Why is marriage important?

Well, when I got married I believed marriage was the ultimate way of saying you are mine and I am yours and nothing can ever come between us, but to be honest the benefits never came to mind. Many times the fact that I was married prevented me from getting benefits like food stamps and school grants because they looked at my husbands income. Sure we got tax benefits at the end of the year, but so did those who weren't married, along with other benefits throughout the year. Traditionally marriage was intended for people to create a bond, so when they created a family they were committed to it and did what was in the best interest of the children regardless of their personal disputes. That is not what I had in mind when I got married, but it is how I feel about marriage 23 years later. Gay people can't create families, at least not naturally, and it is hard to say what kind of values they would instill in their children if they did considering a lot of gays are bi-sexual. That is the difference in my opinion.