There  are underlying problems with Vice President Joe Biden coming out (no  pun intended) on Meet the Press today that he is in favor of same gender  marriage.

The first problem is obvious - it comes across as blatant pandering and groveling for votes from the LGBT community.

The  second problem is that the White House and Team Obama are having to  "clarify" Biden's remarks. President Barack Obama has stated he does  support civil union which would provide equal rights and benefits for  same gender couples. However, the President has said that his view is  "evolving", but he is not in favor of same gender marriage.

The  third problem for Biden is he is making the same mistake as many, even  in the LGBT community. Bide is getting hung up on using the word,  "marriage".

My  view, as a gay male with a long-term partner, has always been and I  continue to maintain is that the real issue is not in terminology. The  real issue is equal rights and benefits under the law.

Let  heterosexuals and religious members and churches keep the word  "marriage" for the designation of state approval of a long-term  relationship. Give equal rights and benefits to same gender couples  along wtih state recognition of long-term relationships.

Call  it civil union. Call it coming together. Call it domestic partnership.  Call it a lollapalooza....I don't care. Just don't treat me and my  relationship as if we are less American or less human than heterosexual  couples. Treat all couples fairly. Let the state grant a license to  recognize the telationship with all the  same rights and benefits as  heteroasexual couples.

But  for people on both sides of the controversary to make a single word,  marriage, be the breaking point and the cause for division is in a word -  stupid.

Does what we call a same gender license or ceremony really all that important?

Isn't being treated the same wth the same rights and benefits much more important?

From the Cornfield, Biden is known for sticking his mouth in where it doesn't belong as he did this morning.

Let's get passed this.

The majority of Americans, according to most polls, favor equal rights and benefits for same gender couples.

So  to my fellow LGBT members that hold allegiance to getting equal  rights,  let's center on the correct issue and stop being sidetracked  and made to look foolish over a word.

http://csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2012/0506/Joe-Biden-stirs-the-pot-on-same-sex-marriage?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feeds%2Fpolitics+(Christian+Science+Monitor+|+Politics)