Who are 'the gays'? No - apparently, the issue for some people is the word marriage! Not the gays kicking up a big fuss about keeping the title 'civil partnership' - it's the church.
I looked up marriage and the term seems to originate from Culture rather than religion. Whilst religion may not change, cultural changes certainly do happen thankfully.
Cultural changes have happened and have allowed the gays to have civil partnerships which give them the same status as marriage.
I see no reason for re-defining the word marriage.
This is nothing to do with rights.
If women's votes were called votettes would you be outraged that they had a different name?
That would be ridiculous, you'd have the same rights, the words used and semantics of them are irrelevant.
Equality doesn't mean calling everything the same thing. We have actors and actresses, for example. I've never heard anyone say it should all be actor and the best actor Oscar should be for either gender.
Marriage has a clear and well understood meaning. There is no reason to change it.
I'm with you. But who cares. If, after legal equality, they want to cling on to a single word, fine. When 2 gay people get a civil partnership what do you think everyone's going to call it? "When are you getting married?" or "When's the civil partnership?" Everyone knows the score, really. There are many meaningless technicalities around and this will be another one.
From the Oxford dictionary.
So I guess it depends on the jurisdiction. And the jury's out(ed).marriage - Pronunciation: /ˈmarɪdʒ/
noun
1 the formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife: she has three children from a previous marriage
[mass noun] the state of being married: women want equality in marriage
(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex.
2 a combination or mixture of elements: her music is a marriage of funk, jazz, and hip hop