It has been suggested by some that what gays want is the "psychic benefit of being able to say they are married." How wrong.

Here is a short list of benefits and privileges that come with marriage, from the government and from businesses. [Note that if gay marriages are legally recognized, businesses will not be able to discriminate against them as well]:

• Receiving Social Security, Medicare, and disability benefits for spouses.
• Receiving veterans’ and military benefits for spouses, such as those for education, medical care, or special loans.
• Receiving public assistance benefits.
• Obtaining insurance benefits through a spouse’s employer.
• Taking family leave to care for your spouse during an illness.
• Receiving wages, workers’ compensation, and retirement plan benefits for a deceased spouse.
• Taking bereavement leave if your spouse or one of your spouse’s close relatives dies.
• Visiting your spouse in a hospital intensive care unit or during restricted visiting hours in other parts of a medical facility.
• Making medical decisions for your spouse if he or she becomes incapacitated and unable to express wishes for treatment.
• Suing a third person for wrongful death of your spouse and loss of consortium (loss of intimacy).
• Receiving crime victims’ recovery benefits if your spouse is the victim of a crime.
• Obtaining domestic violence protection orders.
• Obtaining immigration and residency benefits for noncitizen spouse.
• Visiting rights in jails and other places where visitors are restricted to immediate family.
• Suing a third person for offenses that interfere with the success of your marriage, such as alienation of affection and criminal conversation (these laws are available in only a few states).
• Claiming the marital communications privilege, which means a court can’t force you to disclose the contents of confidential communications between you and your spouse during your marriage.
• Inheriting a share of your spouse’s estate.
• Receiving an exemption from both estate taxes and gift taxes for all property you give or leave to your spouse.
• Creating life estate trusts that are restricted to married couples, including QTIP trusts, QDOT trusts, and marital deduction trusts.
• Obtaining priority if a conservator needs to be appointed for your spouse — that is, someone to make financial and/or medical decisions on your spouse’s behalf.
• Receiving equitable division of property if you divorce.
• Receiving spousal or child support, child custody, and visitation if you divorce.
• Living in neighborhoods zoned for "families only."
• Automatically renewing leases signed by your spouse.
• Receiving family rates for health, homeowners’, auto, and other types of insurance.
• Receiving tuition discounts and permission to use school facilities.
• Other consumer discounts and incentives offered only to married couples or families.
• Consenting to after-death examinations and procedures.
• Making burial or other final arrangements.
• Filing for stepparent or joint adoption.
• Applying for joint foster care rights.

Hat tip to Atrios — who also provides a link to 1999 GAO report listing 1,049 benefits and privileges of marriage.