Owing to the inevitability of tragedy, there will likely be heartbreaking examples of why marriage matters to everyone. Again treated as strangers to the law, only the grieving widows of same-sex partners will be denied survivorship rights; only the husbands and wives in a same-sex marriage will be denied tax breaks; and only a gay spouse will be deprived of medical insurance and the legion of other benefits afforded by state law to other married couples.