Maddison Osenbaugh
Professor Perkins
ENG2211
27 October 2015
Same-Sex Marriage Many people don’t know the story behind the battle of same-sex marriage. They hear about it on the news but fail to see the big picture behind it. Legally, why all of the sudden is same-sex marriage such a big deal? Most people don’t know why people are fighting for this equality. Who brought the debate from the bottom (in their state) all the way to the Supreme Court to get justice for all same-sex couples? What is the Supreme Court’s final and current ruling in all same-sex marriage cases? Same-sex marriage is currently legally evolving into something bigger than just a marriage. Over the years same-sex marriage has become quite a popular debate among people in the United States. Same-sex marriage is one of the few topics that you’re either for it or against it. No one sits on the fence about same-sex marriage. People all over the country are fighting for equality and justice. Same-sex marriage is getting more attention than abortion. That thought has people outraged that something as simple as a marriage license could be more widely talked about than an unborn child. “Can it really be worth fighting? Same-sex marriage violates the natural parent-child bond in every family, and the right of the family to protection by society and the state.” (Forrow 24-25). Some people don’t believe that same-sex couples should have the right to have children, the popular belief is that their
A debate is raging in America about who people have a right to marry. In response to lesbians and gays asking for the right to marry, many legislators are writing laws to ban same-sex marriage in their respective states. Even President Bush supports a Constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage (prez.bush.marriage/). Opponents of such legislation do not want discrimination passed into law and are protesting at every opportunity. One must understand the reasons that people want to ban same-sex
The legalization of gay marriage has been a controversial issue in many state courts since the mid 1970s. Gay marriage scares many people because it strays from the norms of heterosexual relationships. Traditional American ideals have become a part of culture and society that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, or race, or gender, expect to have as a basic human rights. Several times in history these have been identified as inalienable rights. One of the expected rights of many American citizens is the right to choose who they love, who they marry, and how they live their day to day life. When heterosexual Americans were introduced to the idea of same sex marriage, they became afraid that it would “taint the minds of the young members of the community,” since homosexualty was and still is frowned upon in the community. Thus, the homosexual community’s opportunity to freely choose how to live their life is taken
Gay marriage has slowly become a significant factor amongst individuals of today’s society. On June 26, 2015, it was ruled out by the U.S. Supreme Court that gay marriage was now legal. The first thing that I thought was that “Wasn’t it already legal in the United States?” Well, apparently no it has not been legalized in the United States! (Dumb me.) The U.S. is known to be a nation of equality and gives everyone the freedom of the speech, but it is actually a nation full of racism, sexism, and homophobias. Our country gives us the freedom to do many things, but to gay couples they don’t have much freedom as others do. We are violating their freedom because we aren’t letting them marry the one they love, so to say that everyone in the U.S. has the freedom to do anything is wrong. Our civil rights and the Constitution give us many liberties. One of our civil liberties is the pursuit of happiness, which many homosexual people are not allowed to chase, but thanks to the new ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court homosexual people are allowed to chase it. They are being looked down at and are feeling ashamed of themselves because of all the cruelty that they are receiving. Homosexual people haven’t been able to fully express themselves until it was legalized for them to fully do so. They have been fighting for the right to be married to their same sex for about a decade now, and they have finally met their goal. #Lovewins.
Gay marriage has been a recent controversy for many reasons. Many people (religious conservatives) believe that same-sex marriage is immoral, sinful, and threatens the traditional structure of a family. But gay and lesbian supporters feel marriage is a right that everyone should have, backed by the Due Process and Equal Protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. It has been proven that the outlook on gay marriage has changed drastically based simply on the fact that younger people had supported it and it just took time to gain enough approval from enough of the country to legalize it. Since most of 18-29 year-olds of 2006 supported same-sex marriage, “two-thirds of Americans think that same-sex marriage will eventually be legal in the United
Gay rights and marriage equality has always been a major issue. Not only in the United States, but all throughout various cultures in the world. One of the main reasons why it is not widely accepted is due to religious or cultural reasons. Thankfully, more people have become more accepting of it and keeping an open mind about it. As of June 26th, 2015, gay marriage has has finally been legalized in all 50 states. However, there are still people who do not agree with it and still try to vote against it. Some Americans even want laws made to ban same-sex marriage and relations again. Although the legalization of same-sex marriage has been accomplished, most people continue to fight against those who still discriminate against the LGBT community.
Imagine being told, by law, you couldn’t have a family of your own because of lifestyle choices. There are 251,695 same-sex married couples in the United States, as of 2013, that had to deal with difficulties while building their family that would never be faced by a hetrosexual couple. Stereotypes and false research have hindered same-sex couples all over the United States by putting doubt into the minds of many powerful politicians who create laws on what a family should be. The false fear that our future children will end up “lesser” than the high standards we already hold them to, causes people to create laws that will theoretically protect children. The lack of their research and insensitivity has created this war between same-sex families
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
One of the most controversial topics that has been debated throughout the United States for decades has been Gay Marriage. Whether same-sex couples should be given the right to marry or even if same-sex couples should be given rights at all, this has been a contentious discussion which creates division and disunity throughout the country. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Gay marriage has been legalized in 17 states. But only 19 of 194 countries allow for gay marriage. Statistics show more than half the country supports Gay Marriage and the right for same-sex couples to be treated equal through the everyday endeavors every other couple go through. Gay Marriage should
Same-sex marriage is a huge source of debate. Whether for religious or moral reasons, many people
Same-sex Marriage is a controversial topic. Everyday across the country, there are news stories about acts of discrimination, violence, or hate crimes against same-sex couples. It is very often criticized and looked down upon because many people think that this act is “against the bible”, or it’s “disgusting”, “gross”, or “not natural”. The discrimination against same-sex marriage is preposterous and discouraging. If you really think about it, they’re just the same as any other sexuality. We all have the same hopes and dreams. We all want happy, fulfilling lives, with families and successful careers. When we’re hurt, we all bleed the same blood. “All men are created equal”, yet gays and lesbians are treated worse than other people everyday.
Out of all the thousands of rights, marriage equality; equal acceptance of same-sex marriages; is the biggest controversy. Opposite sex couples believe that gay marriage will harm or destroy marriage all together if it is allowed, because it is not a ‘traditional’ marriage between one male and one female. Only banning same-marriage will destroy marriage and society. Marriage is a keystone of our social order. Studies show that the United States has one of the highest divorce rates when compared to other countries (infogr.am). Allowing gays the privilege to get married will increase marriage rates and less couples will get divorced due to not being attracted to the opposite sex. The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, which has conducted previous studies on same-sex relationships and parenting, collected administrative data on divorce rates between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples from New Hampshire and Vermont. The data found that same-sex couples divorced at an average rate of 1.1 percent annually between the two states, compared with 2 percent annually between heterosexual pairs
The political aspects of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to federal and government recognized marriages are a very complex issue. There are basically two sides to the political argument of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. On one side are the liberals who feel that marriage is a civil right that should be denied based on the basis of a person's sexual orientation. On the other side you have conservatives who feel that marriage is an institution in which should only constitute one man and one woman. In this report we are going to examine how the issue of same-sex marriages are affecting our current political environment, how politics is affecting the movement for
History teaches us that marriage has classically been between a man and a woman, but in the recent years, people have begun to challenge that notion. Gay marriage has been one of the most controversial topics of debate lately, dividing our nation into those who support the idea and those who oppose. It seems as though no matter who is asked, each person’s opinion falls to one side or the other. States have been similarly divided in their treatment of the gay marriage issue. Voters in some states have chosen to allow gay marriage, while other states have passed constitutional amendments to forbid it. Courts in some states have identified a Constitutional right to marry, and other states remain in a state of flux.
Legislation is deeply entrenched in language and the continual process of interpretation. Laws are created as a response to cultural and societal needs, wants and norms and are restructured and interpreted as these desires and standards change over time. The importance of the words chosen and the syntax used in order to translate society's standards into legislation are amplified over time because they are continuously deconstructed, examined, and analyzed. As these laws are applied to and challenged by society, policymakers must examine them and then change them through discourse and dialogue. As current sentiments towards marriage are changing and shifting, policymakers must begin to examine our
“We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…” (Declaration of Independence, US 1776). The recognition of same-sex marriage is an issue influenced by numerous factors, and debates continue to arise over whether people in same-sex relationships have the right to marriage. Marriage provides many benefits, legally, financially, and personally. Same-sex marriage can open up those in same-sex relationships to tax benefits and financial demands comparable to those afforded to and required of people in opposite-sex marriages. Same-sex marriage also gives them legal protections, such