Gay Marriage
Same Sex Marriages
Same sex marriages are socially or legally recognized marriages between two individuals of the same gender. Gay marriage has become an increasingly hot topic around the world as a large number of people are fighting to legalize gay marriage. In the United States, same-sex marriage is illegal under the Defense of Marriage Act. However, the United States government has left it up to each state to decide whether or not they wish to recognize gay marriages. Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only two states in the US where same sex marriages are currently legal. Under the contract of marriage, the U.S government grants more than 1,138 rights and protections to married couples. These rights and protections include Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits, health insurance, Medicaid, hospital visitation, estate taxes, retirement savings, pensions, family leave, and immigration law. Most gay couples in the United States cannot be privy to these benefits even if they reside together and have been together for years because these rights are only recognized under marriage.
Since the Defense of Marriage Act allows individual states to enforce and interpret marriage laws, there is a huge disparity within the United States regarding same sex marriage, domestic partnerships, and the complete ban on gay marriages or gay partnerships.
Support Gay Marriage
Supporters of gay marriages or same sex marriages argue that it is a matter of equality. And that the rights of the individuals involved in same sex relationships are violated if same sex marriages are not recognized legally. Supporters of gay marriages also draw similarities between past prohibitions on interracial marriage. Lastly, supporters of gay marriage argue that same sex marriages should be legal because these unions do not harm society and/or families. These unions provide important benefits for same-sex partners and their children, and extends a civil right to a minority group. Mayors of several large cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle have publicly supported same-sex marriage. Other politicians that have supported gay marriage include Deval Patrick Mike Gravel, Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson, Jon Corzine, Dennis Kucinich, Ted Kennedy, and Al Gore among several others. Political parties that support same sex marriages are the Communist Party USA, U.S. Green Party, several state Democratic Parties and the Socialist Party USA.
Against Gay Marriage
Opponents to same sex marriages in the United States are many times associated to some religious organization, however are not limited to this group. Some of these religious affiliations that support the traditional heterosexual definition of marriage are, Social conservatives, the Roman Catholic Church, The Church of Je
sus Christ of Latter Day Saints, many Muslims, and the Orthodox branch of Judaism also. Some significant opponents against gay marriage include Evangelical Christians such as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and Jerry Falwell. Organizations that oppose same sex marriages include the Alliance Defense Fund, Alliance for Marriage, American Family Association, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, National Organization for Marriage, Orthodox Church in America, Rabbinical Council of America, and the Republican Party.
While same sex marriages and gay marriages are illegal in most parts of the country, several states recognize legal domestic partnerships or civil unions. Both President Bush and incumbent President Obama are supporters of civil unions which will grant homosexual couples all the rights that married couples have but will not recognize it as a marriage.