While there exists a natural right to form marriages, and while we have a right to form those marriages without government interference (a negative right), we do not have the right to government recognition of our marriages (a positive right). The State regulates marriage because it is in their best interest to manage the procreative potential of opposite sex couples, not because they have a moral obligation to do so. The institution of marriage is a natural union that exists prior to, and wholly independent of government recognition.
What basis is there, then, for SSM advocates to claim they have a right to civil marriage? While those with homosexual orientations have a right to form same-sex relationships[1], they have no corresponding right to have their relationships recognized and regulated by the government.
Thinking to Believe 