Love is Love

Marriage, as an intuition was created so that men would know who their children were, it determined who would inherit land and property. Defined by Judeo - Christian values, marriage was defined as one man and one woman, and its main purpose was procreation.
This is the argument frequently used by the religious right against same sex marriage - they believe that somehow allowing same sex couples to marry would mean that their own heterosexual marriages to become less valuable.
What they don't understand, don't know, or perhaps just want to ignore, is that the type of marriage that exists today, built on respect and the idea of love, is not the same type of marriage that existed a couple of hundred, or even a hundred years ago. In the past, a woman’s wedding day was the day when she went from being a daughter and a girl, to a woman and a wife. She had absolutely no autonomy, and was seen as property of her husband. Divorce was illegal, and even after it was legalized, a woman had to have a reason for wanting the divorce, such as proof of adultery, bestiality, if he was convicted of rape, incest, - domestic violence was not a reason for divorce.
Even the family – the institution the religious right are working so hard to protect, has gone through changes. The nuclear family, which many people see as the base of society, is a relatively modern construct. Before the 19th/20th century, people often lived in extended families, comprised of aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, etc.
The prevalence of single parent families (or lone parents, as they are sometimes known) as well as the commonality of blended families, proves that there is more then one way to raise happy, successful children.
If marriage is nothing more then an institution, and a marriage ceremony is nothing more then a public declaration of long term commitment, then why not allow same sex couples to marry?
The way it is now, many same sex couples, although in long term relationships, and living like married couples, are not entitled to the same benefits, only because of their sexual orientation.
If we, as a society, believe that marriage is based on love, then does it really matter whether you love a man or a woman?