In the state of Massachusetts, same sex marriage has been legal since 2004 and thousands of people have had the right to marry their partners. Although it was a long and difficult process, gay and lesbian couples no longer have to face marriage discrimination in Massachusetts due to their sexual orientation. However, many couples are still barred from this process through other individual state amendments. While it has been difficult to research the exact side effects of same sex marriage, a predominant result has arisen: “there seems to be no appreciable difference between children brought up in stable homosexual homes and those brought up in stable heterosexual ones” (Sullivan 239). The research that has been conducted looks at a wide array of legal, economic, social and mental aspects and concludes that as a whole, no negative harm to the child appears. The belief that same-sex marriage harms children is false and should not be the main cause for the opposition to legalize gay marriage.
Critics of same sex marriage believe that allowing gay couples to marry would harm the children in the family. A Focus on the Family ad “implied that gay marriage would lead to gay parenting in the future, not that it would protect existing lesbian and gay families raising children” (Rimmerman, Cox 161). Critics utilize this argument to defend their position even though the research proves these myths invalid. Anti-gay marriage supporters argue that “development of sexual identity will be impaired… [children] will be more vulnerable to mental breakdown, will exhibit more adjustment difficulties, will be less psychologically healthy,…and may experience difficulties in social relationships”(Sullivan 241). While these claims may appear in a few ca...
... middle of paper ...
...riage, Same-Sex Parenting, and America’s Children.” Future of Children. 15.2 (2005): 97-115. ERIC. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Mohr, Richard D. “The Long Arc of Justice: Lesbian and Gay Marriage, Equality, and Rights.” Columbia University Press, 2005. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Murphy, T.F. “Same Sex Marriage: Not a Threat to Marriage or Children.” Journal of
Social Philosophy. 42.3 (2011): 288-304. Wiley Online Library 2010 Full Collection. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Polikoff, Nancy D. “Beyond Straight and Gay Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law.” Boston: Beacon Press, 2008. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Rimmerman, Craig A, and Clyde Wilcox. “The Politics of Same-Sex Marriage: Edited by Craig A. Rimmerman and Clyde Wilcox.” University of Chicago Press, 2007. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Sullivan, Andrew. “Same-sex Marriage, Pro and Con: A Reader.” Vintage Books, 2004. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. "Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting,and America's Children." Marriage and Child Wellbeing 15 (2005): 2.
In the beginning, Lorde equates herself with a piece of coal. She says that she is “the total black”(2068). As a piece of coal, she is black both inside and out. Being outwardly black, she may still be oppressed by the society around her, her identity being engulfed by the world. In the state of coal, she is merely “being spoken from the earth’s inside”(2068). Words would be stifled by the surrounding layers of dirt that engulf her.
Becker, Joe. "A Conservative’s Road to Same-Sex Marriage Advocacy." New York Times 18 Aug. 2009: 1-3. Print.
As previously stated, the poem’s first stanza coincides with the speaker’s race and identity. In her first and second lines Lorde loosely associates herself with the rest of the black community, stating that she “is the total black” (2). However, physically separating “I” from “total black” parallels Lorde’s own separation from others in the black community. She states that she’s “from the earth’s inside” which mirrors the black community’s repression by the rest of the world, namely American society. In line 4 it is important to note Lorde’s purpose of the word ‘open’, “There are many kinds of open”; she is referring to that which is kno...
The implementation of legalized same-sex marriage by the federal government and some states in the United States has caused the public to ask many new questions about the effects of the laws and the related issues. One of the questions raised is whether or not children raised by homosexual parents grow up to be any different than children raised by heterosexual parents. Today’s media have flocked to all sides of the issue. CNN online journalist Jennifer Chrisler makes the claim that there is no difference in the outcome of children whether he/she was raised by heterosexual parents or homosexual parents in her article, Why gay parents are good parents (Chrisler, 2010).
Stoddard, Thomas. “Gay Marriage: Make Them Legal”. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Pages 31 – 52. Bedford Books. Boston. 1996
Citing mental health, conservatives express worries that the children of same-sex parents may likely become confused about their sexual identities or suffer from stigma and its implications (Goldberg, Weeks). Thus, according to such claims, the laws prevent children from being easily harmed. Interestingly, as shown by interviews conducted with adult children of homosexual couples, children grow up to be more tolerant and express no significant mental issues. At the same time, these concerns have real influence and are still materialized through “unequal” laws (Yuval), which same-sex family units must navigate (O’Donnell). For instance, the separation of same-sex couples is disadvantageous for the non-biological parent—they may not possess full legal parenting responsibilities (Joslin). The children, themselves, may be kept from welfare and paternal and economic rights (Gates). Essentially, despite the lack of evidence to validate the bases of many of these laws, the existing, conservative concerns seem to be utilized to legitimize the legal regulations. Independently, these laws pose serious, real material and mental challenges that invalidate, challenge and subvert same-sex parenting and prevent children from obtaining their rights. Overall, these regulations and their implications are likely more detrimental to a child’s mental health than growing up in a same-sex parenting unit. Nonetheless, dominant culture poses these legal interactions as preventive, necessary welfare
Children of gay and lesbian parents have the same potential as other children despite living in a nontraditional household, a growing trend in America. Same-sex parented families face many struggles such as discrimination based on sexual orientation of the parents. Individuals who do not support same-sex marriage or same-sex parenting believe that the child will not be raised in a stable household. Multiple studies have confirmed that a parent’s sexual orientation does not heavily influence a child’s performance in school or their social behavior. While some individuals believe a male “father” and female “mother” are needed in the household to provide the best environment to raise a child, there is no empirical evidence that shows children with same-sex parents are raised in an unhealthy environment. Stereotypical, traditional households are not the standard anymore, so individuals must accept that children can develop in nontraditional households normally. The children of same-sex couples, although raised in different households from their heterosexual counterparts, excel just as easily in the social and academic spheres of life.
During the fight against slavery and segregation, America realized that public opinion can be wrong. The movement for women’s rights brought about the knowledge that the government has had more control over civil rights than previously believed. Both historical movements arose from a common belief: despite public opinion, the government should protect the freedoms outlined in the constitution. Current societal issues related to marriage reflect this principle; however, authors Cherlin and Bennett would disagree on the connection being made. Cherlin acknowledges that momentum in the fight for homosexual equality has been attained by the degradation of the marital structure. As family structure among heterosexual couples is more often dysfunctional and more commonly broken down, a question arises of whether or not homosexual marriages radically affect society any more than this. Cherlin makes the implication that, if no compelling state interest can be found against gay marriage legalization, keeping it illegal would be a civil inequity. Bennett would contend that with this momentum, society may be blindly crossing a line. Divorce rates and out of wedlock births have skyrocketed due to legal changes in the availability of marriage and divorce documents. He points out that these negative effects will only increase with further law changes. “Indeed,
Today there are many studies which show that children of same-sex families are healthier and have better care than children of different- sex marriages. These studies are based on the assumption that in every home where love reigns, understanding and respect, a child always will have well educated. In the year 2008 President Barack Obama gave a speech, where support same-sex marriage. However, there is a large majority in society that says that children of same-sex couples are negatively motivated by family architectures in that have grown. Households with different-sex marriages are those that the government continues to recognize as the ideal home for marriage, these...
Stoddard, T, Fein, B, (Jan. 1990) Gay Marriage, Personal relationships, Marriage, Legislation, Homosexuality, American Bar Association, (Pages 42, 42)
Redlingshafer, JoEllen. "The LGBT Movement Must Look Past Gay Marriage." Policymic. Policymic, 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
Since the 1970s, studies on the effect of same-sex parenting on children have been conducted in the United States. Sociological debates have occurred from the idea of allowing same-sex couples to parent. Some groups feel that allowing this would undermine the traditional ideology of marriage and skew the perception of gender roles for their children. Sociologists continue to produce empirical research that studies samples of the approximately 125,000 same-sex couples raising nearly 220,000 children and comparing their roles as parents and the adult personalities of their children to children raised by heterosexual couples. Current scientific research comparing the outcomes of children raised by gay or lesbian parents with children of heterosexual parents consistently shows that same-sex parents are just as capable of raising “psychologically healthy and well-adjusted” children as heterosexual parents. Research comparing children raised by same-sex couples and heterosexual couples found no differences in the adjustment or mental health of these children as adults.
Marriage naturally creates families; it provides the conditions for a healthy environment that is beneficial to the upbringing of children. Opponents of same-sex marriage often ground their arguments on parental and religious concerns. Many argue that sa...