Since the beginning of time, our country has struggled with equal rights issues in one way or another. Whether those issues were women’s rights, segregation of races, or more currently the equal rights of those whose sexual orientation is different from what is considered to be normal by the vast majority of the population. However, the reality is that all people deserve to be treated equally. This country was founded on the idea of individuals being equal and because of this we should all, who call this great nation home have the same rights. I believe it is our job as a growing nation to provide security and acceptance for all, and in doing so giving the same rights, to all individuals of this country including those wanting to participate in a same sex marriage.
For decades homosexuality is something that has been looked down upon, and many have vilified homosexuals as immoral, depraved, and condemning same sex-marriage as an attack on God’s principles. The rights of these individuals have been stripped from them, they have been discriminated against and made to feel ashamed of being exactly who they are. This needs to change, these individuals are no different from anyone else, they want to love, be loved, get married, and have children, just as the rest of us do.
Prior to 1996 and the enactment of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) federal programs left the definition of “marriage” to the states. If a couple was legally married in that state they would reap the benefits federally, because at that time if a couple was married by the state, they were also married according to federal law. Since the enactment of DOMA the individual state is still the deciding factor in approving gay marriage for that state, however, now there...
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...gating them and delivering another form of racism towards them. The time to change is now; this country is ready for the change now. We all deserve to be treated equally and we all deserve the right love who we want to love.
Works Cited
Grossman, Gary. “Position Paper on Gay Marriage.” American Psychoanalytic Association.
(2007): n.pag. Web. 21 Nov. 2011
Newport, Frank. "For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage; Republicans and older Americans remain opposed." Gallup Poll News Service (2011). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
Paige, R.U. “Sexual Orientation and Marriage.” American Psychological Association.
(2004) n.pag. Web. 21 Nov. 2011
Stone, Geoffrey R. “The Defense of Marriage Act is Unconstitutional.” Huffington Post (2010). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. 20 July 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
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”).
In our world there has and will always have social issues that our society that is damaging our people. One of the proponent issue is in our world is Homophobia. As Homophobia is defined has people that dislike of or is prejudice against homosexual people. Recently our society has started to be more accepting with the LGBTQ community. Homophobia has really affected all people in very negative ways regardless of their sexual orientation. As homophobia is based on someone disliking or being prejudice to another person targeted to people that are homosexual. There are many people that want to fight against homophobia and help protect and support the LGBTQ community. The different sexual orientations of all individuals they have the right to be who they identity them selves as. As homophobia not only affects the LGBTQ community but affects every sexual orientation, seeing that much hate and prejudice toward people it is just sad and disturbing that people still hate on something they have no control over.
For some background, this case escalated to the Supreme Court since several groups of same-sex couples from different states, sued state agencies when their marriage was refused to be recognized. As it escalated through appeals, the plaintiffs argued that the states were violating the Equal Protection clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Equal Protection, according to the Constitution refers to the fact that, “any State [shall not] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…” (23). The opposition of this case was that, 1) The Constitution does not address same-sex marriage as a policy, and 2) The sovereignty of states regarding the decision. Ultimately, and according to the Oyez project, the Court held that “[the Amendment] guarantees the right to marry as one of the fundamental liberties it protects, and that analysis applies to same-sex couples,” and therefore, same-sex marriage is a fundamental liberty.
...n issue in which there is no “right way” to deal with, it is not as simple as it was in the 1960’s with Dr. King and President Lyndon B. Johnson where there were just a few policy changes that were viewed as needed—despite that the problem was indeed more than policies back then as well—and was properly resolved eventually. With this newest racism concern it is much more of a problem that time will solve, like the economy. The economy always fixes itself with time, and this problem will fix itself with time as well, the entire structure and culture of a nation take several years to decades to “change.” Despite this, the United States has been structurally discriminatory against non-whites since its birth, and will remain this way until Whites are no longer the majority. Nonetheless, the United States will always be plagued by both structural and institutional racist.
However, much more than that, a change in society is even more indispensable. The only way of possible making a change in the situation is to make a change in the root of the problem: racism and education. A lot of people still have racism implanted on their heads, and that kind of mentality needs to be modified immediately. And combined to that, a reform in the education system is also needed, in a way that would be equal for everyone, no matter race, sex or age. That change needs to be made before those children grow up because even though a strong educational basis is not a guarantee of success, it is for sure the key for it. Trying to transform the situation after those children become grown-ups is even harder since they would have already spent an enormous part of their life failing because of the lack of knowledge and education they got when
Marriage is defined as “(1) the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage ("Marriage," 2003, p. 659). Despite the latter definition’s addition to dictionaries in the past decade, this definition of marriage is still debated. Being a touchy subject in both politics and religion today, it’s been very hard to come to an agreement. There are two main sides to this argument regarding the nature of marriage. Some stick to their conservative and/or religious beliefs, while others state that marriage is a civil right (Kim, 2011, p. [Page 38]). However, same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in North Carolina and thirty-two other states at this time ("Defining Marriage: State Defense," 2014). Homosexuals have been denied many of the rights given to those that are heterosexual. Same-sex couples are not able to receive other benefits as a heterosexual couple would. The lack of benefits is extremely unequal and unfair. This unacceptable treatment is unconstitutional and should not continue.
As a United States citizen who was born in the new millennium, I was brought up with the idea that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This statement was one of the main sources of fuel for the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950’s/60’s in the United States. Minority groups have often been mistreated in the United States culminating in movements much like that of the women’s suffrage movement, civil rights movements and now a movement toward equality for the LGBTQIA. In the last few decades a new minority group, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and allies, and their struggle to attain their right to the pursuit of happiness. This small makes up roughly 4 percent of the US population. Though many say that gay marriage will weaken the moral foundation of our country, it should be legalized, not only because banning it is unconstitutional, but also because strips people of their human rights
Furthermore, the word "equal" in section 1 of the 14th amendment implies that everyone should have the right to get married no matter what his or her sexual preference. Marriage is the legal and public documentation of the love and trust two people share for each other. This means that anyone should be able to marry whomever he or she wishes.
Gay marriage is a hotly debated issue in today's society. Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett offer opposing views in the June 3, 1996 edition of Newsweek. Sullivan's article, “Let Gays Marry,” offers several arguments supporting the issues of same sex marriage. Bennett counters in his article, “Leave Marriage Alone,” that same sex marriages would be damaging to the sanctity of marriage. Each author presents several reasons for the positions they defend and bring up valid points to defend their opinions. William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan share a mutual respect for the values and sacredness of the bond of marriage. Their disagreements stem from who they believe should be allowed to marry.
As the years have passed, homosexuality has become a very controversial topic. The fact that day by day they fight for equality just to be happy, I think it is an injustice that many people refuse to give them the rights they deserve.
Everybody’s morals and views on life are different. Most people’s morals and views are based on their religion. One of the main reasons the people opposing homosexual marriage give is “It offends God”. First off, this is America. Just shoving it in someone’s face that homosexual marriage is ‘wrong’ because it offends God, is wrong. You have to take in consideration that those people’s beliefs may be different of your own. In the Bible it says in Matthew 7:1-2 (the words of Jesus), “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others you will be judged, and with the measure you used, it will be measured to you.” It’s cruel to judge people by the way they love and who they love. It says in Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he made and it was very good.” This right here proves to those who believe that God hates homosexuals that it is in correct. In the bible it does say that for a man to lie with another man as he would a woman is an abomination. Christians say it is a sin, but to judge these actions and to be cruel to these people is a sin. Opposing people have said that whenever one violates the natural moral order established by God, that they are sinning and same-sex marriage is doing exactly that. Well the people who have said that are judging the people who support same-sex marriage are also sinning. Religious churches oppose same-sex marriage. Not the sacred books or whatever. No where in the bible does it say a man cannot marry a man and a woman cannot marry a woman. It does say that the sexual relationship is a sin but what a couple does behind doors in none of anyone’s business. I can guarantee that most couples do not marry for the sex that is the emotional, loving relationship they share betwee...
“It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married” (Procon.org), said Barack Obama the 44th and current president of the United States. The gay right movement started in 1969, riots, struggles, and problems followed after. In today’s society, it has been showed that people are opening up to gay rights. There has been effort in protecting the gays and discrimination against gays is now considered a hate crime and is illegal. However, gay rights still to this day struggle with state and federal legal circumstances. Same- sex marriage needs to be legal, couples who choose to be of the same-sex should be allowed to celebrate their commitment with each other the way heterosexual couples get to, both publicly and society acceptable.
The treatment of the LGBT community in American Society is a social injustice. What most people think is that they just want to be able to marry one another and be happy but that’s not it. They want to be treated like humans and not some weird creatures that no one has ever seen before. They want to be accepted for who them are and not what people want them to be and they deserve the right to be who they are just the same as any other human being. After all the discrimination they have endured they should be allowed to be who they are and be accepted as equals just like people of different skin color did in the times of segregation. We have a long way to go as a country but being the greatest country in the world in the eyes of many great America will make big steps to make things fair.
The Defence of Marriage Act of 1996 forbids federal governments from recognizing same-sex marriage which means only state governments can decide if they want to legalize or not legalize gay marriages in that state. There are many benefits that straight married couples receive that gay married couples do not receive. The fed...