Same Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage, a controversial social issue in the U.S. for several decades, is constantly evolving. When viewed historically, great change has happened in a short period of time, in the movement for same-sex marriage, given that until recently, no society in thousands of years has ever allowed it.

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.

One regular issue that faces gay and lesbian couples that are denied the right to have a legal marriage is their powerlessness to claim their accomplice 's government managed savings (social security) after he or she has passed on. A number of human right groups are working to accomplish equivalent rights for lesbian, transgender individuals, bi-sexual and gay. They accept, "Any form of change to the Social Security framework must incorporate the issue of partners of gays and lesbians in its meaning of survivor Benefits". At present, there are no projects that give gay people survivor benefits like the ones that are

There are roughly 313,900,000 people living in the United States and within those people roughly 9,000,000 people categorize as either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (gates). This statistic was calculated throughout many surveys issued in 2010 throughout all states in the United States. These statistics were presented in an article written by Gary J. Gates in April of 2011. Now that it is currently almost the year 2014 the number of homosexuals have only risen in the past few years due to the legalization of same sex marriage throughout some states. Same sex marriage is becoming a well-known controversy in the United States due to complete opposite opinions. Society often examines the changes throughout the years in terms of consequences rather than in benefits. The legalization of same sex marriage is often portrayed as consequential to society however when examined more closely there would be more benefits to society if this controversy was viewed in terms of positive change. Benefits society could achieve from legalization of same sex marriage are providing new economic and business opportunities, and encouraging equal opportunity and a non-discriminatory society.

The Defense of Marriage Act was a law passed by Congress stating that individual states were not required to recognize same-sex marriage licenses issued by other states. President Bill Clinton signed the bill in 1996 (ABC Clio). The act also defined marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman, which had never been clearly defined before. Most importantly, it prevented same-sex couples from recieving federal benefits such as health insurance, retirement savings, and social security (Sprigg). The overruling of this act in 2013 forced states to recognize same-sex marriage licenses given by other states (Supreme Court). It also acted as a step towards same-sex marriage legalization, which took place in a seperate ruling in 2015. Edith

Lewin took place in Hawaii. It is thought to be the first major victory for same-sex couples and marriage activists. Nina Baehr sued the state of Hawaii saying that the state was refusing to give her and her partner a marriage license, she argued this on the grounds of saying that this was equal to discrimination. Since the state had an Equal Rights Amendment, the state would need to find a compelling interest in supporting such a ban. One of the biggest impacts from this ruling was not only giving hope to same-sex couples hoping to marry but the ruling also discouraged people who hoped to keep same-sex marriage illegal. Through the Full Faith and Credit Clause this also meant that if these couples were legally married in Hawaii then their marriage had to be recognized in all other states as

In the past few years all 50 states have legalized same sex marriage. The problem is same sex marriage is still not widely accepted in this American society. When people are getting arrested because they refuse to do their job and give out gay marriage licences that means there is a problem with the way that same sex couples are being treated. Gay marriage is a major hot button issue in America right now. To allow marriage or to not allow marriage has evoked a large argument that has caused many riots and problems. Gay marriage is the right for two people of the same gender to marry. But what most people do not think about is the benefits of marriage to this community of people. Society should work harder on accepting same sex marriage because it is not just about being happy (but that is a benefit), but it is a matter of decisions over life or death, money, and the life of children.

There are over 105 million households in the United States today and out of those households, there are over 1.2 million gay people living with same-sex partners (“Census on Gays in America”). This makes the proposed legalization of same-sex marriage one of the most significant issues in contemporary America. It is presently one of the most discussed reforms in law reviews and the American court systems. If legalized, it could be one of the most revolutionary policy decisions in the history of America, along with women’s rights, interracial marriage, and slavery. There are many people who are opposed and feel it is morally and ethically wrong and others who feel that same-sex marriages are acceptable. Prior to

Additionally, the wedding industry is set to benefit as it would get business in the industry with a large market access. Legalization of the same-sex marriage has seen an injection of nearly US$260 million into the state economy. The economy also benefits from gay marriage tourism by attracting gay couples from other states and countries where same-sex marriage is illegal. In states where same-sex marriage is permitted, businesses understand that it is important to recognize gay marriage since it makes it possible to retain gay customers and

Nelson. In 1972, two University of Minnesota students of the same-sex applied for marriage. Their request was denied because of a state law that restricted marriage to “persons of opposite sex”. The couple filed a lawsuit against the marriage clerk that denied their request, Gerald Nelson. The coupled stated that the denial violated their due process and equal protection rights granted in the Fourteenth Amendment and their privacy right granted in the First and Ninth Amendments (Scarinci, 2012). The couple also tried using the precedent of the Loving v. Virginia case of 1967, which allowed interracial marriage (Loving v. Virginia, n.d.). The lower court upheld the denial, and when brought to the Supreme Court, the denial remained upheld. The Courts believed there was no correlation between couples of the same-sex, and couples of different races (Scarinci, 2012).

Although they currently are not the reality is that marriage benefits should be accessible to all couples. Gay couples are unfairly denied the countless benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples that are able to marry. For instance, they are not eligible for tax benefits, insurance benefits and are sometimes denied joint ownership of property. Furthermore, Same sex couples are even denied the right to make certain medical decisions with regards to their partner. For example, a gay couple that has been together for 25 years is not allowed to visit their partner in the hospital after visiting hours due to the fact they are not considered family. They each are considered legal strangers. A common belief among opponents of same sex marriage is that businesses would be forced to provide benefits to same sex couples. (Bidstrup, 2004) This is not necessarily the case, and many businesses already voluntarily offer marriage benefits to same sex couples as a matter of good business sense. The businesses that offer these benefits recognize the importance and invaluable support spouses make to their working partners; these companies are generally viewed as progressive and are attractive to investors

In the database, “Marriage, Same-Sex,” it states, “In the United States, the states differ greatly with respect to the ways that they treat same-sex relationships. Some states not only refuse to recognize same-sex relationships but also have passed state constitutional amendments precluding,” which shows that some states have made the situation even harder by not only not only ignoring their benefits, but making laws opposing them (Darity 620). Recognizing same sex marriage is vital for many same sex couples because not allowing marriage can be an emotional blocker between two people, and doing this sends a message to society that certain individuals either cannot commit to marriage or, perhaps, do not deserve the opportunity to marry. Equally important, because same sex couples are not acknowledged, they do not acquire many legal, financial, social, and federal advantages that marriage usually grants two people, such as benefits in tax, estate planning, government, employment, medical, death, family, housing, consumer, etc. The database, “Marriage, Same-Sex,” also declares, “same-sex couples are not entitled to the numerous federal benefits that are accorded to different-sex married couples, because the

The road to Marriage Equality was not an easy one. It all started in 1984, when the first Domestic Partnership law was passed. This law allowed city employees to have married benefits if they were in a same sex marriage. On October 10th, 1987, The largest mass wedding in US history took place. Over two-thousand gay people got married that day. The Defense of Marriage Act was the first major roadblock for gay people. This act, signed by Clinton in 1996, claimed that marriage was a protected bond between one man and one woman. This

Millions of same-sex couples contribute to our way of life. They contribute culturally, politically, socially, and spiritually. Legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States makes a statement that all Americans are valued and deserve equal rights, which includes the rights received in a legal marital union. Taking this step we are supporting cultural diversity and reducing prejudice (7 Ways the U.S.A. Benefits from the Legalization of Gay Marriage, 2013).

Same sex marriage has been accepted and legalized in many countries around the world, including the United States. That being said same sex couples should be afforded the same benefits as heterosexual couples. Unfortunately, the world has known the United States as a place of bigotry and intolerance. If same sex couples are paying their taxes to build roads and help public schools, just like the heterosexual couples, then they should have the same benefits as heterosexual couples. One of the problems facing same sex couples is the inability