The Battle Over Same-Sex Marriage Essay - 2181 Words

Same-sex marriage has grown into to a national issue. In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry which provoked a firestorm of debate. The discussion extends from private livings rooms and local watering holes; all the way to the floor of the U.S. Congress and the White House. The debate about same-sex marriage has become a hot button issue, which pits secular-progressives who support gay-rights against religious and social traditionalists fighting for the sanctity of marriage. When La Shawn Barber, Anna Quindlen, Andrew Sullivan and the editors at National Review wrote their opinion pieces regarding the topic of same-sex marriage the debate had already been raging for many†¦show more content†¦Barber insists that although Loving v. Virginia dealt with the inequality of civil rights in marriages, it was still ultimately a fight for the right for one man to marry one woman. Therefore, in her opinion, the case is not applicable to the fight for same-sex marriage. Barber asserts that the goal of miscegenation laws â€Å"was to maintain a subordinate class of citizens based on race† (par. 8), and that current bans against same-sex marriage are intended to preserve traditional marriage, not to show prejudice against homosexuals. Quindlen and many other same-sex marriage champions believe that the right to marry is an inherent civil right; which therefore should be granted to homosexuals under the law. Quindlen believes the desire to marry—even amongst homosexuals—is a â€Å"powerful [force] for good on earth† (par 12). She refers to a statement made by Mildred Loving, the woman from the pivotal Loving v. Virginia court case, in which Mildred maintains that all American’s â€Å"no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation should have the same freedom to marry† (par 14). In contrast, Barber feels that homosexuality is not an inborn trait; therefore, civil rights laws created to legalize interracial marriages are not applicable to same-sex marriage. Like Barber, many from the opposition camp feel that marriage is not an innate civil right. According to the Los Angeles Times, in earlyShow MoreRelatedThe Rights of Human Beings790 Words    |  3 PagesThe Rights of Human Beings The support, laws, and the definition of marriage itself are changing at this very moment, and will continue to change. Same-sex marriage is becoming a hot issue, with nearly everyone under the age of 30 supporting it, yet there are still many things that need to happen before it becomes legal. The battle is ongoing and still has years ahead of it, but more and more politicians are now starting to see just where the American peoples interests are. The big issue howeverRead More In Favor of Same Sex Marriage Essay examples1097 Words   |  5 Pagesa few other people to her wedding. 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It cannot be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation.quot; ( Same sex marriage and civil unions) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; America’s population is growing, and the number of homosexuals is increasingRead MoreThe Case For Marriage Redefinition1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe Case for Marriage Redefinition The debate over whether same-sex marriage should be legalized has raged on furiously over the past several years in both the United States and Britain. Opponents of same-sex marriage fear what consequences the redefining of marriage may bring while gay rights lobbyists deny that the meaning of marriage is being threatened. What is really at the heart of this debate, however, is personal liberty. Marriage needs to be redefined to include all genders and the inherentRead MoreI Do Says The Robot As He Is Now Finishing The Process1193 Words   |  5 Pagesfinishing the process of entering into a marriage with his partner, a biological human being. According to dictionary.com , marriage is defined as the following, any of the diverse forms of interpersonal union established in various parts of the world to form a familial bond that is recognized legally, religiously, or socially, granting the participating partners mutual conjugal rights and responsibilities. Regarding this definitio n of what constitutes a marriage it does not specify partners whetherRead MoreLife Liberty and the Pursuit of Same Sex Marriage Though the United States in modern times has1200 Words   |  5 Pagesand the Pursuit of Same Sex Marriage Though the United States in modern times has fostered a politically correct environment, where any form of bigotry or bias is frowned upon and scorned, and though we live in a country that was founded upon the principle of equality, gay and lesbian Americans today still struggle for acceptance, and to be allowed in all fifty states to legally marry their partner. While this nation has fought bigotry and bias for many years, the same sex marriage issue came into focusRead MoreNot Protecting the Right of Homosexual Marriage Endangers the Rights of Others1173 Words   |  5 PagesNot Protecting the Right of Homosexual Marriage Endangers the Rights of Others Civil marriage is enjoyed by all people in society; all people that is, excluding the ones that find love in the form of their own gender. These people are being denied the basic right of engaging in legally bound matrimony. Laws, such as this one, have been created time and time again, mostly by ignorant bigots, only to be dissolved when finally seen as immoral and unjust in the eyes of someone without hatred in their