America declares itself as the great country of liberty, the great country of opportunities and the great country of equality. As long as an American wants to marry a person of the opposite sex there seems to be no limits to their pursuit of happiness. Even in the progressive, modern year of 2015, the question of whether or not gay couples should be permitted to perform the act of a legal marriage divides the United States of America into two. Although more than half of the states have legalized gay marriage, fourteen states, including Kentucky, reject the idea of homosexual couples as equals to heterosexual couples. The fact is that an exclusion of marriage for gay couples is a limitation of their personal rights and is unequal, unfair, …show more content…
It is discrimination to refuse to give the benefits that are provided to heterosexual married couples to homosexual couples. According to the General Accounting Office of the United States there are 1138 benefits and rights for married couples (cbo.gov). These rights include the right to visit a partner in hospital due to an accident or illness. Whether homosexual or heterosexual, partners should have the right to care for their loved ones during illness and misfortune. Another example, actually the worst case scenario is, if one of the persons in the same-sex partnership without being married passes away unexpectedly. If the deceased did not make his or her last wish, the consequence would be that the person left behind has no right to the belongings of the deceased, even though they build up a life together. These two were just a tiny portion of all the rights that married couples enjoy, same-sex couples however, have no access to them without being officially married. To deny these rights to a homosexual is simply discrimination.
The concept of marriage has changed over time. According to Rose McDermott, a political scientist at Brown University, the traditional, monogamous concept of marriage between one man and one woman is a modern concept. In fact, two centuries ago polygamy was widespread and monogamy was an exception (McDermott).
The United States of America was founded as a secular sanctuary for ideals like freedom, equality, and tolerance – few will argue against that. Over its history American culture has radically evolved as it strived to meet the ideals its nation was based upon, making changes like ending slavery and providing legal equality for women and minorities, changes that at the time seemed absurd but today are unquestionable merits that define what an “American” is. The quest to reach the ultimate utopian society continues today as true Americans fight the evils of ignorance, stubborn bigotry and the fear to change that still manifest themselves in a large portion of U.S. citizens, preventing this nation from moving forward. One of the outstanding minorities still left to be granted the ideals of freedom, equality, and tolerance are homosexuals trying to obtain the right to marry the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, regardless of gender. Same-sex marriages should be recognized in the eyes of the U.S. government in accordance with its responsibility to provide all American citizens equal freedoms.
On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Many conservative groups do NOT agree with this decision. The gay marriage debate has been simmering for as long as I can remember. The four articles I have selected give information from four different perspectives including that of liberals, conservatives, homosexuals, and orthodox Jews. With so many differing opinions, one can understand why it's been so hard for the nation to come to agree on this issue.
Gay marriage is not the only issue that is being discussed throughout America involving the gay community. In a particular study done by USA Today, results showed that when Americans were asked if they think homosexual relationships between consenting adults should be legal, 46% answered yes (“USA Today” 6). However, when asked if they would then favor a law that would allow homosexuals to get married, only 24% were in favor (6). This survey also showed the differences of peoples’ ideas based on if they attended church or not (6). The results showed that 73% of Americans who attend church weekly oppose the legalization of gay marriage and only 38% of those who don’t attend church oppose legalization (6). These results show that for many Americans, marriage is a religious agreement, but for many others, marriage is a right that should be given to all who want to partake in it.
A major victory was won by the LGBT community when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal on June 26th of 2015 across all of the United States. This ruling effectively states that any state-law restricting marriage to male-female is unconstitutional. This had been a fight since the 1970s when the issues of same-sex marriage first began to gain steam. Over the years, various states have legalised same-sex marriage to certain degrees, however it wasn’t until after 3 decades that the issue was finally acknowledged on a national level. This change furthers the ideology of freedom and equality of the american constitution and will invoke the betterment of
It is true that marriage in this nation traditionally has been regarded as a relationship exclusively between a man and a woman, and many of our nation’s multiple religions define marriage in precisely those terms. But with the Supreme Court has always previously considered marriage in that context, the underlying rights and liberties that marriage embodies are not in any way confined to heterosexuals. One’s sexuality is not a preference, it is immutable, unchangeable, and the Constitution protects us all against prejudices and discrimination based on immutable differences. Not only is not allowing same-sex couples to marry discriminatory, it also makes gays second class citizens. When we as a nation refuse to accord the same marital status to gays and lesbians, we discourage same-sex couples from forming the same relationships we encourage for others, and we are essentially telling gays, those of who love them, and society as a whole that their relationships are less worthy, less legitimate, less permanent and less valued. By not legalizing same-sex marriages the US demeans their relationships and demeans gays as individuals. Same-sex marriages must be legalized.
In the summer of 2015, history was made in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court had made, with a 5-4 majority, a controversial ruling decreeing that denying equal recognition to same-sex couples was in violation of the Equal Protections Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Those on the minority cited concerns of judicial restraint, the connection between marriage and procreation, and whether or not marriage is a Constitutional issue in the first place. Nevertheless, equal recognition for same-sex couples became the law of the land.
While some states have began to embrace the civil rights of all American people and allowing both hetero- and homo-sexual couples to marry, some states have done quite the opposite and banned same sex marriages and unions. Not all Americans feel so strongly about legalizing same sex marriage. Those against same sex marriage believe marriage has been defined as being between a man and a woman. However, that has not always been true, as explained in the beginning of this paper, the ancient people commonly wed the same gender and them and also had same sex sexual relations (ProCon.org). In fact in the first century Nero the Emperor of Rome married at least two of his lovers who were men (Chastain 19.) It was not until Christianity became a wide spread religion that sodomy and homosexuality became immoral. Those who oppose the legalization of gay marriage also believe that same sex marriage will threaten the institution of marriage. Marriages since 2011 have been at a new low, with only 52 percent of adults being married (Yen). However gays are fighting for the right to marry who they love, while heterosexual couples take that for granted. Divorce rates are currently lingering around 40-50% that is without gays being able to be married in many states. By allow homosexuals to marry their significant others, it will allow for a stronger bond and maybe bring back life into the deteriorating world of marriage. In states that do allow for same sex marriages, their divorce rates are
American nationalism can be described in the foundational terms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; however, these fundamental ideas are impacted across every state when equal rights intersect with the complex issue of marriage rights. Thomas Jefferson once said, “I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others” (Jefferson, 1900). When approaching the various stances on marriage, civil unions, and equal rights in regards to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community it is fundamentally important to follow Jefferson’s cue and approach the varied perspectives with an open mind. With the average person’s opinion on marriage
One of the fundamental parts of the 14th Amendment is its defense of the peoples’ right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” If marriage is restricted to heterosexual couples, then it is an obstruction of gay citizens’ rights to pursue happiness. Many gay citizens cannot be completely happy until they can marry the one they love. In Texas, a ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by federal judge Orlando Garcia. His reason behind fighting this ban was that it “conflict[ed] with the United States Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and due process.” Moreover, as demonstrated in the 1967 Supreme Court decision that banning interracial marriage is unconstitutional, the government cannot decide who citizens can marry. There is also an element of sexism to the disallowance of same-sex marriage as it is discrimination on the basis of gender to stop a marriage because one party is of the “wrong” gender. Therefore, it is a blatant violation of the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection” guarantee to create laws against gay
A hot topic in American politics today is the question of civil rights. While a civil right is defined as an enforceable right or privilege, people still have trouble agreeing what should be counted as a civil right. In a recent event, two civil rights that come into contention with each other were gay marriage and religious freedom. A prime example of the conflict was the case of Kim Davis, who denied same-sex couples marriage licenses based on religious freedom. The case showed us that a civil right needs to have limitations so as to not infringe on other constitutional civil rights. In other words, the state should not allow religious freedom to hinder marriage equality. This is what we will examine throughout the
Legalizing gay marriage has given America a troubling debate throughout a majority of the states. With only thirty-seven states allowing legal gay marriage, the other thirteen have either banned it or are still deciding (unknown, 2015, para 1). Gay marriage is seen as different and wrong to so many people in America that is has become sickening. People do have their differences and as Justin Timberlake once said, “We’re people and we’re different, all of us. And we should be using our differences to bring ourselves closer together” and with this being said, everyone is equal to one another in different ways (Timberlake, 2014, 10). For example, two people could have two different religions, which is different, but also equal in the sense
The institutional barriers to legally recognizing same-sex marriage engender a sense of injustice and an unethical violation of a Universal Human Right. While author Card does identify these fallacies and states that the law should not determine which adult unions are legitimate, she posits an unsettling alternative. Suggesting that same-sex marriage should not have been a political issue and proposing the abolition of marriage denies the LGBT community social recognition and an equal opportunity to choose.
Over the course of the last several decades, attitudes in the U.S. about same-sex marriage have been shifting from conservative to more liberal. Many factors such as change in attitude of older generations, as well as wider acceptance among younger generations, have contributed to this shift in outlook. But even with the support the gay and lesbian community has been gaining, many still oppose same-sex marriage and rights’, and most states still ban the legalization of it. Even with all the opposition though, within the next thirty years, acceptance of same-sex marriage will continue to grow resulting in changes in law that allow for same-sex marriage in most states.
Over the years in our country’s history it has been apparent that the idea of same sex marriages is becoming much more popular, however in most states there is still one thing stopping them. That one thing stopping two people from the pursuit of happiness which they desire is a social injustice. Social injustices are situations where a person or group of people is treated unfairly due to certain factors for example discrimination, prejudice, racism, heterosexism, sexism, and so forth. In the case of same sex marriages, the factor playing a major role in this social injustice is where most people believe that opposite sexes attract, but in the case of a same sex couple wanting to be married, this brings about many topics to be discussed by
“We’re here, we’re queer, get over it.” In 1990, these words, shouted and displayed proudly on signs waved by the activist group, Queer Nation, were revolutionary. Never, not since the Stonewall Riots, had non-straight, non-cis people been so vocal about their existence and demanded acceptance – something that straight people take for granted on a daily basis. However, in the years since the Riots, LGBT activism has become much more mainstream, no longer whispered about behind closet doors or something to be wholly ashamed of. Gay marriage is legal in all 50 United States, something that has been fought for since the conception of the LGBT movement. In fact, gay couples are routinely being featured on popular television and other forms of media. Some might say that in 2016, the dreams of the rioters in Stonewall have been realized. Marriage rights and the spotlight on nighttime television; equality seems to truly be right on the horizon.