Over the course of the last several decades, attitudes in the U.S. about same-sex marriage have been shifting from conservative to more liberal. Many factors such as change in attitude of older generations, as well as wider acceptance among younger generations, have contributed to this shift in outlook. But even with the support the gay and lesbian community has been gaining, many still oppose same-sex marriage and rights’, and most states still ban the legalization of it. Even with all the opposition though, within the next thirty years, acceptance of same-sex marriage will continue to grow resulting in changes in law that allow for same-sex marriage in most states. Even though same-sex marriage is illegal in most states, the trend in attitudes among Americans has been dramatically rising over the course of the last three decades. Study after study is consistently showing an increase in tolerance towards same-sex marriage proving that American’s attitudes have been liberalized over time. Studies show that in 1988, 71% of Americans were against the idea of a man marrying another man and a woman marrying another woman, but that number decreased to 52% by 2006 (Baunach, 2011, p. 347 ). Another survey, conducted by the NORC at the University of Chicago concurred, showing that support for same-sex marriage increased dramatically over the course of ten years; in 1988 same-sex marriage received support by only 11% of respondents but this number jumped to 46% by 2010 (Madrid & Rice, 2013, p. 45). Currently, in 2012, Gallup polls indicated that half of Americans believe that not only should same-sex marriage be legalized, but they should also receive the same benefits as, and receive the same level of recognition as traditional mar... ... middle of paper ... ...w that allow for same-sex marriage in most states. References Baunach, D. (2011). Decomposing Trends in Attitudes Toward Gay Marriage, 1988-2006. Social Science Quarterly, 92(2), 346-363. Harris, A., & Cole, G. W. (2008). Conversation on Marriage for Lesbian and Gay People: Introduction to Lesbian and Gay Marriage Roundtable. Studies In Gender & Sexuality, 9(2), 140-145. doi:10.1080/15240650801936949 Madrid, J., & Rice, S. (2013). Examining Cynicism in Regards to Reasons for Gay Marriage. Review of European Studies, 5(1), 45-51. doi:10.5539/res.v5n1p45 Murphy, T. F. (2011). Same-Sex Marriage: Not a Threat to Marriage or Children. Journal Of Social Philosophy, 42(3), 288-304. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9833.2011.01534.x Williams, R. (2011). Same-Sex Marriage and Equality. Ethical Theory & Moral Practice, 14(5), 589-595. doi:10.1007/s10677-010-9261-8
Within America’s society today, 3.8 percent of the population is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. With only 17 of the 50 states legalizing and recognizing this type of relationship (“History…”), it puts a stronghold on same-sex couples to publicly declare their love with the promise of marriage. Same-sex marriages should be legalized because everyone has equal rights of freedom and liberty.
Abstract On June 26, 2015 a divided Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples could now marry nationwide. At the time of the split ruling there were 9 supreme court justices, 5 of the justices were Republicans, and the remaining 4 were Democrats. In high profile cases it is except that the justices will vote along party lines. When the 5-4 ruling was reveled by the following statement. “It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right (Corn,2015).” written by
The constitutional right of gay marriage is a hot topic for debate in the United States. Currently, 37 states have legal gay marriage, while 13 states have banned gay marriage. The two essays, "What’s Wrong with Gay Marriage?" by Katha Pollitt and "Gay "Marriage": Societal Suicide" by Charles Colson provide a compare and contrast view of why gay marriage should be legal or not. Pollitt argues that gay marriage is a constitutional human right and that it should be legal, while Colson believes that gay marriage is sacrilegious act that should not be legal in the United States and that “it provides a backdrop for broken families and increases crime rates” (Colson, pg535). Both authors provide examples to support their thesis. Katha Pollitt provides more relevant data to support that gay marriage is a constitutional right and should be enacted as law in our entire country, she has a true libertarian mindset.
Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. "Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting,and America's Children." Marriage and Child Wellbeing 15 (2005): 2.
The two texts examined within, present the opposing extremes of views regarding gay and lesbian marriage. The first text entitled Let Gays Marry by Andrew Sullivan examines the intricacies of same sex relationships and why homosexual couples should be allowed to publicly show affection for one another. The second text that will be examined is titled Leave Marriage Alone written by William Bennett. Bennett gives his views on why couples of same sex nature should not be allowed to engage in marital relations. These two authors, although very different, each has a view of the ideals of marriage, and how it should be presented to the public.
Homosexuality has existed since the beginning of recorded human history and yet, attitudes towards gay and lesbian individuals vary extensively. Some societies tolerate them; others openly welcome and encourage them; and most blatantly condemn them (Bates, 46). Throughout our country’s history, homosexuals have been misunderstood and discriminated against, leading many to acquire an irrational fear of gays and lesbians. Known as homophobia, this fear has prompted heterosexual individuals with a feeling a superiority and authority when using the word “homosexual” interchangeably with the words pervert, faggot, sodomite, and so on. Homophobes typically perceive homosexuality as a threat to society. Nonetheless, the Gay Rights Movement has achieved impressive progress since 1973 when the American Psychological Association (APA) eradi...
Homonegativity is defined as any prejudicial affective or behavioral response directed towards and individual because he or she is perceived to be homosexual (Cerny & Polyson, 1984). This “prejudicial affective” or “behavioral response” can be translated into the way individuals with homonegative attitudes treat other people they assume are homosexual. This implied negative treatment can be observed in everyday life settings; for example, an employment recruiter choosing one applicant over the other because the undesired candidate was thought to be homosexual, holistically unconcerned with whether or not their homosexuality was proven. Homonegative attitudes affecting perceived homosexual people is also observed in hate crime incidents, as
AFTER GAY MARRIAGE, what will become of marriage itself? Will same-sex matrimony extend marriage's stabilizing effects to homosexuals? Will gay marriage undermine family life? A lot is riding on the answers to these questions. But the media's reflexive labeling of doubts about gay marriage as homophobia has made it almost impossible to debate the social effects of this reform. Now with the Supreme Court's ringing affirmation of sexual liberty in Lawrence v. Texas, that debate is unavoidable.
Newton, D. E. (2010). Same-sex Marriage : A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Sixty years from now, the American people will look back on the 21st century and be appalled at how the people from today allowed their government to make it illegal for certain couples to get married, just as the people of today are disgusted with the ban on marriage between interracial couples before 1967. Being so advanced technologically, it is surprising how America is still so behind on the issue of same-sex marriage. The United States should push aside the religious argument in this debate, and truly separate its church and state as it claims to do so. From its slow beginning to the rapid increase of support in the 70’s, homosexual marriage has been a controversial debate that hopefully will end in the near future.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
Bennett is a conservative republican who is a strong advocate for family values. The purpose of Bennett’s essay is to expose the downside of Andrew Sullivan’s argument in favor of same-sex marriage. He wants to persuade those who have read Sullivan’s essay to side with him. His audience seems to be primarily middle-aged heterosexuals who already take his stance on the topic.
... if? The legal consequences of marriage and the legal needs of lesbian and gay male couples. Michigan Law review. Nov.1996. Pg. 447-491. http://www.jstor.org.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/stable/1290119?seq=1&uid=3739664&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103079482127
In order to address this issue, one must first define the concept or meaning of marriage. However, this is a rather subjective approach, because the way we define marriage depends on our own views and interpretations.
... the past several years is the same-sex family. Since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, changing attitudes have brought more tolerance to the gay and lesbian community. This has somewhat loosened the stigma previously associated with this segment of the population. Along with evolving public attitudes, economic and legal changes in the United States have also reduced barriers previously facing same-sex couples making it more likely for them to form families (Butler, 2004). On the other hand, continued strong institutional ties to marriage between one man and one woman continue to pose problem for this group and shape social agendas (Glenn, 2004; Lind, 2004). While several states and many employers have given recognition and benefits to homosexual partners, there is still no uniform policy in place which addresses their familial rights in the United States.