Arguments used to support gay marriage

Many countries, especially in Europe, have grappled with the issue as well. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Indeed, the ordination and marriage of gay persons has been a growing wedge between the socially liberal and conservative wings of the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, leading some conservative congregations and even whole dioceses to break away from their national churches.

Allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed, they argue, will radically redefine marriage and further weaken it at a time when the institution is already in deep trouble due to high divorce rates and the significant number of out-of-wedlock births. The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is a contentious one, and advocates on both sides continue to work hard to make their voices heard.

Unlike traditional marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships are invalid outside the state in which they are granted — except in states that expressly accept them — and do not provide any federal marriage benefits. Civil union laws in both New Jersey and New Hampshire recognize civil unions performed in other states.

And since , five nations — the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada and South Africa — have legalized gay marriage. The debate over same-sex marriage shows no signs of abating. [] On June 26, , the US Supreme Court ruled Procreation needs the boundaries of marriage just as much as marriage needs the boundary of procreation.

Even though this decision did not immediately lead to the legalization of gay marriage in the state the case was sent back to a lower court for further consideration , it did spark a nationwide backlash. On Nov. The parties will submit their briefs by the end of , but the court is not expected to issue its ruling on the matter for several months.

Moreover, they predict, giving gay couples the right to marry will ultimately lead to granting people in polygamous and other nontraditional relationships the right to marry as well. Gay Marriage Legalized by US Supreme Court On Apr. 28, , the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Obergefell v.

Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social conservatives against gay-rights advocates and their allies. The same-sex marriage debate is not solely an American phenomenon. Beyond wanting to uphold the principle of nondiscrimination and equal treatment, supporters say that there are very practical reasons behind the fight for marriage equity.

For instance, on Nov. Gay rights advocates have already petitioned the California Supreme Court seeking to invalidate the initiative and hence preserve gay marriage. Washington has a domestic partnership law — adopted in and expanded in — that includes most, but not all marital benefits.

Federal protections conferred by marriage include 1, laws and policies, such as Social Security, family medical leave, federal taxation and immigration policy. The Catholic Church and evangelical Christian groups have played a leading role in public opposition to gay marriage, while mainline Protestant churches and other religious groups wrestle with whether to ordain gay clergy and perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.

Heterosexuals have been grappling with marriage for thousands of years and it’s still not easy. To explore the case for gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Jonathan Rauch, a columnist at The National Journal and guest scholar at The Brookings Institution. Supporters of same-sex marriage contend that gay and lesbian couples should be treated no differently than their heterosexual counterparts and that they should be able to marry like anyone else.

Why are couples in the gay community fighting so hard for gay marriage? In addition, Norway is slated to allow same-sex marriage at the beginning of Gay Americans have been calling for the right to marry, or at least to create more formalized relationships, since the s, but same-sex marriage has only emerged as a national issue in the last 15 years.

This is a list of legal, financial, and health benefits granted by marriage. The arguments for same-sex marriage sound easy and simple, but they hide difficult and disturbing questions. Social conservatives and others who oppose same-sex unions assert that marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of a healthy society because it leads to stable families and, ultimately, to children who grow up to be productive adults.

What is the difference between civil unions, domestic partnerships and marriage? Over the next year, the ensuing battle over gay marriage could be heard in the halls of the U. Congress, in dozens of state legislatures and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at the national and state level.

The two are inextricably linked. They point out, for instance, that homosexual couples who have been together for years often find themselves without the basic rights and privileges that are currently enjoyed by heterosexual couples who legally marry — from the sharing of health and pension benefits to hospital visitation rights.

The American religious community is deeply divided over the issue of same-sex marriage. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch D signed a law in May approving civil unions. Hodges about whether or not gay marriage is a right guaranteed by the US Constitution, and whether or not gay marriages performed in states where it has been legalized must be recognized in states that ban the practice.

In a third category, Hawaii and Maine have registries that convey only a handful of benefits, including hospital visitation rights and inheritance without a will. California and Oregon have nearly identical schemes that allow couples to register as domestic partners and claim all of the state benefits conferred on husbands and wives.