Mewwy, as I'm taking family law, I will tell you that there are hundreds of legal benefits you can receive by actually getting married. Insurance benefits, death benefits, house buying... and that's not even considering any children gay couples bring into the union. Without those rights, they're deprived of any official legal or societal recognition of their relationship, period.
And marriage began as a way for men to ensure their offspring were their own (because how else can a man ensure any children are his unless he has sole sexual access to the wife?) It really was never anything remotely romantic until much more recently, and arguably now it can still be a financial/sexual transaction.
All the cynical stuff aside, I've been with someone who is completely awesome and a great partner for almost 4 years (unmarried). I would consider marriage, but I hate frou frou weddings, engagement rings, and the idea of changing my name- so it would be totally bare bones. I'm such a romantic
