Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in America

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I do! The marriage of homosexual couples is a hot topic today. It is a reminder of decades past when marriage between people of different ethnicities, race, and religious affiliation was banned (Buffie, 2011). In modern America, the culture is shifting again with more support for same-sex marriages. Many United States (U.S.) politicians are listening to their constituents on this debate and have changed their stance to in favor of same-sex marriage. Along with these politicians changing their stance, many states are overturning their previous bans on same-sex marriage. Federal and state governments need to legalize same-sex marriages to preserve the freedom to marry for all Americans. Legalization of same sex marriages legitimizes the couple’s equality in society, strengthens family health, and is an intrinsic right for all Americans.
Equality, Stability, and Rights
Allowing same-sex marriages provides socio-economic equalization of benefits that traditional couples are granted when they enter into the civil union of marriage. The socio-economic rights of pension benefits, hospital visitation, child support, affordable housing etc... are given freely, and are expected when a couple is married. These basic resources for a healthy marriage are typically absent when same-sex marriages or civil unions are in question (Dinno & Whitney, 2013). Currently in the U.S., 17 states plus the District of Columbia allows same-sex couples to marry and four others allow domestic partnerships or civil unions (Same sex marriage map, 2014). The states that the same-sex couples are married in, are typically, the only states where their marriage rights are guaranteed. It is up to the gaining state’s laws whether the marriage is legal and ca...

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