The Subject of Gay Marriage in the United States - Research Paper Example

?Gay Marriage in the United s The of Gay marriage in the United s has taken controversial point of views fromthe grassroots to political dimensions. This paper shall analyze the recent state of Gay marriage in the United States. The issues pertaining gay marriage in the U.S. will critically be considered. In this case, the paper will give details on the states that prohibit and permit gay marriage, and those which recognize the civil unions. The decisions, position and debates hitting the subject in the United States federal government will be discussed. In addition, the paper shall provide the recent opinion polls on the subject and scrutinize the findings. Gay marriage in the United has hit debates with a lot of controversies on the subject. The United States comprises of approximately 50 states. Six states in the United States allow marriage between same sexes. The states include; Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, Lowa, and New Hampshire. Thirty nine states have banned gay marriage. Five states; Hawaii, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Illinois have approved the civil unions of gay marriage. In addition, some states that legalized gay marriage enacted the Civil Union laws (Graff, 1999, p.175). Vermont received the first civil Union in the year 2000. The supreme court of the state passed a ruling requiring the state to recognize couples of the same sex. The matter would be left to the legislature to legalize forms of relationship including gay marriage. The legislature, receiving force from then Governor, selected the civil unions against marriage as a measure that could be compromising. On July 1, 2000, the act took effect. The Civil Unions’ bill became effective in September 2009. Connecticut legislature legalized civil unions in the year 2005 devoid of the court order. The effect of the law took place in October 2008, designated by the Connecticut governor. The Supreme Court of Connecticut favored the ruling in the year 2008. In the year 2010, on 12th November, all the civil unions automatically became marriages. The New Jersey state legalized the civil unions through Its Supreme Court ruling. The ruling required both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to receive similar benefits. The Act of the Civil Union took effect on 19th February the year 2007. Although, the gay rights groups stated their dissatisfaction in the law, they undertook measures to enhance same-sex marriage. Illinois house passed a bill of the Civil Union on 30th November the year 2010. On 1st December, 2010, the senate of Illinois approved the bill. Pat Quinn, the governor signed the law on 31st January, 2011. The law became effective on 1st June 2011. The house of New Hampshire passed the Civil Union bill on 4th April 2007. The bill gave equal rights to both the heterosexual and homosexual couples. The senate of the New Hampshire approved the bill of the Civil Union on 26th April 2006. Governor Lynch signed the law on 31st May 2007. The state embraced same-sex unions with no court order. The law of the Civil Union took effect on 1st January 2008. The state of Hawaii in the United States has presented reciprocal beneficiary registration for adults prohibited from marrying by the state law. This has been effective since the year 1997. Both different-sex and same-sex couples have access to benefits and a limited number of rights. These rights include workers compensation, inheritance rights, health insurance, pension, and the right to litigate for wrongful death. On 23rd February 2011, the Governor, Neil, signed a bill sanctioning Civil Unions. The law became effective on 1st January 2012. On April 14, 2011, Delaware House passed the legislation legalizing Civil Unions for gay marriage. The governor designated the bill and it took effect on 1st January, 2012. Rhode Island passed the Civil Unions bill on 1st July 2011. Since the year 1997, the subject of gay marriage in the United States strike debates where the state legislators have formulated decisions. The debates over Gay marriage have grown from issues that probed up in a few states to countrywide controversies. For the past 15 years, this subject could be heard in the United States Congress halls, at the White House. Campaigns on the subject would be carried out at both state and national levels. However, the skirmishes over whether lesbians and gays should be given authority to wed have no abating signs (Eskridge, 1999, p.96). Recently, the debates have scored essential victories from both sides. For instance, in April 2009, the supreme court of Lowa State ruled that the Constitution of the state guarantees lesbians and gays the right to wed. Meanwhile, advocates about gay marriage won vital legislative victories in some states. The position of the federal government would be that gays and lesbians can not be neglected by the nation. They deserve their rights just like the different-sex couples. Moreover, the U.S. Constitution does not clearly state gay marriage illegality. In June 2009, the U.S. president Barack Obama established a family medical leave and other benefits to federal workers in the same-sex partnership. A voter-approved in California on the ban of the same sex marriage in the year 2008, Proposition 8, received a court ruling that it violated the constitution. The proposition placed a particular prohibition of same-sex marriage in the constitution. Judges in the Northern District of California Federal Courts decided that the proposition violated the rights of equal protection of same-sex couples (Behrens & Rosen, 2011, p. 456). Early this year, Judge Walker, emphasized that barring couples of same-sex from marrying, could be a violation of the due Constitution’s clauses and equal protection rights. Although, the constitution grants communities permissions to enact laws they consider as desirable. It requires legitimate reasons for passing laws that treat some classes of people distinctively. Judge Reinhardt wrote in the decision that proposition 8 had no grounds for enactment. It was in the year 2010 when the majority of the national polls in the United States supported same-sex marriage. In that year, the poll found approximately 52 percent favoring legal recognition of marriages of the same sex. This percentage had increased from the previous years. The public supporters for same sex marriage constantly grew in the preceding years. By March, the year 2011, research found out that politically, approximately 51% of the independent, 57% of the democrats and 23% of the republicans, held legal recognition of marriage between same sex couples. A public opinion poll carried out in May 2011 showed that a majority supported same-sex marriage. Approximately 53% favored against 45% who opposed the law. A survey carried out in March this year found that 54% of Americans supported marriage between same sex couples against 44% opposed. Upon these findings, it could be clear enough that the political and social climate for gay marriage is ever improving. In other words, the United States members would be at liberty to practice gay marriage. The recent polls show that the majority of the American population widely supports same sex marriage. This creates a tolerating environment for gays and lesbians. It came out clearly following the ruling regarding the voter-approved to ban same sex marriage in California State. The Judges termed the vote as illegal. Guarding the gay rights in the courts of law and states constitution affirms the activities for gays and lesbianism. Socially, the religious groups in the United States have given contradicting opinions on the subject. However, most of the Democrats favor gay marriage, yet it is the party in power. The United States constitution outlines that; the rights of every citizen should be guarded, with no discriminations. In this case, the gay rights could be fulfilled under no discriminations. All this provide a practical environment that favors the gay activities. The gays would practice the activity with no fear. In conclusion, the paper has outlined the state of gay marriage in the United States under clarifications on states that permit the practice. In addition, the paper has scrutinized the position of the Federal government on the matter in conjunction with the hitting debates on the subject. Hitherto, many Americans support gay marriage References: Behrens, L. & Rosen, L. J. (2011). Writing and Reading across the Curriculum (11th Edition). New York: Longman. Eskridge, W. (1999). The Case for Same- Sex Marriage. New York: Free Press. Graff, E.J. (1999). What is Marriage for? The Challenge of Same-Sex Marriage. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. Read More