> Assuming you're not opposed to the idea of marriage altogether,
I tend to think that the state shouldn't be in the business of marriage at all. If private clubs / religions want to recognise a special ceremony between whatever groupings make sense for their club (someone suggested polyamorous families above) then they should go ahead.
The state should have nothing to do with it, not recognising relationships that have had such a ceremony as different to relationships without. Now I know that is not currently the case, but I'd be more in favour of removing state recognition of any marriage than changing who the state lets get married.
Places where it is genuinely useful to make the distinction should be replaced with thought-out duck-typing rather than nominative typing - if you've been living with someone as a partner for a certain amount of time, or are clearly trying to bring up children together then you should get the presumptive 'next of kin' status that the law finds helpful regardless of your ceremonial status. Or perhaps people should just have the right to add others to 'next of kin' status at will.
I tend to think that the state shouldn't be in the business of marriage at all. If private clubs / religions want to recognise a special ceremony between whatever groupings make sense for their club (someone suggested polyamorous families above) then they should go ahead.
The state should have nothing to do with it, not recognising relationships that have had such a ceremony as different to relationships without. Now I know that is not currently the case, but I'd be more in favour of removing state recognition of any marriage than changing who the state lets get married.
Places where it is genuinely useful to make the distinction should be replaced with thought-out duck-typing rather than nominative typing - if you've been living with someone as a partner for a certain amount of time, or are clearly trying to bring up children together then you should get the presumptive 'next of kin' status that the law finds helpful regardless of your ceremonial status. Or perhaps people should just have the right to add others to 'next of kin' status at will.