and concentrate on something that benefits everyone, like employment, the electricity crises or something. It should be a referendum on the establishment of nuclear policy. I can't wait to feel the full brunt of their empathy.
Next is, Echidnamory:
the practice of or desire for intimate relationships with more than one echidna, with the knowledge of all partners.