Gay Marriage Essay

SOWK 534- Summer 2013

Assignment #2 Midterm

Elizabeth Colombo

7-22-2013

Dr. Bucholtz

A. Introduction: Issue, Policy, Problem:

Gay Marriage in the United States has been a contentious issue for the last twenty or so years. Many people view being gay as a new phenomenon or socially constructed unit; but the origins of homosexuality extend as far back as the history of people. With the emergence of bullying as a huge barrier to adolescent development as well as teen suicide; homosexuality has taken the burden of the blame for these occurrences. The rights for gays and gay marriage are a national issue that is not going away. A 2011 study reported that 3.5% of Americans are gay (Williams Institute). America is very homophobia and unnecessarily so, many people are not aware of the exact number of gay people in the nation.

The growing concerns over homosexuality and gay marriage are intertwined. America, in general, is still a very homophobic nation and this causes direct problems in various other areas of life. In the past few years there have been many instances of bullying or teasing someone over sexual orientation that have resulted in suicides or other hardships. The level of tolerance in America is something to be disappointed in. The backlash has been extreme and it is hard to fathom why at some points there can be some much anger over the issue.

Gay Marriage has become more prevalent in the last few years as people demand equal rights as hetero-sexual couples. In many instances, survivor benefits were declined after the death of one partner. Marriage is very important to some homosexuals because they want to have the same freedoms as heterosexual couples. When heterosexual couples marry they are able to essentially consolidate their lives; for the purposes of children, insurance and possibly wills it is very difficult to achieve if one is homosexual.

As recently as June 2013, the United States was taking leaps to be friendlier or understanding to the needs of the growing homosexual demographic. The Supreme Court ruled that the 1996 decision on the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. DOMA denied legally married same sex couples over a thousand protections and other responsibilities of marriage. In this landmark decision that promotes acceptance of all regardless of sexual orientation; the Supreme Court has affirmed that all loving or committed couples who marry deserve equality (DOMA).

In American culture, most people believe that marriage is an institution that involves different rather than same-sex partners. Many Americans are tolerant toward the relationships but find much more difficult when the couples wants to be regarded as a real marriage. Marriage, is often defined as the legal status, condition or relation of one man and one woman united in law for life, until divorced, for the discharge to each other…(Same-Sex Marriage, 93). Many same-sex marriage advocates have demanded state recognition of gay marriages as same-sex marriages. Many states have refused. Both advocates and opponents of the issue have various points to which to express in order to achieve support for their prospective sides. Opponents argue that the concept of same-sex marriage is oxymoronic. According to the people, marriage must involve a man and woman because that is the definitional essence of marriage, the Judeo-Christian tradition requires it and the modern western nation-state has structured society around the assumption that only different sex marital unions are allowed (Same-Sex marriage, 93). Proponents of same-sex marriage dispute and often ridicule these assertions (IBID).

From the 1970s and onwards, gay activists have confronted the legal system demanding that it end discrimination against same-sex marriages.

B. History and Scope of Issue:

The early Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies that are often considered important antecedent

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