GAY MARRIAGE

Gay Marriage

ABSTRACT

This paper deals with the most controversial issue of western countries which is 'Gay Marriage'. In this paper, an introduction of word 'Gay' was discussed which described the origin of the word as well as its meaning in different societies. After discussing the word 'Gay', the status of Gay in American culture was discussed in the light of antidiscrimination laws. Some statistics of 'Gay Marriage' in California were also discussed in order to have a better understanding of the issue. Some judical cases related to 'Gay Marriage' are also a part of this paper which shows a better view about the status of male marriage in U.S.

Gay Marriage

For a long time, homosexuality was considered a “taboo” subject for various reasons. It was thought to violate societal norms as it went against religious doctrines and individuals who were simply not comfortable with the idea of two people of the same sex engaging in relations. In modern-day reference, the term gay is associated with homosexuality. However, the term has encountered ambiguous value throughout time. (Leap, Boellstorff, 2004)

The word gay originates from the Old French word gai. It can be expressed as an adjective, noun, or adverb. The term is primarily used as an adjective, but in efforts to identify an individual's sexual orientation. As an adjective, gay can be used to describe things that are pertinent to gay people, or simply the gay culture. For example, a gay club itself is not a homosexual club. Using gay as an adjective simply refers to the sexual orientation of people the club provides services to. Early on, the word gay referred to “happiness” or “flamboyance.” (Mohr, 2007)

In the late 1800s, the word referred to the sexual behavior of men or women who engaged in sexual activity frequently with multiple partners which is also known as promiscuity. It was not until the early 1900s that it was used in reference to homosexuality. Homosexuals referenced the term as code among themselves to avoid the stigma of being considered clinically ill by the general public. (Hammock, Cohler, 2009)

Same-sex partnerships and gay marriages became the core of LGBT politics in America and worldwide in the second half of the 1990s. The distinction between legally recognized partnerships and marriages is not linguistic but also has symbolic meaning. The use of the term gay marriage denotes not only the plea for legal regulation of homosexual relationships but also highlights inequalities in the social regulation of homo-and heterosexuality. As such, advocates of gay marriage do not want “just like marriage” same-sex partnerships, because this still dialectically places heterosexual marriage as the ideal. (Mohr, 2007)

The confusion on measuring the effects of local antidiscrimination laws might be due in part to the market impact of antigay animus being hidden by operating indirectly through a wage premium paid to married employees, all of which, until very recently, had to be in straight marriages. It has been noted that employers that are uncertain about a worker's sexual orientation might plausibly ...