For over four hundred years, African Americans have faced discrimination in the United States, and it took them more than ten years to find some sort of equality. Women have also faced discrimination for hundreds of years and it took them over fifty years to earn minimal rights. While the issue of homosexuality is relatively new to our country, the fight for rights started almost immediately, and people today are still struggling to earn civil liberties, like same-sex marriage. If some change isn’t made now, their struggle for rights could last even longer than other minorities have endured. Since there is no national ruling made to abolish same-sex marriage, each state sets its own laws regarding gay marriage. Currently in the US, five states allow same-sex marriage, several states offer civil unions, and the large majority of states ban same-sex marriage. Today, several groups, including Conservatives and Christians, are fighting against gay marriage, citing bible verses and their own personal beliefs as their arguments. The gay community and many socially liberal Americans are joining together to fight back and defend themselves in the search for equality. The United States should implement a national law allowing same-sex marriage to all gay couples, because it will ensure natural rights for all Americans, establish and preserve equality among all citizens, and help to end discrimination against gay Americans.
The lack of any laws allowing same-sex marriage is permitting marriage and certain rights to heterosexual couples and forbidding these rights to homosexual couples. In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman (Wolfson). Couples involving one ...
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...e, 17 June 2009. Web. 29 May 2010. .
Stewart, Chuck. "Gay and Lesbian Rights: Outlook." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 June 2010. .
Stone, Geoffrey R. "Democracy, Religion and Proposition 8." The Huffington Post. 15 Nov. 2008. Web. 29 May 2010. .
Wolfson, Evan. "Homosexuals Should Be Allowed to Marry." Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Central Bucks High School South. 1 June 2010 .
...ot a civil issue, however "The 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia confirmed that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man," [60] and same-sex marriages should receive the same protections given to interracial marriages by that ruling." ("Gay Marriage") Marrying whom ever we love is a right everyone should have. Every living human being. Everyone.
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.
Kennedy, Dorothy M., and Jane E. Aaron. " What's Wrong with Gay Marriage?." The Bedford Reader. By X. J. Kennedy. 11th ed. Boston: St. Martin’s, 2012. 570-572. Print.
Winn, P. (2003). Q&A: why not same-sex marriage. Citizen Link. Retrieved April 25, 2004, from http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0028908.cfm
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.
Rauch, Jonathan. "The Government Should Sanction Gay Marriage, Not Domestic Partnerships." Homosexuality. Ed. Paul Connors. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Apr. 2011.
In the recent years, the LGBT rights movements have gained momentum both in the States and internationally. Not only are more people in favour of LGBT rights (particularly same-sex marriage, as recent polls have shown), they are also seeing through the flawed nature of arguments set by those opposed to said rights. This research paper will be discussing ten of the most common arguments presented by opposers of LGBT rights (particularly expressing identity and marriage laws), as well as outline why each are easily flawed and refutable.
"Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement." PBS. WBGH Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.
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.
As of today 14 out of 50 states allow same sex marriage, all other 36 states have banned same sex marriage or doesn’t have any laws against it or for it. For years same sex couples have fought for their right to be able to get marry, and for years they have been shut down due to many reasons: religion, traditions, it’s abnormal, it’s not natural, it defeats the concept of marriage, children needs both a male and female role model in their life to be successful and many more.
Are same-sex marriages different from heterosexual marriages? In the formal definition marriage "is a faithful everlasting union between one man and one woman, joined as husband and wife in a partnership to become one." Due to this definition "same-sex marriage" is not even a real marriage. In fact, it denies the primary purpose of marriage, which is the procreation of a child. In same-sex marriage, it is not possible for two men or two women to reproduce without a third party. Due to the fact that man needs woman and woman needs man. Homosexuality is a mental illness that needs to be treated. Instead of finding treatment for it, the government allows the illness of homosexuality to spread by promoting same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is harmful to society and it must be opposed. Same-sex marriage will always deny a child either a mother or a father, it validates and promotes the homosexual lifestyle, it turns a moral wrong into a civil right, and it is a major offense to God.
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 (...
Today’s society argues widely the correctness of same-sex marriage. Marriage for many people is believed to be a relationship between two people, preferably man and woman. The LGBT community battles for their right to marry without being denied by the government. The legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States has great importance for the future of marriage equality throughout the LBGT community. Same-sex marriage will not harm the function of society or other marriages in it, as well as being protected by the Constitution, and relieves lifelong discrimination.
Same-sex marriage is a broad and current controversy in the United States today. The movement to legalize same-sex marriage started in the 1970; however, it is still not legal in all fifty states yet (“Same-sex marriage in the United States”). Legalizing same-sex marriage should not be a debate. People should be able to marry who they love regardless of sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage should be legal because it is a human right, religion should not interfere with state laws, it does not adversely affect the heterosexual community in any way, and same-sex marriage can actually benefit our society.
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...