Research Outline Gay Marriage
Introduction The Controversy
“Same-sex marriage permits couples of the same gender to enter legally-recognized marriages and provides them with the same legal rights as couples in heterosexual relationships” (Same-Sex Marriage). “Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that the institution of marriage should apply to only unions between one man and one woman. Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, they say, undermines the institution of marriage” (Same-Sex Marriage).
Where the Issue Stands Today
“In America, six states plus D.C. allow same-sex couples to marry, three more respect marriages of same-sex couples validly preformed in other states, eight provide civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships, and three more have limited domestic partnership systems. That’s twenty states plus D.C. that provide some significant state-level relationship protections, and those states are home to 130 million people” (LGBT Relationships).
“ Unmarried couples who live together can now tell their Facebook friends they’re more than just “in a relationship”. The social networking service added “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership” to possible relationship status options in its user’s profiles in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Australia (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Thesis: Same-sex couples deserve the same full marriage rights and benefits given to heterosexual couples; marriage is one of the basic civil rights and denying any American that right is unconstitutional.
Issue 1: Legislative History
First Push For Marriage Rights
“In 1942 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Skinner v. Oklahoma that marriage is “one of the basic civil rights.” Loving v. Virginia, decided by the Supreme Court in 1967, ended race discrimination in marriage and also affirmed: “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free me.” These decisions paved the way
“Same-sex marriage permits couples of the same gender to enter legally-recognized marriages and provides them with the same legal rights as couples in heterosexual relationships” (Same-Sex Marriage). “Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that the institution of marriage should apply to only unions between one man and one woman. Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, they say, undermines the institution of marriage” (Same-Sex Marriage).
Where the Issue Stands Today
“In America, six states plus D.C. allow same-sex couples to marry, three more respect marriages of same-sex couples validly preformed in other states, eight provide civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships, and three more have limited domestic partnership systems. That’s twenty states plus D.C. that provide some significant state-level relationship protections, and those states are home to 130 million people” (LGBT Relationships).
“ Unmarried couples who live together can now tell their Facebook friends they’re more than just “in a relationship”. The social networking service added “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership” to possible relationship status options in its user’s profiles in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Australia (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Thesis: Same-sex couples deserve the same full marriage rights and benefits given to heterosexual couples; marriage is one of the basic civil rights and denying any American that right is unconstitutional.
Issue 1: Legislative History
First Push For Marriage Rights
“In 1942 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Skinner v. Oklahoma that marriage is “one of the basic civil rights.” Loving v. Virginia, decided by the Supreme Court in 1967, ended race discrimination in marriage and also affirmed: “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free me.” These decisions paved the way