To everyone a collective wow.

Here is something to consider...Naturally there was a time, actually for quite a long time in our history, that there was no such thing as "Marriage" for anyone.
I have heard it said and I don't know if this is true or not, despite it's plausibility, that “Marriage” arose from a time when it was not possible for a woman to own property or have any rights of their own. Women were basically a form of chattel.
If for any reason a women with a child was to find herself without her mate or “husband” she would find herself in a destitute position and she and her offspring would be at the mercy of the world.
Religious officials and I don’t know which flavor religion it was at the time figured, that if you could form an “until death do you part union” then a woman would be the responsibility of the male and would then they would not become a burden on ether the religious institution or the society in general. If say for instance the man needed to have a new woman cause he didn’t like the old one so much anymore.

Now I guess you can say that we have “evolved” a lot as a species since then. Or maybe you may think that we have not come that far at all and we have a long way to go. But in our current society given the all of the changes in science and law, is this not a regressive consideration that we would need to “defend” marriage? Rather maybe now is the time to provide equal protection to those who can prove that their relationships deserve to be acknowledged for their content. That their pledge of some form of undying intent to love honor and cherish care for until death is honorable pledge. That their personal commitment to each other is valid and that no one from outside of that commitment can put asunder that promise.

__________________
Sex is a tricky thing best left to professionals.