The Legalization of Gay Marriage Essay - 2475 Words

Ask any American what values founded this country and you will get very similar responses: Liberty, Freedom, or justice. These values are instilled in each American and come as naturally to us as the air we breath, or do they? Just as women fought for suffrage, and African Americans in the civil rights movement, homosexuals battle for the right to marry. This issue is affecting Americans on several levels. Politically, gay marriage is one of the hot issues that public officials are asked to take a position on. Legally, matters of jurisdiction have caused uncertainty on whether a couple of the same sex will be recognized should they decide to move. Socially, America is still in turmoil due to how strongly both the†¦show more content†¦Homosexuals have the right to marry in five states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Leaving 45 states either unclear, such as California, which granted gay marriage in June of 2008 which was then appealed in N ov. 2008, or to ban gay marriage, such as Florida and Arizona. New York, Rhode Island and Maryland ban same sex marriage, but recognize unions from other jurisdictions (Badgett 2). This uncertainty began with the Defense of marriage act or DOMA. In 1996, President Bill Clinton passed the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law defining marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Section 2 of the act gave states the ability not to recognize same sex unions from other jurisdictions, while section 3 was even more controversial. It was the section that prohibited the federal government from recognizing any same sex union. This was the the first of many judicial acts that would cause the hazy view of same sex marriage in America. On February 23, 2011 President Barack Obama stated section 3 to be unconstitutional, taking a momentous step toward equality. However, the issue is far from resolved on the state level (Savage and Stolberg 3). When have such separate and oppos ing views been allowed between states? What would America be like today had only five states allowed integration of African Americans into educational systems? It is argued that our country should agree to disagree and allowShow MoreRelatedLegalization Gay Marriage1099 Words   |  5 PagesLegalization of Gay Marriage What is the definition of marriage? The dictionary states it as being the legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife. However, times are changing as the gay life style becomes more accepted by society it is time to allow all couples regardless of sex to enjoy equal protections, rights and benefits under the law. Perhaps, it makes the most sense to consider arguments against same sex marriage to realize why it should be legalized; these arguments touchRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1527 Words   |  7 PagesAnna Aiello Professor Jessica Lugo College Writing 1 25 September 2015 The Legalization of Gay Marriage A New York Times article honors that on June 26th, the United States declared same-sex marriage a right nationwide. â€Å"Love wins,† chanted the crowd outside the Supreme Court (Liptak). The Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrated the new feeling they received of love equality. For many years, homosexuals companions have been deprived from their right to become legally united. ThisRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1749 Words   |  7 PagesThe Legalization of Gay Marriage: A Step to Equality Imagine a world where heterosexuals are the minority. Straight people would be the ones fighting for the same rights as homosexuals. Same-sex marriages would be average and normal, while straight marriages would be frowned upon and considered unholy in the eyes of religion. Heterosexuals would be denied service at restaurants because of their sexuality, they would be called derogatory names while holding their partner’s hand and most importantlyRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1411 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract The legalization of gay marriages is one of the most controversial issues throughout particularly in modern life. This paper, based on secondary research, arguing for legalizing same-sex marriage through specific analysis of its positive influences. In particular, there are two main benefits regarding society as well as economy. The finds of the research indicate that gays or lesbians are completely an important part of society. Therefore, they must have the rights to live and marry legallyRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1638 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant cultural development in America in the last twenty-five years has definitely been the legalization of gay marriage. Few other issues in public policy have resulted in such a dramatic shift in public opinion as the controversy same-sex marriage and the rights that come along with the institute of marriage. The decade of the seventies was the time when numerous state statutes materialized defining marriages to only be valid between and man and a woman. Later in the nineties and on into two-thousandsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1269 Words   |  6 Pages It appears people are less frequently getting married to hide being gay than in the past. Now it has be-come more prominent socially. The legalization of gay marriage has led to more people feeling comfortable coming out. There are definitely still people that hide being gay due to family, friends, or religious lack of acceptance. This could af-fect treatment of patient if they do not fully tell the physician their full sexual history. In the video, one of the characters said, â€Å"everything in itsRead MoreLegalization of Gay Marriage1319 Words   |  6 PagesREGINA KHOR MAY LIN AA09179 Relationship Should we legalize same-sex marriage in our country? To persuade To persuade my audience that we should legalize same-sex marriage in our country. Same-sex marriage should be legalized since it is the natural form of the marriage evolution, part of human rights and able to prevent psychological stress from the LGB community. (LGB- lesbian, gays and bisexuals) Problem and solution I.INTRODUCTION Picture this... A man meets someoneRead MoreLegalization of Gay Marriage Essay1285 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of gay marriage has been a major controversial topic for a long time. Although, many people do not know what it means to be homosexual, most people do not know the actual definition of homosexuality and they do not know how difficult it is to be gay in this society. There are many reasons why people are against gay marriage and homosexuals all together. Most of the reasons are based on religious bias another big reason is being afraid of the unknown. Some smaller reasons are that beingRead MoreEssay about Legalization of Gay Marriage1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of gay marriage in the U.S. bears the same stigma as have prior civil rights issues, and as such should be proposed as one of utmost importance, and careful consideration. If our government, as it claims, is secular in nature, then it would be wrong for it to base its treatment of individuals ou tside the boundaries of what is naturally understood as the right of every man, woman, and child, to pursue a lifestyle that is fulfilling. By the same token, white people, black peopleRead MoreAbortion, Gay Marriage, And The Legalization Of Marijuana2946 Words   |  12 Pagesgatherings, private debate, and especially political races. Whether you know it or not, if you assimilate into society in anyway, you probably have an opinion on some issues in today’s culture. Some major topics in today’s news are abortion, gay marriage, and the legalization of marijuana. These issues have increasingly divided us as a society, and have also infiltrated into our political affiliation. The two major parties, Democrats and Republicans, have never been able to see eye to eye on theses issues