I think I already made myself clear on the subject. Gays should be allowed exactly the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples.

If “marriage” is a religious term, then I think the government shouldn’t recognize it at all. Instead, all couples, gay or straight, would need a civil union to file taxes jointly or take advantage of any of the other benefits we currently offer to married couples. If they want to separately marry, as a religious act, they’re welcome to it, but they wouldn’t be recognized by the state without the civil union.

I think Occams’ proposal is unworkable, having nothing to do with the “scale of government meddling”. The government is the mechanism by which we establish our rules. If Occams’ solution actually solved anything, I wouldn’t have a problem with it — the government would be an entirely appropriate mechanism to carry it out.

What matters is civil rights — human rights. Homosexuality isn’t a crime, and treating gay relationships differently than straight ones is a simple and obvious failure to uphold those rights.