Essay The Debate over Same Sex Marriage - 894 Words

The Debate over Same Sex Marriage Legislation is deeply entrenched in language and the continual process of interpretation. Laws are created as a response to cultural and societal needs, wants and norms and are restructured and interpreted as these desires and standards change over time. The importance of the words chosen and the syntax used in order to translate societys standards into legislation are amplified over time because they are continuously deconstructed, examined, and analyzed. As these laws are applied to and challenged by society, policymakers must examine them and then change them through discourse and dialogue. As current sentiments towards marriage are changing and shifting, policymakers must begin to examine our†¦show more content†¦In his 1996 speech against the Defense of Marriage Act, John Kerry chose to speak not only of the legal implications of the law but took the opportunity to step back from the politics of Washington DC and consider the human, embodied, and gendered effect of this law on our Nation. John Kerry, in 1996 and 2004, does not support a homosexual couples right to marry yet he has spoken out against proposed legislation which is based on the denial of a right to someone who is a homosexual. In his speech, he criticizes the use of the word defense in the title of the act saying that if it was truly concerned with defending marriage it would, provide for counseling, guarantee day care, and expand protection of abused children among many other things (232). This, he argues, would be defending marriage against that which threatens it. In order to defend, one must first be put on the defensive by offensive and threatening actions and behaviors. Marriage is threatened by alcoholism, domestic violence, etc. but not by the fact that two people of the same gender love each other. Unlike Bush and the conservative voice on the issue of same-sex marriage, Kerry, and other liberals, are not afraid of taking about the issue of gender and love when it comes toShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage1334 Words   |  6 Pagesapprove the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment. This would amend the US Constitution to legally define marriage as the union of a man and a woman only. Utah has passed a similar amendment that was ratified by Utah voters in the general election of 2004. I believe that couples of the same sex should be able to marry, and receive the same rights as man and women couples, but I m going to argue both points. The pros and the cons of same sex marriage. -Same sex marriage has been a fight that has beenRead MoreThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage1682 Words   |  7 PagesThe largely debated topic of same-sex relationships have been on the forefront of all U.S. citizen’s minds, including and more specifically of those in the branches of legislature. More states today have begun passing laws that accept and recognize marriage for this population. This minority group, in some opinions, has been at a disadvantage when it comes to marriage equality. Previous studies have explored this great debate in the United States beginning in the 1970s. The Minnesota Post publishedRead MoreThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage866 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals can rebel against the government and be indecorous about it. Besides, in this year alone, we had the USA Today News is saying, â€Å"WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday, January 16, 2015 at 6:12 P.M. to resolve the national debate over same-sex marriage once and for all1à ¢â‚¬ . This disputation after-all it was approved and overturned into 36 out of 50 states. At the end, we can distinctly see how precipitously separated our public position toward homosexuals are rapidly changing to reflectRead MoreThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage1181 Words   |  5 Pagessociety than same sex marriage? It is a topic that has battered Americans for decades, and just recently has it been decided that same sex marriage and relations is awarded by the constitution. Before this it was at states discretion whether or not to allow those of the same sex to marry. But, on June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that the constitution gave legal rights to same sex couples to marry in all 50 states where prior to that only 37 states had legalized same sex marriage. (Freedom toRead MoreThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage1555 Words   |  7 PagesFor years on end, same-sex marriage has been a topic of controversy. It has always been an on-going argument; there is the for-side an d there is the against-side. There are many arguments for each side but which side has the most convincing argument? Maybe some of these arguments can be debunked. There needs to be a discussion about the holes in arguments and which side is the most convincing. The history of same-sex marriage was anti-climatic for a long time. It seemed that for too many years itRead MoreThe Debate Over Same Sex Marriage979 Words   |  4 Pages Dissenting Rhetoric On June 26, 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized across the united states, due to a decision the Supreme Court made; the decision made all state level bans on same-sex marriage were considered unconstitutional, thus overruling the bans. In the dissenting argument on the Supreme Court’s Decision to legalize same-sex couple marriage, Chief Justice Roberts makes a passionate argument revolving around the fact that it was the Supreme Court that made the decision and not the CountryRead MoreThe Debate Over The Legalization Of Same Sex Marriage1264 Words   |  6 Pagestraditional values have come into contest with more liberal values. One of the most prevalent examples of this is the ongoing debate over the legalization of same-sex marriage within America. In the article â€Å"Supreme Court should make gay marriage a national right† by the editorial staff at the Boston Globe, the importance of the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage was stressed because it is a topic that has been dodged thus far. While numerous federal circuit courts have ruled on thisRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Debate Over The Free Speech Clause And Antidiscrimination Law1786 Words   |  8 PagesJournal, the major conflict that exists in this same-sex-marriage-legalization debate is between the free-speech clause and antidiscrimination law. Technically, the people who refused to offer their service to the homosexual people based on their religious belief were not legally wrong according to the first amendment. However, did the homosexual couples do anything wrong? No, they didn’t. They ordered the same services, and they were willing to pay the same amount of money. What they wanted was nothingRead MoreEssay on Marriage Equailty for the LGBT Community1554 Words   |  7 Pagesequality, and particularly, marriage equality. Each individual has their own perception on marriage equality, whether it is based on moral basis, or on a humanistic (humane) basis, whi ch is the belief of not denying anyone the right to be who they are, and therefore love who they love. However, as a society, we must examine the facts, as well as ourselves, as we address the debate for marriage equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community. The Debate: Morals v. Humanistic BeliefsRead MoreGay Marriage Essay1744 Words   |  7 Pages 02/02/2012 Legalizing same-sex marriage has been a debate going on for quite some time. The recognition of such marriages is a civil rights, political, social, moral, and religious issue in many nations. Since 2001, ten countries have begun allowing same-sex couples to marry nationwide. In the United States the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. Proposition 8 in November