Same-Sex Marriage

1522 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: history of same sex marriage essay

America is a country known for its freedom, yet people are told who they can and cannot marry. According to Kim Richards a case in Hawaii in 1993 where judges said the state’s constitution required a good reason not to give gay’s equal marriage rights. Congress was pushed to pass the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevented homosexuals who were allowed to marry from receiving the usual benefits of marriage, like taxes and retirement. In response states have made their stand on domestic partnerships and civil unions. DOMA was passed out of fear that a lawsuit filed in Hawaii would make them allow same sex marriage. The congress did not want to allow same sex couples the same benefits heterosexual couples receive while legally married (4-6). Opponents of DOMA claims it violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the Full Faith and Credit Clause. By 2002, thirty-six states banned same-sex marriage or recognizing of same-sex marriage formed in other states (Richards 4-6). Benjamin Wittes says the uproar began in 1991 when Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, and liberals became upset claiming it was a contradiction to our free country (46-48). Dayton says Massachusetts was the first state to sign the bill to allow marriage equality in their state. While republican opponents win the legislative fight with twenty-one states denying marriage equality while just ten have granted the rights to homosexual couples. Polls have shown the majority of America, even including one of our most liberal states, California, remains against gay marriage. After the bill passing in Massachusetts in 2003, thirteen states passed anti-gay-marriage initiatives. Gay right activists are in hopes that states will not follow (...

... middle of paper ...

....
Hawthorne, Susan. "A Family Fable." Hecate 30.2 (2004): 127-128. Literary Reference Center.
Print.
Helfman, Tara. "Gay Marriage, the Court, and Federalism." Commentary 135.5 (2013): 18-
21. Literary Reference Center. Print.
Jacqueline, Maley. "Gay marriage: the political knot it's impossible to untie." Sydney Morning
Herald, The 25 May 2013: 11.Points of View Reference Center. Print.
Jones, Nelson. "Gay Marriage Will Happen -Get over It." New Statesman 141.5096 (2012): 10-
12. Literary Reference Center. Print.
Joel, Connelly. "New Jersey becomes 14th gay marriage state." Seattle Post-Intelligencer
(WA) 21 Oct. 2013: NewsBank. Print.
Kim, Richard. "Guns, Gays and Democrats." Nation 294.19 (2012): 4-6. Academic Search
Complete. Print.
Wittes, Benjamin. "Marital Differences." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 297.4 (2006): 46-
48. Literary Reference Center. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Gay Rights

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the recent history of America, gay marriage has always been an issue. With the different views and morals everyone has on the subject, it makes it hard for individual states to determine what side they should be on. In 1983 a Harvard Law School student, Evan Wolfson, wrote a thesis stating the rule of marriage equality. Justices concluded that gay couples were entitled to the legal benefits of civil marriage; and most crucially in the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts, whose favorable ruling, in a suit by lawyer Mary Bonauto and the Boston-based Gay and Lesbian Advocated and Defenders, led to the nation’s first bona fide same-sex marriages…” (“Gay Marriage turns 10 and Credit Should Be Spread around- The Boston Globe). On May 17, 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriages. In June of 2013, California legalized gay marriages, which helped their large LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) community. (“History and Timeline of the Freedom…”). When this finally happened, it was seen as a great achievement by Karmala Harris, a California Attorney. “This is a profound day in our country, and its just the right thing: ‘Justice is finally being served’” (“Court Gives OK for California Gay Marriages”).

    Read More

  • Colson's Article: The Constitutional Right Of Gay Marriage

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Progressive Movements In America

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States of America, as a whole, has pushed for rights and equality for any and all people. Gay rights and racial equality have received an ample amount of support as well as opposition. Even bringing up the other side’s argument may cause a debate in almost any environment. Today, Americans are easily offended by things that don’t agree with what they believe. America is full of passionate people who always have a cause to fight for or against. Gay marriage has been opposed countless times on local, state, and national levels. “Almost two- thirds of Republicans oppose the Supreme Court’s backing of gay marriage, according to Reuters/Ipsos Poll ” (Reuters). Even though another online survey stated that “more than half of Americans support it,” they still

    Read More

  • Gay Marriage Should Be Legal in Ohio

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    As granted by the United States Constitution, everyone is entitled to equal rights. The Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Gay rights are forgotten many times and equal rights for same-sex marriage are often ignored. For this reason, federal authorities have left policymaking regarding this topic up to individual state governments. Many people throughout the United States, and across the world, have extremely different views on the subject; some because of religious reasons, others because of family, others because of how they were raised. The policy of gay marriage and equal rights is an extremely touchy subject, and is much deeper than what it may seem.

    Read More

  • Equality and Civil Rights for Gays

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many conservative politicians and American citizens have opposed same sex marriage on the basis of protecting the sanctity of marriage. President Bush claims that under the Defense of Marriage Act, each state is not required to accept a...

    Read More

  • The Legalization of Gay Marriage

    2462 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gay Marriage

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    A large majority of people in the United States will say that they are in favor of equal rights for homosexuals. They will all agree that homosexuals should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accommodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, and other rights granted to US citizens. However, when the topic of marriage arises, all the talk of equality ceases. Over fifty percent of all people in the United States oppose homosexual marriage, despite the fact that most are otherwise supportive of homosexual rights. This means that many of the same people who are even passionately in favor of homosexual rights oppose homosexuals on this one issue. This is because there is a lot of misunderstanding about what homosexuality really is, as well as the erroneous assumption that homosexual people enjoy the same civil rights protections as everyone else. For the reasons of ending social injustice, the economic and social benefits of allowing homosexuals to marry, and the constitution, homosexual marriages should be a legalized institution.

    Read More

  • The American Dream: A Disputed Reality

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, despite the growing arguments they are all nothing new to the states. in fact, the first noted case on same sex marriage was brought to the supreme court in 1972. The dream for everyone’s equality, including same sex couples, has been an issue within America for many years. Unfortunately, matters like this aren’t restricted by a time frame. In the year of 2013 the Department of Defense began allowing same-sex couples to apply for marriage identification cards. As each state began giving the O.K for these couples, we were also taking steps that were bringing us closer to achieving our dream. Unfortunately not all states feel the same. It was during this time that Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana refused to process applications. As the arguments continue to drag on The American Dream is becoming harder and harder to achieve. Meanwhile, In Iowa the legalization of same sex marriage was passed and couples rushed to fill out their applications. Unfortunately, like all good things this didn’t last long. “The chance was fleeting. After four hours, Robert B. Hanson, the same county judge who had deemed the ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional, delayed further granting of licenses until the Iowa Supreme Court decided whether to consider an appeal. [...] Here, the brief flurry of applications for marriage licenses was low key. About 20 couples applied before a

    Read More

  • Controversial Issues Surrounding The Catholic Church

    2172 Words  | 5 Pages

    The amount of Americans that support same-sex marriage has been increasing over the past decade, and has recently reached an all-time high. According to a poll conducted in early March of 2014, Fifty percent of Americans say the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection gives homosexuals the right to marry, while 41 percent say it does not. Beyond the constitutional issues, a record-high of 59 percent say they support same-sex marriage, while only 34 percent are opposed to it (Clement). This change in public opinion shows that support for same-sex marriage is on the rise, and explains why many states have already or are on the brink of legalizing it. The shifting attitudes extend beyond issues of marital rights to more basic beliefs about the nature of homosexuality and its implications for raising children.

    Read More

  • Same Sex Adoption Persuasive Essay

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Same-sex couples in many states are still fighting everyday to just simply get married. Thirty-five states have made same-sex marriage legal, but there are still fifteen states that have a ban on same-sex marriage and those fifteen will not recognize the union (“Same-Sex Marriage Fast Facts”). Those fifteen states now have an easier time now to keep the

    Read More

  • Same-Sex Marriage Inequality

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Same-sex marriage inequality is an issue that has been troubling American society since the birth of our country. More recently, the United States Supreme Court has tackled some frequently raised arguments that deal with same-sex marriage and our constitutional rights. In the case US vs. Windsor, the legal question: “Does the Defense of Marriage Act [...] deprive same-sex couples who are legally married under state laws of their Fifth Amendment rights to equal protection under federal law?” The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines the term “marriage” under federal law as a “legal union between one man and one woman”. The ultimate ruling of the case US v. Windsor declared that Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. The social and economic effects of the decision was not universal in effect, and unfortunately, since states retain power to allow or deny same-sex marriages, over nine-million Americans are still being stripped of their rights.

    Read More

  • Same-Sex Marriage

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States is known world wide for its civil rights and freedoms. Many Americans are appalled by the idea of same-sex marriages. What?s wrong with the idea of two people who care greatly for one another wanting to spend their lives together? The gay community is misunderstood because many straights are not willing to listen. These individuals would rather just be closed-minded in this situation and reticent to really think about what this means to the gay community and the country. Same sex couples are not asking for any special rights; they are just asking to be treated equal with opposite sex couples. The explanations given by many Americans against gay marriages are based on false assumptions and unsubstantiated arguments. However, the real and unspoken reasons many heterosexuals have against same-sex marriages are based on religious beliefs.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Gay Marriage In The United States

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    “On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a right protected by the US Constitution in all 50 states. Same-sex marriage was already legal in 37 states. US public opinion had shifted significantly over the years, from 27% approval of gay marriage in 1996 to 60% in 2015” (Silver).

    Read More

  • Same Sex Marriage

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gay and lesbian unions have been for a long time a subject that no one liked to discuss. For the last few decades, gays and lesbians have come out and expressed their sexuality preferences. Many believe that same sex marriage should not be legalized because it's against the moral. It's against the definition of marriage, which is considered as the union of a man and a woman as a husband and wife. Same sex marriage should be legalized because the way society views the union of lesbian and gays can a change. Another reason why same sex marriage should be legalized is that children that are issued from a gay or lesbian couple will be loved and raised in a family that is legally recognized under the law. Lesbians and gays also deserve to have the same rights as heterosexuals.

    Read More

  • Same-Sex Marriage

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    The legality of gay marriage is a hot topic for many reasons. Traditionally marriage has been known as a legal bond between a man and a woman. Times have changed since those days. More and more people are coming out of the closet everyday. There are more gay people today than there ever have been and that number is only increasing. Marriage is a way for two people to show their commitment towards each other, so it should not matter what their gender or sexual orientation is.

    Read More

More about Same-Sex Marriage

Open Document