Here is a great little piece:
What Does This Mean for Gays?
A gay partner of ten years must sit and watch his partner on life support without the legal right to make a decision on his survival. A lesbian resident of Florida who loses her partner in a tragedy also faces losing the children they raised together because she could never legally adopt them. A gay partner cannot receive disaster relief assistance for his missing partner because they have no legal ties; just as with the partners of many gay 9/11 victims who did not meet the eligibility requirements for federal aid not due to inadequate proof of relationship or financial ties, but because there was no legal basis for their commitment.
Under the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex couples cannot receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the overseers of disaster recovery on American soil. State level and Social Security benefits are only allocated to legally defined married couples as well, which does not include gays.
When gay advocates speak of gay rights, they speak of equal rights not special rights. Gay couples, who live without the legal protection of gay marriage or gay adoption (a move that the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, North American Council on Adoptable Children and other organizations support), want the comfort and ability to make important decisions and protect their families in times of crisis. A time when families are strengthened through love and support even in the wake of tragedy.
Special Thanks as this excerpt is from about.com/gaylife
This is the issue Barry, No matter what you think of Gay people, nobody deserves this, NOBODY, Now yes, CA is a very progressive state, we always have been, and we need to remember just how lucky we are, but the issues here do exist and real people have to deal with them every day
Equality CA puts it best:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=h0Vg9vDtAoQ