As of today, the following states have legalized gay marriage: Massachusetts (May 17, 2004), Connecticut (Nov. 12, 2008), Iowa (Apr. 24. 2009), Vermont (Sep. 1, 2009), New Hampshire (Jan. 1, 20... ... middle of paper ... ...he united citizens the government and citizens should relative that banning gay marriage is not giving everyone the equal rights they deserve. A person deserves to be who they are, this is what this court was founded on, equal rights for all. Even though, anti-gay do not practice and approve it really has nothing to do with them.
Also, 71 percent of the surveyed individuals feel voters should be able to define marriage, not the courts or the legislature. “You vote on whether or not you want things like highway taxes,” says Valerie Fein-Zachary, who sees this as a civil rights issue, not a voting issue. “It should not be determined by the popular vote of the... ... middle of paper ... ...ture, making it difficult for all minorities to achieve equality. Hopefully, with all of the international progress currently taking place in Europe, some time in the near future same-sex couples will be able to have the same rights as heterosexual couples. Works Cited “Human Rights Watch: Allow Gay Marriage.” (2003, September 5).
Now only some states are Plowing gay marriage to be legal (Hanson). The defense of marriage act does not prohibit states from issuing same-sex marriage licenses, it set out to accomplish two key issues in regards to marriage. In its ruling, the Hawaii Supreme Court stated that a Hawaii law prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and sent the case to a trial court in order to find out if the law could be upheld through compelling state interest. When the... ... middle of paper ... ...o a stable, loving relationship as a marriage to the person they do love. Countries as Catholic as Spain, as different as Sweden and South Africa, and as near as Canada have embraced gay and lesbian marriage without any noticeable effect (Boise).
Heather Barnes Ellis English 11, Period 1 18th March 2014 Homosexual Rights Rough Draft As of January 6th, 2014 gay marriage has become legal in seventeen US states. Homosexual marriage and adoption rights have become a controversial issue, although it is unconstitutional and discriminatory to prohibit gay marriage and adoption, it is also argued that marriage is traditionally between only a woman and man as it always has been and should be. Studies and voting polls have taken place in order to receive the most accurate data from both the children affected by the issue and American society as a whole, which can be the deciding factor of whether or not homosexual marriage and adoption rights should be granted. Same-sex couples should be entitled the same rights, protections, and benefits as heterosexual couples. Throughout the 1980s, news of the AIDS epidemic increased homophobia and discrimination of gays.
In addition, it is important to note that in the United States’ Congress is still making laws that forbid gay marriage. These laws deny a segment of the population (homosexuals) the same right same as the majority: to marry. It is high time the government did something to stop the discrimination of same-sex couples and abolish these laws. Both cases (Hawaii, 1993, and Massachusetts, 2004) had a legal response. In 1996 Bob Barr, a Republican, introduced a bill banning same-sex marriages.
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.
Being against same-sex marriage is equivalent to not believing in our natural rights in the constitution. Our government has the power of marriage, even if the marriage takes place somewhere other than the white house, it is only official with a marriage license issued by the state Any restrictions on gay marriage is discrimination exactly like the discrimination against colored people. Although America believes majority rules, the minority should also be protected. The “Defense of Marriage Act” of 1996 which denies federal same-sex marriage has been ruled unconstitutional. The act not only violated the 14th amendment but also couples marriage benefits including hospital visitation during an illness, taxation and inheritance rights, access to family health coverage, and protection in the event of divorce.
In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as a union between members of the opposite sex, and left this matter up to the individual states. In 2006, President Bush proposed a constitutional amendment that would prohibit marriage between same-sex individuals. In the U.S there are very few states that will accept or allow the marriage licenses of homosexuals. Legalizing same-sex marriages and the civil unions will benefit the spouse by giving them the right to take medical leave, pension, tax breaks, bereavement, and custody of a child. “There is an ongoing international as well as national battle over the issue of same-sex marriage which involves profound legal, social, political, and moral considerations--invoking the most basic understanding... ... middle of paper ... ...ame=News&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA217752422&mode=view&userGroupName=canyonuniv&jsid=753dbf5da5feece077d467a67f894cbb Joseph, Drew.
Same sex couples desire to be married legally. Taking away the right of marrying from the same sex couple is the same as denying their civil rights, and it violates the laws that are in the constitution (Santoro and Wirth, Hollingsworth v. Perry). In 2000, California received proposition 22 which allows the marriage to take place between men and women only because men and women are able to have children and create a family. This law violated the equal protection and due process that is being discussed in the 14th amendment of the constitution (Santoro and Wirth, "Hollingsworth v. Perry"). Therefore, California 's supreme court provided same sex couples with a
Nidhi Preeti Dr. Bryan English 112 Should Gay Marriages be legalized? Should same-sex marriages be legalized? The debate over whether or not people in same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, or even enter into civil unions is no new fight. If this issue was not such a big deal, then this issue wouldn’t be debated against to this day. Same-sex couples have been fighting for the right to marry through the government for years, but if the government is still stuck on the basic natural fact that only man and women can unite, then how can the government rethink the law?