Opinion | I'm queer, and I cannot support this same-sex marriage bill

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

65% : A same-sex marriage bill sounds great, right?
60% : "As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals, much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding."
56% : The Respect for Marriage Act merely requires the states to recognize a same-sex marriage license.
53% : While some of them may well have, it is important to note that this same-sex marriage bill also comes with some protections for their church.
51% : In the same way that pro-choice advocates have launched campaigns to protect people's reproductive rights by ensuring they are enshrined in the state constitutions, the same approach should be adopted in regard to same-sex marriage.
46% : Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell -- at least until the court overturns them -- guarantee the right to use contraception, be in a same-sex relationship and marry a same-sex partner.
45% : The Respect for Marriage Act, which purportedly would enshrine the rights of same-sex couples to form legal unions, cleared another major procedural hurdle Monday when its supporters in the U.S. Senate got more than the 60 votes needed to limit debate.
45% : At least it does to the 70% of Americans who support same-sex marriage.
45% : This so-called Respect for Marriage Act protects the laws of the 15 states that permit same-sex marriage and, by and large, tend to be less hostile toward LGBTQ people.
44% : With the signal that the right to same-sex marriage could be invalidated by the Supreme Court, Congress came up with the Respect for Marriage Act, which, once it becomes law, would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
44% : So, if the Supreme Court overturns its Obergerfell ruling, states would still be permitted to ban same-sex marriage, and, incidentally, the vast majority of states do: 35 states, to be exact.
43% : Even worse than the appeasement to religious conservatives is the bill's failure to require states to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
41% : The concession was made in the form of an amendment that not only spells out that religious organizations can refuse to marry same-sex couples but also protects such religious organizations' tax-exempt status and ensures they still receive other federal benefits should they choose to discriminate against same-sex couples who wish to wed.As quoted by NPR, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, said, "As we went through this bill, we listened to the very sincere concerns of Americans with strongly held religious beliefs who simply wanted to make sure that Congress protects their First Amendment rights."
39% : Historically, the church has fervently opposed same-sex marriage.

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