It's also worth noting that marriage as an institution was far more stable before the state was ever involved in it. In fact, today a marriage is the one legal contract that is broken with such boring regularity that there is are entire branches of the legal profession dedicated to moving the contract eradication process along.
If real estate law worked the same idiotic way the legal system deals with marriages, you'd never see another piece of property bought/sold in this country again.
I’ve always said the quickest way to stop gay marriage is to legalize and encourage it. ;)