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Essay on Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legalized

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According to the Human Rights Campaign, the 2000 Census reported 3.1 million people in the United States of America were living in same sex relationships. These citizens reside in 99.3 percent of the counties across the nation and it is estimated that between 1 and 9 million children are being raised by gay, bisexual or lesbian parents (Human Rights Campaign). These individuals are American citizens protected by the United States Constitution. Article 14.1 of the United States Constitution entitles all citizens equal protection under the law and forbids states from enacting laws which deny citizens’ rights. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry, denies them equal protection under the law. Therefore, same-sex marriage should be …show more content…

Heterosexual marriages that are performed in the United States are recognized by every state in the nation and other countries as well. Within the United States, the only states who currently issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and beginning in 2010, New Hampshire. In addition, 40 states have either a constitutional amendment or state law, which prohibits same-sex marriage. The remaining states provide for domestic partnerships or civil unions. (Civil Unions are granted to same-sex couples, and have no protection that their union will be recognized in any state outside the state they live in.) Same-sex unions are not “separate but equal” because in marriage the state grants marriage licenses, and does not require religious officials to perform a marriage. However, in civil unions the state gives the couple a civil union license that is only recognized in that particular state. Civil unions are not recognized by the federal government and religious officials are still not required to perform them. Civil unions as they currently exist do not allow the same rights as marriage. Same-sex couples, who are granted a civil union, are denied over 1,100 federal benefits. Only heterosexual marriage is recognized by the federal government. In addition, children whose parents are in a same-sex relationship are denied many safeguards and protections that are normally given to a

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