i get why people don't believe in marriage as a social construct but legally it is the best and easiest way to say "this is who i trust to take care of me when i can't take care of myself" and i'm so glad gay people fought for that right bc when shit gets scary at least i know im in good hands
People don't remember how one of the worst things to happen to someone in a same sex relationship was having the love of your life hospitalized and all of their medical decisions put into the hands of family they'd cut off years ago. Of having no right to attend, much less plan, your wife's funeral because her body was released to her next of kin. Of not being able to say goodbye because her parents told the hospital you were not allowed to visit.
Marriage equality is so important.
Wikipedia page on all the rights automatically tied to marriage in the US
some of the other important ones:
Right to a spouse's Social security if the die
Right to veteran spouses benefits
ability to have foreign spouse legally stay in country
tax free transfer of property between spouses at death
right to visitation of children after death or divorce
All told there are more than a THOUSAND things that married status changes your access to rights and various programs. Many of the most consequential are about end of life, but there's also things like getting discounts as "a family", filing taxes together, and getting a moving allowance if your spouse is in the military and is moved to new posting. It's a huge number of things that ensure equal treatment under the law.
