From a government standpoint, that’s all marriage is. Whether you’re gay or straight, a marriage license is basically legal recognition of 2 people’s desire to form a companionship.

To those being married, certainly marriage means much more than that. But all I’m saying is that from a purely legal/governmental standpoint, legalizing gay marriage in all states to the same extent straight marriages are legal does not force anyone to change their religious outlook on the purpose of marriage.

Us LDS folk already believe that marriages aren’t bound in heaven unless sealed in a temple anyway, so that outlook and belief doesn’t change by allowing gays to be married civilly like the rest of the population is able to do.

Voting to legalize marijuana doesn’t mean I necessarily approve of people smoking marijuana. It just means I approve of their ability to make that choice should they so desire. Same with gay marriage. Voting to legalize marriage for all orientations doesn’t mean I suddenly don’t believe that marriage is ordained of God between a man and woman. It just means I believe they should have that right to make that choice regardless of my religious stance.

I want the government to “protect” my religious beliefs but i don’t expect them to “uphold” my religious beliefs. There’s a distinction there.