Public Policy Debate Related To Multiculturalism: Should Gays Marriages Exist - Essay Example

Analysis Of Public Policy Debate Related To Multiculturalism: Should Gays Marriages Exist? Introduction This essay aims at deconstructing an issue that has been a key issue of controversy in public debate in the American Society as well as examining the potential effects of public polies related to the issue of debate. The essay will critically analyze the debate examining the main elements and ideas involved as well as summarizing the history of the contentious public debate issue as well as looking at the multicultural dimension of the topic of public debate. The paper will proceed to analyze the implications of the debate on the American culture as well as how Americans are perceived around the world in relation to this contentious issue in public debate. One of the most arguable issues that have elicited a lot of interest among the American Public is the topic of gay marriage or simply same sex marriage. Traditionally, marriage has always been considered appropriate only for the individuals of the opposite sex. Same sex marriages have however gained popularity in the US since the onset of the 20th century leading to some states to fully accept gay marriages and accord them the same status as the other types of marriages. There has been a long standing debate among the American Public with regard to the issue with some questioning whether gay marriages should exist in the society at all. Gay marriages have existed in the society even in the ancient times, although different societies had different perceptions of such marriages. Today however, the topic has taken a human rights approach to popularize and promote acceptance of gay marriages in the US (Steinberg, 45). There are thousands of civil rights movements at the national and state level fighting to promote the acceptance of gay marriages through putting in place legal structures that will ensure gay marriages are considered the same as the other marriages. Such efforts have not been without opposition from some sections in the community, thus producing two very opposing sides in this public debate. Oppositionhas mainly come from conservative Americans and mainstream religious groups. A Brief Overview of the Current Debate The question of gay marriages has been in the public domain for long and the current developments in the debate suggest that the issue is expected to linger a contentious issue in the eyes of the community for some time. The key arguments on both sides of the debate are very well known among Americans because the debate has highly been popularized in the media as well as in pop culture, where gay marriages have been portrayed in movies, music and other forms of art. The topic is therefore very well known among most Americans. The main fault lines in this debate are rooted in the fact that gay marriages have never been fully accepted in the American society leading to discrimination against gay people with regard to accessing basic social amenities such as health. The other mainly issue in the debate of gay marriages is the question of human rights, where some people treat gay marriages as part of one’s freedom to associate with whoever they like.There are also legal huddles in some states that seem to express anti-gay sentiments by prohibiting gay marriages. Support for the debate has mainly come from the civil society, human rights activists, international organizations such as the UN and some of the gay people themselves who openly state their status on public. Most of the anti-gay sentiments have come from religious groups and some conservative groups and individuals in the society The major issues of those in opposition to the issue of gay marriagesinclude the fact that they perceive such marital unions as being unnatural and against the will of God as indicated in the holy book such as the bible and the Quran (Wolfson, 97). They are of the opinion that natural and accepted sexual or intimate relationships are only those between the opposite sexes. For this group of individuals, homosexuality is against their cultural beliefs and should not therefore be allowed to persist, hence their rejection of the gay rights idea. Supporters of gay marriage view gay rights as a fundamental part of human rights that should be protected at all costs. The debate has sparked from being a social debate and extended to other sectors such as politics and economics. The question of gay marriage has been one of the biggest political topics in the recent times and has been a major determinant factor in some of the past elections. In economics, gay partners have endured discrimination from participating in employment, business as well as accessing funds to further their own interests. This has greatly affected the economic development of gay people in the society. There seems to be areas of imbalance in both the economy and American Politics with regard to acceptance of gay rights and how to treat the gay people. A Discussion of Any Important Historical Antecedents Despite being in the public domain for a very long time, the issue of gay marriage deemed to be at its peak in the early 1990s. Before that, the debate was only limited to specific states and individuals and was only limited to the question of recognition of gay people and their rights. Some major events that have helped to shape this debate and give it a national outlook include the signing of the Defense of Marriage Act by President Clinton in 1996, Supreme Court judgments from various states and pronouncements from powerful politicians and members of the society including President George W. Bush and Barack Obama (Smart, Heaphy, &Einarsdottir, 134). The Vermont Supreme Court ruled in 1999 that lesbian couples ought to be given the same rights as the straight couples. In 2003, the Supreme Court in Massachusetts ruled that the move to ban gay marriage was unconstitutional. In 2004, President George W. Bush added to the debate by publicly supporting an amendment to ban same sex marriages. The constitutional amendment was blocked by the US senate in the same year. The state of Massachusetts performed the first legal same sex marriage in the US on 17th May 2004. In 2012, President Barack Obama added his voice to the debate by publicly offering his support to same sex union, a move that culminated in his reelection in the same year. A Description of Tactics Used By Different Participants The different factions in the debate have employed various tactics to pass their points across. Initially, those in support to the gay rights used public riots, peaceful demonstrations such as the gay pride. Today, different tactics are used to enforce changes to laws in various states to accommodate gay people. The mostly used tactic today is legal action in courts of law. On the other hand those contrasting to the issue mostly use religious arguments to further their points. Facts and Statistics The statistics show that there is still more work to be done with regard to promoting gay rights in the US. There are still 38 states in the country that have banned same-sex marriages either through constitutional amendments or statutes or both(Cahill, 112). Only 9 states among them Massachusetts, Maryland,New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine,Iowa, Washington, and New Hampshire, as well as Washington D.C. have legalized gay marriage (Cahill 112). Effects of Policy This debate is bound to have a very huge effect in the American society and the individuals affected. The Public policy in question is the recognition of gay marriages and eradication of any form of discrimination to the gay partners. The policy will promote inclusiveness and respect for human rights. The policy will also ensure there is harmony in the society where the gay individuals can live together with straight individuals (Eskridge 124). The policy will also have a significant effect on the individuals affected in the sense that it will afford them the much-desired rights just like any other individual in the society. They will have access to social amenities including health education and employment without being discriminated against. Works Cited Cahill, S., Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: Focus on the Facts. Rowman& Littlefield, 2004. Elinson, E & Yogi, S. Wherever there’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California?New York: Heyday Books, 2009. Smart, C.; Heaphy, B.; Einarsdottir, A. Same sex marriages: new generations, new relationships. Genders and sexualities in the social sciences.Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Steinberg, S., Diversity and Multiculturalism: A Reader. Peter Lang Publicshing, Inc, 2009. Wolfson, E.Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay Peoples Right to Marry. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Read More