New York State is considering legalizing gay (civil) marriages, so tonight on our answering machine we received a message urging us to pray that it doesn't pass because gay civil marriages were, you know, a To'evah, etc. etc.
Whereas it's pretty clear to me that halacha forbids certain same-sex sexual practices, it's unclear to me what the source is of the objection to two men entering into a civil contract which in itself doesn't really have halachic standing anyway (in the sense that a civil marriage is obviously not kiddushin).
In other words, two men go to city hall, sign a contract, receive recognition from a civil government that they are in something called a FIZZBOOP that requires them, say, to support one-another forever. Presumably (correct me if I'm wrong), this would be halachically neutral; it's no different than any other civil contract and it doesn't require anybody to do anything that is halachically invalid. But as soon as you use the English word MARRIAGE to describe it, it's a to'evah?
Or, more specifically... given that Halacha doesn't really recognize civilian marriages between OPPOSITE SEX partners as being sufficient for kiddushin to exist, why the big interest in civil gay marriage?
(Not trying to be provocative here. Just looking for halachic answers to the assumptions I'm making).
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