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The Pros And Cons Of Same-Sex Marriage

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In 2015, President Barack Obama announced that in all 50 states same-sex marriage was legal. Thousands, maybe millions, of queer people rejoiced and celebrated. They were able to marry the people they love the most, legally. The debate about same-sex marriage started in the 1970s, however before that time, no one discussed the idea of same-sex marriage. Baehr v. Miike was the first court as to rule “...excluding same-sex couples from marriage was discrimination” (lambdalegal.org). Three same-sex couples attempted to apply for marriage license in Hawaii, but were denied. Even though they met every requirement, there was one exception: being the same gender. As a result, they filed a lawsuit because they believed it was unconstitutional. The trial took six years, but eventually the state of Hawaii passed an amendment that allowed same-sex marriage. Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage on May 17, 2004 when the court case Goodridge v. Department of Public Health was presented. The Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders filed a case when they were denied a marriage license in 2001. According to them, denying the licenses was unconstitutional and the court’s decision was 4-3, in favor of same-sex marriage. Same-sex should continue to be legal because in the United States marriage is a basic right, therefore members of the gay community should have the same benefits as heterosexual couples, which decreases the suicide rate of people who are LGBTQ+.

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