Same-Sex Marriage: All for Love and Love for All

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The faint beep from a machine echoes in a hospital room, no one is in the room to react to the noise. The partner of the patient is not allowed to see him during his last moments alive because they are not legally married. Marriage equality is much more than just a piece of paper or a word; it gives rights to those who would not have them without marriage. Marriage equality should be allowed in all 50 states because without it the country can never be truly successful.
Marriage is known as being united to someone legally, regardless of gender or age. Part of the first definition of marriage includes, “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage” (Merriam-Webster). Marriage changes through time, it never stays the same. Every culture brings a different aspect of marriage to the table, eras even bring different aspects. Traditional marriages and same-sex marriages are starting to share general standards; it has been a long battle for equality. However same-sex couples feel that they are being thrown a bone with civil unions or domestic partnerships, stating they feel as though they are in separate but unequal circumstances.
While the dictionary is beginning to accept same-sex marriage and traditional marriage as one, there are still plenty of other places and people who do not. There are only 17 states that allow same-sex marriages and 3 states that offer things like marriage, i.e. civil unions or domestic partnerships. Civil unions provide some legal protection only in the state they are granted the union and offer no federal protection while domestic partnerships offer no rights or protections at all; they are just to serve as a written commitment between a coup...

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"About." Washington United for Marriage. Washington United for Marriage, 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
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"Freedom To Marry." Marriage vs. Civil Union or Domestic Partnership. Freedom to Marry, Inc. and
Freedom to Marry Action, Inc., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
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Drexler, Dr. Peggy. "The Kids Are All Right: Gay Parents Raising Children." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 May 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .
"LGBT Adoption Statistics." LGBT Adoption. LifeLong Adoptions, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

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