Gay Rights Debate

For many years, gay and lesbian couples faced hatred, discrimination, and lethal violence simply because of their sexual preference. Last year the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage, making it legal to marry regardless of sexual preference. For the first time in American History all citizens gay or straight, had a legal right to marry the person they loved most in the world. The modern day gay rights movement began in at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969. The Stonewall Inn was a gay night club that was targeted by police and raided in the middle of the night. The police had a legal right to raid the club due to serving liquor without a license; but New York’s gay community felt targeted, as a majority of gay clubs
Justice Anthony Kennedy was the deciding vote in the 5-4 ruling. The decision to legalize gay marriage settled one of the most argued civil rights movements of the era. After the ruling Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke powerfully of the most fundamental values of love, liberty, and family. According to Vogue & Diamond (2015), Justice Anthony Kennedy stated, “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were” (para. 4). Following Justice Anthony Kennedy’s speech that allowed same-sex couple to finally marry, virtually the entire Court’s public gallery broke into tears with extreme joy. For the first time in American history, same-sex couples could finally find joy in the sanctity of
Hundreds of supporters flooded the streets in front of the Supreme Court, rejoicing and proudly waving rainbow colored banners and flags. Supporters emotionally sang the national anthem while clapping and cheering “The land of the free” (Vogue & Diamond). The Supreme Court majority ruling outlines several factors as to why same-sex marriage should be legalized throughout the nation. According to Liebelson & Terkel (2015), the Supreme Court Justices wrote, “Marriage is an inherent aspect of individual autonomy, since decisions about marriage are among the most intimate that an individual can make” (para. 6). Following the 5-4 ruling, American support was on the rise with roughly two-thirds of American’s being in favor of same-sex marriage. Until the ruling many gay rights activists and support groups witnessed gay marriage bans fall, as 37 states allowed gay marriage. The two biggest questions that were brought in front of the Court that was relevant to the case were, whether states had the right to ban same-sex marriage and if states recognized marriages that were performed out of their respected