If by "They" you mean Christians, I think you're stereotyping the entire group based on the actions of a few individuals. Also, its an over generalization to think that all who literally bash gays are somehow Christian, most of those who commit violence against gays are not Christians and are not doing so for religious reasons... they are just bigots.
"They" refers to whomever is doing the killing, but one of the most common defenses is "reasonable provocation" which implies that the victim deserved it. Why would someone think a gay person deserves to be killed? Well it DOES say so in the Bible. The Word of God is applied just as selectively as the law in our country.
I think you're wrong to equate opposition to Gay Marriage with opposition towards gays in general. Those same people who are against gay marriage have no problem with you having all the same rights under a civil union.
Maybe, maybe, but some of the amendments expressly forbid ANY legal sanction that approximates marriage:
"This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage." Commonwealth of Virginia Ban on Gay Marriage
"To secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose." Michigan Gay Marriage Ban
In addition, every time I find people arguing against gays having equality it's Christians. Every single person who testified before the Oregon legislature against our anti-discrimination bill and our civil unions bill was a self-identified Christian. I know of no group other than religious ones who are actively campaigning against our rights.
And I hope you never get such a law. Our laws should protect all people equally, regardless of race, gender, nationality etc. All individuals should have the exact same protections by law and we don't accomplish that by specifying that this or that group has protections that other groups do not have. This is why I don't support Affirmative Action, hate crimes legislation and other forms of laws that discriminate among individuals based on some superficiality or aspect of an individuals life.
I understand your point and I agree with you. The problem is that if one is not mentioned in the law, then one is not protected. In most States one can be fired, denied housing, and denied services simply for being a transsexual. If the law was applied equally, then I would not look to hate crime laws, but the law is NOT applied equally.
An example would be Portland, Oregon. I moved here because they have strong protections at the city and county level for transsexual people. Until our new State-wide anti-discrimination law went into effect a transsexual could be fired or denied housing and services LEAGLLY almost every place else in the State.
The law is not applied equally in marriage either. The equal protection clause of the Constitution requires that laws be applied equally to all adults. Denying some consenting adults the legal contract of marriage while allowing others to enjoy that contract is legal discrimination in our country because the law is seletively applied to gay people to deny them marriage rights. Murderers on death row can marry, meth-heads, drug dealers, child molestors, sick people, old people, ANYBODY can marry, except gay people. Why? Christianity specifically, and religion generally.
