Same-Sex Marriages

Introduction

Beginning in the 1990s the United States saw much legal and social activity surrounding the legalization of same-sex marriages. While same-sex marriages have occurred throughout history, they have been neither frequently practiced nor universally accepted. Most societies and religions define marriage, in part, as a union between man and woman. While the prevailing view of marriage in the United States is limited to heterosexual unions, many homosexual couples celebrate public ceremonies of commitment, or same-sex marriages. The issue at hand is whether or not such marriages should have the same benefits and rights under the law as traditional marriages have (Snyder, Pp. 38).

Discussion

Hawaii's state supreme court laid the groundwork for legal recognition of same-sex unions in 1995, only to have voters approve a constitutional ban on such unions 3 years later. Vermont became the first state to create an institution parallel to marriage—called civil union—that legally recognized lifelong homosexual commitments. Beginning July 1, 2000, same-sex partners are able to obtain licenses from town clerks and have their unions formalized by justices of the peace, judges, or clergy. Civil unions are granted nearly all the benefits of traditional marriage, including state tax breaks, family leave, and legal acknowledgment of partner rights in the event of sickness or death. Couples who choose to dissolve their unions will have to go through family court.

While Vermont's ground-breaking legislation was a victory for proponents of same-sex marriage, public sentiment is still very much opposed to such unions. Even in the state of Vermont, the majority of residents oppose such marriages. Civil unions performed in Vermont will not be recognized in other states. Thirty-two states have laws specifically banning same-sex marriages, and no other state besides Vermont gives gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. The only certainty in the future of same-sex marriage is that it will continue to be hotly debated (Varnell, Pp. 25).

In United States, approximately seventy percent of the people is against gay marriages. Almost the same percentage is supporting same sex marriages. Now the question arises that why people are so passionate about same sex marriages? This might be because of a lot of misunderstanding about the reality of homosexuality. People also have the misconception that gay people have more civil rights protection, which is not the case. There is also a lot of misunderstanding of what marriage itself is all about (Pierceson, Pp. 112).

One of the arguments says that marriage is the relationship between a man and a woman. It is legally accepted in the society and it the right way as suggested in religion as well. If the straight community cannot show a convincing reason to deny the same sex marriages, then it should not be denied. Mostly people have an expression of narrow mindedness rather than having a convincing argument. These people just give weak and fallacious arguments, to support what they want. Unless any compelling reasons not given against these gay marriages, it should not be labeled as illegal in United States (Gozemba, ...