Defense of Marriage Act

Why is the Defense of Marriage Act important to our society?
The Defense of Marriage Act is an act that was passed in 1996, making it illegal for the federal government to recognize same sex marriages. The sanctity of marriage between a man and woman should be protected because children need a male and female role model in their lives, children will start to be taught that homosexuality is actually a good thing, and it will keep the traditional definition of marriage in tact.
Being exposed to both the male and female sex, is important to the developmental needs of children because it helps them form their sexual identity. Being raised by parents of the same sex can make a difference in the way the child is developed. Even newborn infants can distinguish the differences between a male and female. A study by Susan Turrell found that relationship violence was a significant problem for homosexuals. Forty-four percent of gay men reported having experienced violence in their relationship; 13 percent reported sexual violence and 83 percent reported emotional abuse. (vol 13, pp 281-293). A researcher named Henry Biller and written several books on this topic:
Even if the father and mother behave in generally similar ways, they provide contrasting images for the infant ... Mothers and fathers have different verbal styles when communicating ... Involved fathers are more likely to stimulate the infant to explore and investigate new objects whereas mothers tend to engage their infants in relatively pre-structured and predictable activities ... The father and mother offer the child two different kinds of persons to learn about as well as providing separate sources of love and support. (Fathers: A Diverse Group)
If heterosexual marriage remains protected, children will at least have the benefit of stabilized familial relationships.
The state of California passed a bill that requires students to learn what homosexuals have contributed to our society. Karen England, executive director of the public-policy group Capital Resource Institute said, "We 're totally opposed to inserting sexual orientation into textbooks in our schools. This is more than just accepting it, it 's forcing our kids to embrace it, almost celebrate it" (Davis, 2006). The general purpose is so that straight students learn more about how gays have influenced things in society, and through that knowledge things would even things out between gay and straight children in schools. England 's theory and something I agree with is that you shouldn 't have to look at the history of someone and need to bring up their sexual orientation. When you 're growing up and learning about history, I don 't think learning that someone was/is gay is going to help change people 's opinions on homosexuals. It is a very liberal way of trying to make children think that it 's ok to be a homosexual.
The marriage act currently protects the sanctity of marriage in the United States, except for in the state of Massachusetts. Most people know that marriage was only intended to be between a man and a woman. By homosexuals insisting on a different version of marriage, they are attempting to use government power to force it on to everyone. For gays to marry, it would be letting them create a new definition of marriage, to their liking. The new definition would literally be just a counterfeit version of traditional marriage. As Maggie Gallagher stated in her testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee, "The fallacy and temptation is the belief that if we allow unisex couples to marry there will be two kinds of marriage: gay marriage for gays and lesbians, straight marriage for straights. In reality, there will be one institution called marriage, and its meaning will be dramatically different, with deep consequences for children" (2003).
As a married woman I hold true to the traditional belief that marriage should be between a man and woman. There are so many different arguments that can arise from the information that I 've gathered on this subject. For a child to fully develop and be exposed equally to both sexes, they need to be raised by both a female and male figure in their life. Children should not be exposed unwillingly to information in their textbooks about homosexuals, because if they are raised in a Christian home they are being taught that it is wrong. To throw something like that into the loop would confuse a child, and might not know what to believe. Children are very influential, and they should be given the option to want to research the topic and come to their own conclusions. Allowing homosexuals to marry would create many different types of marriage structures. I don 't feel that occur, because the sanctity of the traditional marriage will be lost forever.

References
Davis, A. (2006). Bill requires gay 's history to be taught: STATE SENATOR WANTS CALIFORNIA TO LEAD WAY. San Jose Mercury News (CA), Retrieved Thursday, January 25, 2007 from the Newspaper Source database.
Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) http://gaylife.about.com/cs/gaymarriage/i/doma.htm Maggie, Gallagher. Testimony United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary "What is Needed to Defend the Bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act of 1996?"

September 4, 2003.http://judiciary.senate.gov/print_testimony.cfm?id=906&wit_id=2540

Roopnarine, J. (2004). Fathers: A Diverse Group. PsycCRITIQUES, Retrieved Thursday, January 25, 2007 from the PsycINFO database.
Turrell, Susan. "A descriptive analysis of Same-Sex Relationship Violence for a Diverse Sample," Journal of Family Violence (vol 13, pp 281-293).

References: Davis, A. (2006). Bill requires gay 's history to be taught: STATE SENATOR WANTS CALIFORNIA TO LEAD WAY. San Jose Mercury News (CA), Retrieved Thursday, January 25, 2007 from the Newspaper Source database. Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) http://gaylife.about.com/cs/gaymarriage/i/doma.htm Maggie, Gallagher. Testimony United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary "What is Needed to Defend the Bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act of 1996?" September 4, 2003.http://judiciary.senate.gov/print_testimony.cfm?id=906&wit_id=2540 Roopnarine, J. (2004). Fathers: A Diverse Group. PsycCRITIQUES, Retrieved Thursday, January 25, 2007 from the PsycINFO database. Turrell, Susan. "A descriptive analysis of Same-Sex Relationship Violence for a Diverse Sample," Journal of Family Violence (vol 13, pp 281-293).