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Prior to their decision, same-sex marriage was already legal in 37 states and Washington DC, but was banned in the remaining 13. US public opinion had shifted significantly over the years, from 27% approval of gay marriage in 1996 to 60% in 2015, the year it became legal throughout the United States, to 67% in 2018. Proponents of legal gay marriage contend that gay marriage bans are discriminatory and unconstitutional, and that same-sex couples should have access to all the benefits enjoyed by different-sex couples. Opponents contend that marriage has traditionally been defined as being between one man and one woman, and that marriage is primarily for procreation. Read more background... Top Pro & Con Arguments Denying some people the option to marry is discriminatory and creates a second class of citizens. On July 25, 2014 Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel ruled Florida's gay marriage ban unconstitutional and stated that the ban "serves only to hurt, to discriminate, to deprive same-sex couples and their families of equal dignity, to label and treat them as second-class citizens, and to deem them unworthy of participation in one of the fundamental institutions of our society." [105] Christine Gregoire, former Washington governor, said in Jan. 2012: "Throughout our history, we have fought discrimination. We have joined together to recognize equality for racial minorities, women, people with disabilities, immigrants... [Legalizing gay marriage] is the right thing to do and it is time." [139] US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner, in overturning same-sex marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana in Sep. 2014, wrote that the bans "discriminate against a minority defined by an immutable characteristic." [40] As well as discrimination based on sexual orientation, gay marriage bans discriminate based on one's sex. As explained by David S. Cohen, JD, Associate Professor at the Drexel University School of Law, "Imagine three people—Nancy, Bill, and Tom... Nancy, a woman, can marry Tom, but Bill, a man, cannot... Nancy can do something (marry Tom) that Bill cannot, simply because Nancy is a woman and Bill is a man." [122] Same-sex couples should have access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. There are 1,138 benefits, rights and protections available to married couples in federal law alone, according to a General Accounting Office assessment made in 2004. [86] Benefits only available to married couples include hospital visitation during an illness, the option of filing a joint tax return to reduce a tax burden, access to family health coverage, US residency and family unification for partners from another country, and bereavement leave and inheritance rights if a partner dies. [6] [95] Married couples also have access to protections if the relationship ends, such as child custody, spousal or child support, and an equitable division of property. [93] Married couples in the US armed forces are offered health insurance and other benefits unavailable to domestic partners. [125] The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of Labor also recognize married couples, for the purpose of granting tax, retirement and health insurance benefits. [126] The US federal government does not grant equivalent benefits to gay couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships. [153] [154] An Oct. 2, 2009 analysis by the New York Times estimated that same-sex couples denied marriage benefits will incur an additional $41,196 to $467,562 in expenses over their lifetimes compared with married heterosexual couples. [7] A Jan. 2014 analysis published by the Atlantic concluded that unmarried women pay up to one million dollars more over their lifetimes than married women for healthcare, taxes, and other expenses. [94] The concept of "traditional marriage" has changed over time, and the definition of marriage as always being between one man and one woman is historically inaccurate. Harvard University historian Nancy F. Cott stated that until two centuries ago, "monogamous households were a tiny, tiny portion" of the world's population, and were found only in "Western Europe and little settlements in North America." Polygamy has been widespread throughout history, according to Brown University political scientist Rose McDermott, PhD. [110] [106] Interracial marriage was once illegal in a majority of US states, and was still banned in half of US states until the 1950s. [108] Official unions between same-sex couples, indistinguishable from marriages except for gender, are believed by some scholars to have been common until the 13th Century in many countries, with the ceremonies performed in churches and the union sealed with a kiss between the two parties. [106] Gay marriage is protected by the US Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. The US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in the 1974 case Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur that the "freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause." US District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote on Aug. 4, 2010 that Prop. 8 in California banning gay marriage was "unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses." [41] The Due Process Clause in both the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution states that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." [111] The Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment states that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." [112] Marriage is an internationally recognized human right for all people. Since 1888 the US Supreme Court has declared 14 times that marriage is a fundamental right for all, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights. [3] Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees "men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion... the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution." [103] Amnesty International states that "this non-discrimination principle has been interpreted by UN treaty bodies and numerous inter-governmental human rights bodies as prohibiting discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has therefore become an internationally recognized principle." [104] Same-sex marriage is a civil right. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), on May 21, 2012, named same-sex marriage as "one of the key civil rights struggles of our time." [61] In 1967 the US Supreme Court unanimously confirmed in Loving v. Virginia that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man." [60] The White House website lists same-sex marriage amongst a selection of civil rights, along with freedom from employment discrimination, equal pay for women, and fair sentencing for minority criminals. [118] Marriage is not only for procreation, otherwise infertile couples or couples not wishing to have children would be prevented from marrying. Ability or desire to create offspring has never been a qualification for marriage. From 1970 through 2012 roughly 30% of all US households were married couples without children, and in 2012, married couples without children outnumbered married couples with children by 9%. [96] 6% of married women aged 15-44 are infertile, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [97] In a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, both married and unmarried people rated love, commitment, and companionship higher than having children as "very important" reasons to get married, and only 44% of unmarried people and 59% of married people rated having children as a very important reason. [42] Several US presidents never had their own biological children, including George Washington, often referred to as "the Father of Our Country." [9] [12] As US Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan noted, a marriage license would be granted to a couple in which the man and woman are both over the age of 55, even though "there are not a lot of children coming out of that marriage." [88] Gay marriages can bring financial gain to federal, state, and local governments and can help boost the economy. Government revenue from marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes in some circumstances (the so-called "marriage penalty"), and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. [4] In July 2012 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that gay marriage had contributed $259 million to the city's economy since the practice became legal there in July 2011. [43] In 2012, the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found that in the first five years after Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, same-sex wedding expenditures (such as venue rental, wedding cakes, etc.) added $111 million to the state's economy. [114] A 2014 series of reports also by the Williams Institute estimated that legalizing same-sex marriage would boost the economies of the 11 US states studied by a total of $723 million over three years. [87] The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2004 that federally-recognized gay marriage would cut the budget deficit by around $450 million a year. [89] Gay couples make good parents. A June 2014 peer-reviewed University of Melbourne study showed that children raised by same-sex parents score about six percent higher than the general population on measures of general health and family cohesion. [92] A study published in Pediatrics on June 7, 2010 found that children of lesbian mothers were rated higher than children of heterosexual parents in social and academic competence and had fewer social problems. [45] A July 2010 study found that children of gay fathers were "as well-adjusted as those adopted by heterosexual parents." [46] As former Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein wrote, "We should be begging gay couples to adopt children. We should see this as a great boon that gay marriage could bring to kids who need nothing more than two loving parents." [68] In the United States, around 115,000 children are waiting to be adopted. [44] Gay marriage bans cause humiliation and uncertainty for children being raised by same-sex couples. In ruling Texas' gay marriage ban unconstitutional, San Antonio-based federal judge Orlando Garcia stated that the ban "causes needless stigmatization and humiliation for children being raised by the loving same-sex couples being targeted." [138] Children of unmarried same-sex couples are denied the stability that comes with having married parents, including the guarantee of child support in the case of divorce and an automatic legal connection to both parents. [107] If no legal relationship is established, the child cannot be sure of receiving financial support from the non-biologically related partner, and is not guaranteed an inheritance if that partner dies without leaving a will. [151] Marriage provides both physical and psychological health benefits, and banning gay marriage increases rates of psychological disorders. [5] The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and others wrote in a Sep. 2007 amicus brief, "...allowing same-sex couples to marry would give them access to the social support that already facilitates and strengthens heterosexual marriages, with all of the psychological and physical health benefits associated with that support." [47] A 2012 study by researchers from UCLA, San Francisco State University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found that same-sex married couples were "significantly less distressed than lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons not in a legally recognized relationship." [113] A 2010 analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health found that after their states had banned gay marriage, gay, lesbian and bisexual people suffered a 37% increase in mood disorders, a 42% increase in alcohol-use disorders, and a 248% increase in generalized anxiety disorders. [69] Legalizing gay marriage will not harm the institution of marriage, and same-sex marriages may even be more stable than heterosexual marriages. A study published on Apr. 13, 2009 in Social Science Quarterly found that "[l]aws permitting same-sex marriage or civil unions have no adverse effect on marriage, divorce, and abortion rates, [or] the percent of children born out of wedlock." [48] A Nov. 2011 study by UCLA's Williams Institute reported that the rate at which legally recognized same-sex couples (in marriages or civil unions, etc.) end their relationships is 1.1% on average, while 2% of married different-sex couples divorce annually. [115] The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association found that more than a century of research has shown "no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies." [8] Gay marriage legalization is correlated with lower divorce rates, while gay marriage bans are correlated with higher divorce rates. Massachusetts, which became the first US state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, had the lowest divorce rate in the country in 2008. Its divorce rate declined 21% between 2003 and 2008. Alaska, which altered its constitution to prohibit gay marriage in 1998, saw a 17.2% increase in its divorce rate over the same period. The seven states with the highest divorce rates between 2003 and 2008 all had constitutional prohibitions to gay marriage. [2] Legal marriage is a secular institution that should not be limited by religious objections to same-sex marriage. Religious institutions can decline to marry gay and lesbian couples if they wish, but they should not dictate marriage laws for society at large. As explained by People for the American Way, "As a legal matter, marriage is a civil institution... Marriage is also a religious institution, defined differently by different faiths and congregations. In America, the distinction can get blurry because states permit clergy to carry out both religious and civil marriage in a single ceremony. Religious Right leaders have exploited that confusion by claiming that granting same-sex couples equal access to civil marriage would somehow also redefine the religious institution of marriage... this is grounded in falsehood and deception." [132] Nancy Cott, PhD, testified in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that "[c]ivil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage." [41] Many religious leaders and churches support gay marriage and say it is consistent with scripture. Gene Robinson, openly gay former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, stated in Sep. 2012: "Scripture says where love is, there is God also. And they [religious people] see that love in our families, and I think people can't help but be supportive." [128] Lee Jefferson, Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College, wrote that the Bible makes no mention of same-sex marriage at all, nor does it make reference to sexual orientation as it is understood today. [129] Reform Judaism, which comprises about 80% of the American Jewish population, endorses same-sex marriage, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis has supported gay marriage since 1996. [130] The Episcopal Church stated in Resolution A095, made in 2006, that it "oppose[s] any state or federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions." The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted in June 2014 to allow its pastors to marry same-sex couples. The United Church of Christ General Synod voted in July 2005 to affirm "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender." The 1996 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association adopted "a position in support of legal recognition for marriage between members of the same sex." [119] [141][142] [143] The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman. In upholding gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee on Nov. 6, 2014, 6th US District Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton wrote that "marriage has long been a social institution defined by relationships between men and women. So long defined, the tradition is measured in millennia, not centuries or decades. So widely shared, the tradition until recently had been adopted by all governments and major religions of the world." [117] In the Oct. 15, 1971 decision Baker v. Nelson, the Supreme Court of Minnesota found that "the institution of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of children within a family, is as old as the book of Genesis." [49] John F. Harvey, MA, STL, late Catholic priest, wrote in July 2009 that "Throughout the history of the human race the institution of marriage has been understood as the complete spiritual and bodily communion of one man and one woman." [18] [109] Marriage is for procreation and should not be extended to same-sex couples because they cannot produce children together. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adult gratification. [19] A California Supreme Court ruling from 1859 stated that "the first purpose of matrimony, by the laws of nature and society, is procreation." [90] Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell stated that "it is through children alone that sexual relations become important to society, and worthy to be taken cognizance of by a legal institution." [91] Court papers filed in July 2014 by attorneys defending Arizona's gay marriage ban stated that "the State regulates marriage for the primary purpose of channeling potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring unions for the sake of joining children to both their mother and their father... Same-sex couples can never provide a child with both her biological mother and her biological father." Contrary to the pro gay marriage argument that some different-sex couples cannot have children or don't want them, even in those cases there is still the potential to produce children. Seemingly infertile heterosexual couples sometimes produce children, and medical advances may allow others to procreate in the future. Heterosexual couples who do not wish to have children are still biologically capable of having them, and may change their minds. [98] Children need both a mother and a father. Girls who are raised apart from their fathers are reportedly at higher risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy. [52] Children without a mother are deprived of the emotional security and unique advice that mothers provide. A 2012 study by Mark Regnerus, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, found that children raised by parents who had same-sex relationships suffered more difficulties in life (including sexual abuse and unemployment in later life) than children raised by "intact biological famil[ies]." [133] Doug Mainwaring, the openly gay co-founder of National Capital Tea Party Patriots, stated that "it became increasingly apparent to me, even if I found somebody else exactly like me, who loved my kids as much as I do, there would still be a gaping hole in their lives because they need a mom... I don't want to see children being engineered for same-sex couples where there is either a mom missing or a dad missing." [53] Legalizing gay marriage could lead down a "slippery slope," giving people in polygamous, incestuous, bestial, and other nontraditional relationships the right to marry. [10] Glen Lavy, JD, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, argued in a May 21, 2008 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "The movement for polygamy and polyamory is poised to use the successes of same-sex couples as a springboard for further de-institutionalizing marriage." [11] In Apr. 2013 Slate writer Jillian Keenan wrote: "Just like heterosexual marriage is no better or worse than homosexual marriage, marriage between two consenting adults is not inherently more or less 'correct' than marriage among three (or four, or six) consenting adults." [71] James C. Dobson, Founder and Chairman of Focus on the Family, predicted in 2005 that legalizing same-sex marriage will enable "group marriage," "marriage between daddies and little girls," and "marriage between a man and his donkey." [136] Allowing gay couples to wed could further weaken the institution of marriage. Traditional marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates (between 40% and 50%), and 40.7% of babies were born to unmarried mothers in 2012. [50] [51] [116] Former US Senator (R-PA) and presidential candidate Rick Santorum stated that "Legalization of gay marriage would further undermine an institution that is essential to the well-being of children and our society. Do we need to confuse future generations of Americans even more about the role and importance of an institution that is so critical to the stability of our country?" [137] Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society at The Heritage Foundation, said "In recent decades, marriage has been weakened by a revisionist view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs... Redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships is the culmination of this revisionism, and it would leave emotional intensity as the only thing that sets marriage apart from other bonds." [70] Homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. J. Matt Barber, Associate Dean for Online Programs at Liberty University School of Law, stated that "Every individual engaged in the homosexual lifestyle, who has adopted a homosexual identity, they know, intuitively, that what they're doing is immoral, unnatural, and self-destructive, yet they thirst for that affirmation." A 2003 set of guidelines signed by Pope John Paul II stated: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family... Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law." [147] Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee stated in Oct. 2014 that gay marriage is "inconsistent with nature and nature’s law." [148] Gay marriage is contrary to the word of God and is incompatible with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. The Bible, in Leviticus 18:22, states: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination," thus condemning homosexual relationships. [120] In Islamic tradition, several hadiths (passages attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) condemn gay and lesbian relationships, including the sayings "When a man mounts another man, the throne of God shakes," and "Sihaq [lesbian sex] of women is zina [illegitimate sexual intercourse]." [121] The Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Association of Evangelicals, and American Baptist Churches USA all oppose same-sex marriage. [119] Two orthodox Jewish groups, the Orthodox Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union, also oppose gay marriage, as does mainstream Islam. [13] [119] According to a July 31, 2003 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II, marriage "was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose. No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman…" [54] Pope Benedict stated in Jan. 2012 that gay marriage threatened "the future of humanity itself." [145] Legalizing gay marriage often leads to an end to domestic partnership benefits for gay and straight couples, which disadvantages couples who choose not to get married. Maryland ended health insurance benefits for new domestic partnerships after same-sex marriage became legal in the state in 2013. [124] [135] The state of Washington automatically converted domestic partnerships to marriages when they legalized gay marriage in 2012, providing no option to retain domestic partnerships or civil unions unless one partner is at least 62 years old. [134] [123] The US Defense Department announced in Aug. 2013 that it would grant health insurance and other benefits to same-sex married partners of US troops, but that domestic partners would no longer be granted the same benefits. [125] The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of Labor recognized same-sex married couples for the purpose of granting tax, retirement, and health insurance benefits after the US Supreme Court declared part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional in 2013, but they did not include domestic partnerships or civil unions. [126] Gay marriage will accelerate the assimilation of gays into mainstream heterosexual culture to the detriment of the homosexual community. The gay community has created its own vibrant culture. By reducing the differences in opportunities and experiences between gay and heterosexual people, this unique culture may cease to exist. Lesbian activist M.V. Lee Badgett, PhD, Director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, stated that for many gay activists "marriage means adopting heterosexual forms of family and giving up distinctively gay family forms and perhaps even gay and lesbian culture." [14] Paula Ettelbrick, JD, Professor of Law and Women's Studies, wrote in 1989, "Marriage runs contrary to two of the primary goals of the lesbian and gay movement: the affirmation of gay identity and culture and the validation of many forms of relationships." [15] Marriage is an outmoded, oppressive institution that should be weakened, not expanded. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) activist collective Against Equality states that "Gay marriage apes hetero privilege... [and] increases economic inequality by perpetuating a system which deems married beings more worthy of the basics like health care and economic rights." [84] The leaders of the Gay Liberation Front in New York said in July 1969, "We expose the institution of marriage as one of the most insidious and basic sustainers of the system. The family is the microcosm of oppression." [16] Self-described queer activist Anders Zanichkowsky stated in June 2013 that the campaign for gay marriage "intentionally and maliciously erases and excludes so many queer people and cultures, particularly trans and gender non-conforming people, poor queer people, and queer people in non-traditional families... marriage thinks non-married people are deviant and not truly deserving of civil rights." [127] People should not have their tax dollars used to support something they believe is wrong. Peter S. Sprigg, MDiv, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council, said that if gay marriage were legalized, "[t]axpayers, consumers, and businesses would be forced to subsidize homosexual relationships... One of the key arguments often heard in support of homosexual civil marriage revolves around all the government 'benefits' that homosexuals claim they are denied. Many of these 'benefits' involve one thing–taxpayer money that homosexuals are eager to get their hands on." [146] Gay marriage would entitle gay couples to typical marriage benefits including claiming a tax exemption for a spouse, receiving social security payments from a deceased spouse, and coverage by a spouse’s health insurance policy, largely at taxpayers' expense. On Dec. 17, 2009 the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the cost to the federal government of extending employment benefits to same-sex domestic partners of certain federal employees (making no mention of additional costs such as Social Security and inheritance taxes) would be $596 million in mandatory spending and $302 million in discretionary spending between 2010 and 2019. [37] Marriage is a privilege, not a right. The US Constitution contains no explicit right to marry. [99] The European Court of Human Rights ruled on June 24, 2010 that the state has a valid interest in protecting the traditional definition of marriage, and stated that the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms "enshrined the traditional concept of marriage as being between a man and a woman." [101] [102] Society can choose not to allow same-sex couples to marry, just as it does not allow a person to marry more than one partner or allow minors or close relatives to marry. [100] Matthew D. Staver, JD, Dean of the Liberty University School of Law, explained: "The unifying characteristics of the protected classes within the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include (1) a history of longstanding, widespread discrimination, (2) economic disadvantage, and (3) immutable characteristics... 'Sexual orientation' does not meet any of the three objective criteria shared by the historically protected civil rights categories." [62] Legalizing gay marriage advances the "homosexual agenda" and unfairly paints opponents as bigots. The Illinois Family Institute states that if gay marriage is legalized, "Children will be taught that homosexuality is morally equivalent to heterosexuality... that children do not have any inherent rights to know and be raised by a mother and a father... [and] that opposition to the legalization of 'same-sex marriage' was equivalent to opposition to the legalization of interracial marriage. They will be taught that opposition to both was motivated by ignorance and hatred." [85] Lou Sheldon, Founder of the Traditional Values Coalition, warned of the influence on children of the "homosexual agenda," writing that "[o]ur little children are being targeted by the homosexuals and liberals... To be brainwashed to think that homosexuality is the moral equivalent of heterosexuality. We can't let that happen." [150] Civil unions and domestic partnerships can provide the protections and benefits gay couples need without changing the definition of marriage. Privileges available to couples in civil unions and domestic partnerships can include health insurance benefits, inheritance without a will, the ability to file state taxes jointly, and hospital visitation rights. [155] [156] 2016 presidential candidate and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina stated that civil unions are adequate as an equivalent to marriage for same-sex couples: "Benefits are being bestowed to gay couples [in civil unions]... I believe we need to respect those who believe that the word marriage has a spiritual foundation... Why can't we respect and tolerate that while at the same time saying government cannot bestow benefits unequally." [157] 43rd US President George W. Bush expressed his support for same-sex civil unions while in office: "I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do so... I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between a union between a man and a woman. Now, having said that, states ought to be able to have the right to pass laws that enable people to be able to have rights like others." [158] Top Pro & Con Arguments Pro 1 Denying some people the option to marry is discriminatory and creates a second class of citizens. On July 25, 2014 Miami-Dade County Circuit Court… Read More Pro 1 Denying some people the option to marry is discriminatory and creates a second class of citizens. On July 25, 2014 Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel ruled Florida's gay marriage ban unconstitutional and stated that the ban "serves only to hurt, to discriminate, to deprive same-sex couples and their families of equal dignity, to label and treat them as second-class citizens, and to deem them unworthy of participation in one of the fundamental institutions of our society." [105] Christine Gregoire, former Washington governor, said in Jan. 2012: "Throughout our history, we have fought discrimination. We have joined together to recognize equality for racial minorities, women, people with disabilities, immigrants... [Legalizing gay marriage] is the right thing to do and it is time." [139] US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner, in overturning same-sex marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana in Sep. 2014, wrote that the bans "discriminate against a minority defined by an immutable characteristic." [40] As well as discrimination based on sexual orientation, gay marriage bans discriminate based on one's sex. As explained by David S. Cohen, JD, Associate Professor at the Drexel University School of Law, "Imagine three people—Nancy, Bill, and Tom... Nancy, a woman, can marry Tom, but Bill, a man, cannot... Nancy can do something (marry Tom) that Bill cannot, simply because Nancy is a woman and Bill is a man." [122] Pro 2 Same-sex couples should have access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. There are 1,138 benefits, rights and protections... Read More Pro 2 Same-sex couples should have access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. There are 1,138 benefits, rights and protections available to married couples in federal law alone, according to a General Accounting Office assessment made in 2004. [86] Benefits only available to married couples include hospital visitation during an illness, the option of filing a joint tax return to reduce a tax burden, access to family health coverage, US residency and family unification for partners from another country, and bereavement leave and inheritance rights if a partner dies. [6] [95] Married couples also have access to protections if the relationship ends, such as child custody, spousal or child support, and an equitable division of property. [93] Married couples in the US armed forces are offered health insurance and other benefits unavailable to domestic partners. [125] The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of Labor also recognize married couples, for the purpose of granting tax, retirement and health insurance benefits. [126] The US federal government does not grant equivalent benefits to gay couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships. [153] [154] An Oct. 2, 2009 analysis by the New York Times estimated that same-sex couples denied marriage benefits will incur an additional $41,196 to $467,562 in expenses over their lifetimes compared with married heterosexual couples. [7] A Jan. 2014 analysis published by the Atlantic concluded that unmarried women pay up to one million dollars more over their lifetimes than married women for healthcare, taxes, and other expenses. [94] Pro 3 The concept of "traditional marriage" has changed over time, and the definition of marriage as always being between one man and one woman is historically... Read More Pro 3 The concept of "traditional marriage" has changed over time, and the definition of marriage as always being between one man and one woman is historically inaccurate. Harvard University historian Nancy F. Cott stated that until two centuries ago, "monogamous households were a tiny, tiny portion" of the world's population, and were found only in "Western Europe and little settlements in North America." Polygamy has been widespread throughout history, according to Brown University political scientist Rose McDermott, PhD. [110] [106] Interracial marriage was once illegal in a majority of US states, and was still banned in half of US states until the 1950s. [108] Official unions between same-sex couples, indistinguishable from marriages except for gender, are believed by some scholars to have been common until the 13th Century in many countries, with the ceremonies performed in churches and the union sealed with a kiss between the two parties. [106] Pro 4 Gay marriage is protected by the US Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. The US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in the 1974 case Cleveland Board... Read More Pro 4 Gay marriage is protected by the US Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. The US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in the 1974 case Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur that the "freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause." US District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote on Aug. 4, 2010 that Prop. 8 in California banning gay marriage was "unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses." [41] The Due Process Clause in both the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution states that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." [111] The Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment states that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." [112] Pro 5 Marriage is an internationally recognized human right for all people. Since 1888 the US Supreme Court has declared 14 times that marriage is a fundamental... Read More Pro 5 Marriage is an internationally recognized human right for all people. Since 1888 the US Supreme Court has declared 14 times that marriage is a fundamental right for all, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights. [3] Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees "men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion... the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution." [103] Amnesty International states that "this non-discrimination principle has been interpreted by UN treaty bodies and numerous inter-governmental human rights bodies as prohibiting discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has therefore become an internationally recognized principle." [104] Pro 6 Same-sex marriage is a civil right. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), on May 21, 2012, named same-sex marriage... Read More Pro 6 Same-sex marriage is a civil right. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), on May 21, 2012, named same-sex marriage as "one of the key civil rights struggles of our time." [61] In 1967 the US Supreme Court unanimously confirmed in Loving v. Virginia that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man." [60] The White House website lists same-sex marriage amongst a selection of civil rights, along with freedom from employment discrimination, equal pay for women, and fair sentencing for minority criminals. [118] Pro 7 Marriage is not only for procreation, otherwise infertile couples or couples not wishing to have children would be prevented from marrying. Ability... Read More Pro 7 Marriage is not only for procreation, otherwise infertile couples or couples not wishing to have children would be prevented from marrying. Ability or desire to create offspring has never been a qualification for marriage. From 1970 through 2012 roughly 30% of all US households were married couples without children, and in 2012, married couples without children outnumbered married couples with children by 9%. [96] 6% of married women aged 15-44 are infertile, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [97] In a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, both married and unmarried people rated love, commitment, and companionship higher than having children as "very important" reasons to get married, and only 44% of unmarried people and 59% of married people rated having children as a very important reason. [42] Several US presidents never had their own biological children, including George Washington, often referred to as "the Father of Our Country." [9] [12] As US Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan noted, a marriage license would be granted to a couple in which the man and woman are both over the age of 55, even though "there are not a lot of children coming out of that marriage." [88] Pro 8 Gay marriages can bring financial gain to federal, state, and local governments and can help boost the economy. Government revenue from marriage... Read More Pro 8 Gay marriages can bring financial gain to federal, state, and local governments and can help boost the economy. Government revenue from marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes in some circumstances (the so-called "marriage penalty"), and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. [4] In July 2012 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that gay marriage had contributed $259 million to the city's economy since the practice became legal there in July 2011. [43] In 2012, the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found that in the first five years after Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, same-sex wedding expenditures (such as venue rental, wedding cakes, etc.) added $111 million to the state's economy. [114] A 2014 series of reports also by the Williams Institute estimated that legalizing same-sex marriage would boost the economies of the 11 US states studied by a total of $723 million over three years. [87] The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2004 that federally-recognized gay marriage would cut the budget deficit by around $450 million a year. [89] Pro 9 Gay couples make good parents. A June 2014 peer-reviewed University of Melbourne study showed that children raised by same-sex parents score about... Read More Pro 9 Gay couples make good parents. A June 2014 peer-reviewed University of Melbourne study showed that children raised by same-sex parents score about six percent higher than the general population on measures of general health and family cohesion. [92] A study published in Pediatrics on June 7, 2010 found that children of lesbian mothers were rated higher than children of heterosexual parents in social and academic competence and had fewer social problems. [45] A July 2010 study found that children of gay fathers were "as well-adjusted as those adopted by heterosexual parents." [46] As former Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein wrote, "We should be begging gay couples to adopt children. We should see this as a great boon that gay marriage could bring to kids who need nothing more than two loving parents." [68] In the United States, around 115,000 children are waiting to be adopted. [44] Pro 10 Gay marriage bans cause humiliation and uncertainty for children being raised by same-sex couples. In ruling Texas' gay marriage ban unconstitutional... Read More Pro 10 Gay marriage bans cause humiliation and uncertainty for children being raised by same-sex couples. In ruling Texas' gay marriage ban unconstitutional, San Antonio-based federal judge Orlando Garcia stated that the ban "causes needless stigmatization and humiliation for children being raised by the loving same-sex couples being targeted." [138] Children of unmarried same-sex couples are denied the stability that comes with having married parents, including the guarantee of child support in the case of divorce and an automatic legal connection to both parents. [107] If no legal relationship is established, the child cannot be sure of receiving financial support from the non-biologically related partner, and is not guaranteed an inheritance if that partner dies without leaving a will. [151] Pro 11 Marriage provides both physical and psychological health benefits, and banning gay marriage increases rates of psychological disorders. The… Read More Pro 11 Marriage provides both physical and psychological health benefits, and banning gay marriage increases rates of psychological disorders. [5] The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and others wrote in a Sep. 2007 amicus brief, "...allowing same-sex couples to marry would give them access to the social support that already facilitates and strengthens heterosexual marriages, with all of the psychological and physical health benefits associated with that support." [47] A 2012 study by researchers from UCLA, San Francisco State University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found that same-sex married couples were "significantly less distressed than lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons not in a legally recognized relationship." [113] A 2010 analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health found that after their states had banned gay marriage, gay, lesbian and bisexual people suffered a 37% increase in mood disorders, a 42% increase in alcohol-use disorders, and a 248% increase in generalized anxiety disorders. [69] Pro 12 Legalizing gay marriage will not harm the institution of marriage, and same-sex marriages may even be more stable than heterosexual marriages. A study... Read More Pro 12 Legalizing gay marriage will not harm the institution of marriage, and same-sex marriages may even be more stable than heterosexual marriages. A study published on Apr. 13, 2009 in Social Science Quarterly found that "[l]aws permitting same-sex marriage or civil unions have no adverse effect on marriage, divorce, and abortion rates, [or] the percent of children born out of wedlock." [48] A Nov. 2011 study by UCLA's Williams Institute reported that the rate at which legally recognized same-sex couples (in marriages or civil unions, etc.) end their relationships is 1.1% on average, while 2% of married different-sex couples divorce annually. [115] The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association found that more than a century of research has shown "no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies." [8] Pro 13 Gay marriage legalization is correlated with lower divorce rates, while gay marriage bans are correlated with higher divorce rates. Massachusetts… Read More Pro 13 Gay marriage legalization is correlated with lower divorce rates, while gay marriage bans are correlated with higher divorce rates. Massachusetts, which became the first US state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, had the lowest divorce rate in the country in 2008. Its divorce rate declined 21% between 2003 and 2008. Alaska, which altered its constitution to prohibit gay marriage in 1998, saw a 17.2% increase in its divorce rate over the same period. The seven states with the highest divorce rates between 2003 and 2008 all had constitutional prohibitions to gay marriage. [2] Pro 14 Legal marriage is a secular institution that should not be limited by religious objections to same-sex marriage. Religious institutions can decline... Read More Pro 14 Legal marriage is a secular institution that should not be limited by religious objections to same-sex marriage. Religious institutions can decline to marry gay and lesbian couples if they wish, but they should not dictate marriage laws for society at large. As explained by People for the American Way, "As a legal matter, marriage is a civil institution... Marriage is also a religious institution, defined differently by different faiths and congregations. In America, the distinction can get blurry because states permit clergy to carry out both religious and civil marriage in a single ceremony. Religious Right leaders have exploited that confusion by claiming that granting same-sex couples equal access to civil marriage would somehow also redefine the religious institution of marriage... this is grounded in falsehood and deception." [132] Nancy Cott, PhD, testified in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that "[c]ivil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage." [41] Pro 15 Many religious leaders and churches support gay marriage and say it is consistent with scripture. Gene Robinson, openly gay former Bishop of the... Read More Pro 15 Many religious leaders and churches support gay marriage and say it is consistent with scripture. Gene Robinson, openly gay former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, stated in Sep. 2012: "Scripture says where love is, there is God also. And they [religious people] see that love in our families, and I think people can't help but be supportive." [128] Lee Jefferson, Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College, wrote that the Bible makes no mention of same-sex marriage at all, nor does it make reference to sexual orientation as it is understood today. [129] Reform Judaism, which comprises about 80% of the American Jewish population, endorses same-sex marriage, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis has supported gay marriage since 1996. [130] The Episcopal Church stated in Resolution A095, made in 2006, that it "oppose[s] any state or federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions." The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted in June 2014 to allow its pastors to marry same-sex couples. The United Church of Christ General Synod voted in July 2005 to affirm "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender." The 1996 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association adopted "a position in support of legal recognition for marriage between members of the same sex." [119] [141][142] [143] Con 1 The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman. In upholding gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan... Read More Con 1 The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman. In upholding gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee on Nov. 6, 2014, 6th US District Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton wrote that "marriage has long been a social institution defined by relationships between men and women. So long defined, the tradition is measured in millennia, not centuries or decades. So widely shared, the tradition until recently had been adopted by all governments and major religions of the world." [117] In the Oct. 15, 1971 decision Baker v. Nelson, the Supreme Court of Minnesota found that "the institution of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of children within a family, is as old as the book of Genesis." [49] John F. Harvey, MA, STL, late Catholic priest, wrote in July 2009 that "Throughout the history of the human race the institution of marriage has been understood as the complete spiritual and bodily communion of one man and one woman." [18] [109] Con 2 Marriage is for procreation and should not be extended to same-sex couples because they cannot produce children together. Allowing gay marriage would... Read More Con 2 Marriage is for procreation and should not be extended to same-sex couples because they cannot produce children together. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adult gratification. [19] A California Supreme Court ruling from 1859 stated that "the first purpose of matrimony, by the laws of nature and society, is procreation." [90] Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell stated that "it is through children alone that sexual relations become important to society, and worthy to be taken cognizance of by a legal institution." [91] Court papers filed in July 2014 by attorneys defending Arizona's gay marriage ban stated that "the State regulates marriage for the primary purpose of channeling potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring unions for the sake of joining children to both their mother and their father... Same-sex couples can never provide a child with both her biological mother and her biological father." Contrary to the pro gay marriage argument that some different-sex couples cannot have children or don't want them, even in those cases there is still the potential to produce children. Seemingly infertile heterosexual couples sometimes produce children, and medical advances may allow others to procreate in the future. Heterosexual couples who do not wish to have children are still biologically capable of having them, and may change their minds. [98] Con 3 Children need both a mother and a father. Girls who are raised apart from their fathers are reportedly at higher risk for early sexual activity and... Read More Con 3 Children need both a mother and a father. Girls who are raised apart from their fathers are reportedly at higher risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy. [52] Children without a mother are deprived of the emotional security and unique advice that mothers provide. A 2012 study by Mark Regnerus, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, found that children raised by parents who had same-sex relationships suffered more difficulties in life (including sexual abuse and unemployment in later life) than children raised by "intact biological famil[ies]." [133] Doug Mainwaring, the openly gay co-founder of National Capital Tea Party Patriots, stated that "it became increasingly apparent to me, even if I found somebody else exactly like me, who loved my kids as much as I do, there would still be a gaping hole in their lives because they need a mom... I don't want to see children being engineered for same-sex couples where there is either a mom missing or a dad missing." [53] Con 4 Legalizing gay marriage could lead down a "slippery slope," giving people in polygamous, incestuous, bestial, and other nontraditional… Read More Con 4 Legalizing gay marriage could lead down a "slippery slope," giving people in polygamous, incestuous, bestial, and other nontraditional relationships the right to marry. [10] Glen Lavy, JD, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, argued in a May 21, 2008 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "The movement for polygamy and polyamory is poised to use the successes of same-sex couples as a springboard for further de-institutionalizing marriage." [11] In Apr. 2013 Slate writer Jillian Keenan wrote: "Just like heterosexual marriage is no better or worse than homosexual marriage, marriage between two consenting adults is not inherently more or less 'correct' than marriage among three (or four, or six) consenting adults." [71] James C. Dobson, Founder and Chairman of Focus on the Family, predicted in 2005 that legalizing same-sex marriage will enable "group marriage," "marriage between daddies and little girls," and "marriage between a man and his donkey." [136] Con 5 Allowing gay couples to wed could further weaken the institution of marriage. Traditional marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates... Read More Con 5 Allowing gay couples to wed could further weaken the institution of marriage. Traditional marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates (between 40% and 50%), and 40.7% of babies were born to unmarried mothers in 2012. [50] [51] [116] Former US Senator (R-PA) and presidential candidate Rick Santorum stated that "Legalization of gay marriage would further undermine an institution that is essential to the well-being of children and our society. Do we need to confuse future generations of Americans even more about the role and importance of an institution that is so critical to the stability of our country?" [137] Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society at The Heritage Foundation, said "In recent decades, marriage has been weakened by a revisionist view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs... Redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships is the culmination of this revisionism, and it would leave emotional intensity as the only thing that sets marriage apart from other bonds." [70] Con 6 Homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. J. Matt Barber, Associate Dean for Online Programs at Liberty University School of Law, stated that "Every… Read More Con 6 Homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. J. Matt Barber, Associate Dean for Online Programs at Liberty University School of Law, stated that "Every individual engaged in the homosexual lifestyle, who has adopted a homosexual identity, they know, intuitively, that what they're doing is immoral, unnatural, and self-destructive, yet they thirst for that affirmation." A 2003 set of guidelines signed by Pope John Paul II stated: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family... Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law." [147] Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee stated in Oct. 2014 that gay marriage is "inconsistent with nature and nature’s law." [148] Con 7 Gay marriage is contrary to the word of God and is incompatible with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. The Bible, in… Read More Con 7 Gay marriage is contrary to the word of God and is incompatible with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. The Bible, in Leviticus 18:22, states: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination," thus condemning homosexual relationships. [120] In Islamic tradition, several hadiths (passages attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) condemn gay and lesbian relationships, including the sayings "When a man mounts another man, the throne of God shakes," and "Sihaq [lesbian sex] of women is zina [illegitimate sexual intercourse]." [121] The Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Association of Evangelicals, and American Baptist Churches USA all oppose same-sex marriage. [119] Two orthodox Jewish groups, the Orthodox Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union, also oppose gay marriage, as does mainstream Islam. [13] [119] According to a July 31, 2003 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II, marriage "was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose. No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman…" [54] Pope Benedict stated in Jan. 2012 that gay marriage threatened "the future of humanity itself." [145] Con 8 Legalizing gay marriage often leads to an end to domestic partnership benefits for gay and straight couples, which disadvantages couples who choose... Read More Con 8 Legalizing gay marriage often leads to an end to domestic partnership benefits for gay and straight couples, which disadvantages couples who choose not to get married. Maryland ended health insurance benefits for new domestic partnerships after same-sex marriage became legal in the state in 2013. [124] [135] The state of Washington automatically converted domestic partnerships to marriages when they legalized gay marriage in 2012, providing no option to retain domestic partnerships or civil unions unless one partner is at least 62 years old. [134] [123] The US Defense Department announced in Aug. 2013 that it would grant health insurance and other benefits to same-sex married partners of US troops, but that domestic partners would no longer be granted the same benefits. [125] The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of Labor recognized same-sex married couples for the purpose of granting tax, retirement, and health insurance benefits after the US Supreme Court declared part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional in 2013, but they did not include domestic partnerships or civil unions. [126] Con 9 Gay marriage will accelerate the assimilation of gays into mainstream heterosexual culture to the detriment of the homosexual community. The gay... Read More Con 9 Gay marriage will accelerate the assimilation of gays into mainstream heterosexual culture to the detriment of the homosexual community. The gay community has created its own vibrant culture. By reducing the differences in opportunities and experiences between gay and heterosexual people, this unique culture may cease to exist. Lesbian activist M.V. Lee Badgett, PhD, Director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, stated that for many gay activists "marriage means adopting heterosexual forms of family and giving up distinctively gay family forms and perhaps even gay and lesbian culture." [14] Paula Ettelbrick, JD, Professor of Law and Women's Studies, wrote in 1989, "Marriage runs contrary to two of the primary goals of the lesbian and gay movement: the affirmation of gay identity and culture and the validation of many forms of relationships." [15] Con 10 Marriage is an outmoded, oppressive institution that should be weakened, not expanded. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) activist... Read More Con 10 Marriage is an outmoded, oppressive institution that should be weakened, not expanded. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) activist collective Against Equality states that "Gay marriage apes hetero privilege... [and] increases economic inequality by perpetuating a system which deems married beings more worthy of the basics like health care and economic rights." [84] The leaders of the Gay Liberation Front in New York said in July 1969, "We expose the institution of marriage as one of the most insidious and basic sustainers of the system. The family is the microcosm of oppression." [16] Self-described queer activist Anders Zanichkowsky stated in June 2013 that the campaign for gay marriage "intentionally and maliciously erases and excludes so many queer people and cultures, particularly trans and gender non-conforming people, poor queer people, and queer people in non-traditional families... marriage thinks non-married people are deviant and not truly deserving of civil rights." [127] Con 11 People should not have their tax dollars used to support something they believe is wrong. Peter S. Sprigg, MDiv, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies… Read More Con 11 People should not have their tax dollars used to support something they believe is wrong. Peter S. Sprigg, MDiv, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council, said that if gay marriage were legalized, "[t]axpayers, consumers, and businesses would be forced to subsidize homosexual relationships... One of the key arguments often heard in support of homosexual civil marriage revolves around all the government 'benefits' that homosexuals claim they are denied. Many of these 'benefits' involve one thing–taxpayer money that homosexuals are eager to get their hands on." [146] Gay marriage would entitle gay couples to typical marriage benefits including claiming a tax exemption for a spouse, receiving social security payments from a deceased spouse, and coverage by a spouse’s health insurance policy, largely at taxpayers' expense. On Dec. 17, 2009 the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the cost to the federal government of extending employment benefits to same-sex domestic partners of certain federal employees (making no mention of additional costs such as Social Security and inheritance taxes) would be $596 million in mandatory spending and $302 million in discretionary spending between 2010 and 2019. [37] Con 12 Marriage is a privilege, not a right. The US Constitution contains no explicit right to marry. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on June 24… Read More Con 12 Marriage is a privilege, not a right. The US Constitution contains no explicit right to marry. [99] The European Court of Human Rights ruled on June 24, 2010 that the state has a valid interest in protecting the traditional definition of marriage, and stated that the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms "enshrined the traditional concept of marriage as being between a man and a woman." [101] [102] Society can choose not to allow same-sex couples to marry, just as it does not allow a person to marry more than one partner or allow minors or close relatives to marry. [100] Matthew D. Staver, JD, Dean of the Liberty University School of Law, explained: "The unifying characteristics of the protected classes within the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include (1) a history of longstanding, widespread discrimination, (2) economic disadvantage, and (3) immutable characteristics... 'Sexual orientation' does not meet any of the three objective criteria shared by the historically protected civil rights categories." [62] Con 13 Legalizing gay marriage advances the "homosexual agenda" and unfairly paints opponents as bigots. The Illinois Family Institute states that if gay… Read More Con 13 Legalizing gay marriage advances the "homosexual agenda" and unfairly paints opponents as bigots. The Illinois Family Institute states that if gay marriage is legalized, "Children will be taught that homosexuality is morally equivalent to heterosexuality... that children do not have any inherent rights to know and be raised by a mother and a father... [and] that opposition to the legalization of 'same-sex marriage' was equivalent to opposition to the legalization of interracial marriage. They will be taught that opposition to both was motivated by ignorance and hatred." [85] Lou Sheldon, Founder of the Traditional Values Coalition, warned of the influence on children of the "homosexual agenda," writing that "[o]ur little children are being targeted by the homosexuals and liberals... To be brainwashed to think that homosexuality is the moral equivalent of heterosexuality. We can't let that happen." [150] Con 14 Civil unions and domestic partnerships can provide the protections and benefits gay couples need without changing the definition of marriage… Read More Con 14 Civil unions and domestic partnerships can provide the protections and benefits gay couples need without changing the definition of marriage. Privileges available to couples in civil unions and domestic partnerships can include health insurance benefits, inheritance without a will, the ability to file state taxes jointly, and hospital visitation rights. [155] [156] 2016 presidential candidate and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina stated that civil unions are adequate as an equivalent to marriage for same-sex couples: "Benefits are being bestowed to gay couples [in civil unions]... I believe we need to respect those who believe that the word marriage has a spiritual foundation... Why can't we respect and tolerate that while at the same time saying government cannot bestow benefits unequally." [157] 43rd US President George W. Bush expressed his support for same-sex civil unions while in office: "I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do so... I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between a union between a man and a woman. Now, having said that, states ought to be able to have the right to pass laws that enable people to be able to have rights like others." [158] Did You Know? 1. On May 17, 2004, the first legal gay marriage in the United States was performed in Cambridge, MA between Tanya McCloskey, a massage therapist, and Marcia Kadish, an employment manager at an engineering firm. [26] 2. The world's first legal gay marriage ceremony took place in the Netherlands on Apr. 1, 2001, just after midnight. The four couples, one female and three male, were married in a televised ceremony officiated by the mayor of Amsterdam. [152] 3. The Congressional Budget Office estimated on Dec. 17, 2009 that extending employment benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees would cost the federal government $596 million in mandatory spending and $302 million in discretionary spending between 2010 and 2019. [37] 4. An Oct. 2, 2009 analysis by the New York Times estimated that same-sex couples denied marriage benefits will incur an additional $41,196 to $467,562 in expenses over their lifetimes compared with married heterosexual couples. [7] 5. The Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Association of Evangelicals, and American Baptist Churches USA all oppose same-sex marriage. [119] People who view this page may also like: 1. Gay Marriage in the US Supreme Court, 2015 2. Are people born gay? 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(Submit) Search with google * Make a contribution * Subscribe * (Submit) International edition + switch to the UK edition + switch to the US edition + switch to the Australia edition * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * The Guardian app * Video * Podcasts * Pictures * Newsletters * Today's paper * Inside the Guardian * The Observer * Guardian Weekly * Crosswords * Facebook * Twitter * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * World * Europe * US * Americas * Asia * Australia * Middle East * Africa * Inequality * Cities * Global development (Submit) More LGBT rights Tanzania: men arrested for 'gay marriage' face anal examinations Ten detained on island of Zanzibar to undergo test campaigners call torture Jason Burke Africa correspondent Thu 8 Nov 2018 17.52 GMT Last modified on Thu 8 Nov 2018 18.09 GMT * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email This article is over 2 months old Paul Makonda, regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam [_] Paul Makonda, regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, has called for Tanzanians to report homosexuals. Photograph: Khalfan Said Hassan/AFP/Getty Images Ten men arrested for allegedly conducting a same-sex marriage ceremony on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar are to face a forced anal examination on Friday, activists have told the Guardian. The procedure is supposed to discover evidence of homosexual activity, though many say the primary aim is to humiliate and hurt. The UN Committee against Torture has said such examinations “have no medical justification” and campaigners say they violate international law. The arrests were made on Saturday night at a party at Pongwe Beach resort and follow calls by Paul Makonda, regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s biggest city, for citizens to begin reporting homosexuals for round-ups in a country where anti-gay rhetoric has soared in recent years. Makonda said he had put together a team of officials and police that would target gay people, who could face lengthy prison sentences. On Sunday, national authorities issued a statement which, though it did not condemn the crackdown, did not condone the move. “The government of the United Republic of Tanzania would like to clarify that these are [Makonda’s] personal views and not the position of the government,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. It added that the government would “continue to respect all international human rights conventions which it subscribes to”. One activist in the city said that the atmosphere was “more calm” since the government announcement: “The situation is much better now after the government bowed down to pressure.” However, other activists said that physical attacks on homosexuals were continuing. Officials in Tanzania have repeatedly backed a series of homophobic measures since John Magufuli became president in 2015 on an anti-graft platform. Campaign groups have accused Tanzania of following a dangerous path. In May, 65 civil rights groups from across the world signed an open letter expressing deep concern over the decline in respect for human rights, including the rights to freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly, in Tanzania. Two opposition leaders were sentenced to five months in prison in February for insulting Magufuli, and an opposition leader was charged on Friday with sedition and inciting hatred, days after he said scores had died in clashes between security forces and herders in his western home district, a statement that was dismissed by authorities. Two foreign journalists detained earlier this week were released on Thursday. Angela Quintal, Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, were both held overnight by police in Dar es Salaam. The LGBT community in Tanzania has faced repeated waves of repression. In 2016, Tanzania banned non-governmental organisations from distributing free lube to gay people as part of efforts to control the spread of HIV/Aids, even though some health experts warned shutting down such outreach programmes could put the wider population at higher risk of infection. In a raid last year, at least 12 men were arrested at a Dar es Salaam hotel gathering that authorities said was to promote same-sex relationships. Amnesty International has established that the men arrested last weekend were suspected of conducting a gay marriage because police found them sitting in pairs “two by two”. “It is mind-boggling that the mere act of sitting in a pair can assume criminal proportions. The police clearly have no grounds to file charges against these men in court, despite arresting them three days ago,” said Seif Magango, Amnesty International’s deputy director for east Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes. A conviction for having “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” can lead to 30 years or more in jail in Tanzania. Homosexuality remains taboo across much of Africa and gay people face discrimination or persecution, with human rights groups often reluctant to speak publicly in defence of gay rights. Six of the eight countries listed by campaigners as practicing anal examinations in 2016 were African: Tunisia, Egypt, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and Cameroon. The Tunisian Medical Council banned such procedures last year. 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Learn More. chrome store logo Same-sex marriage Written By: * The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica See Article History Alternative Titles: same-sex partnership, same-sex union Same-sex marriage, the practice of marriage between two men or between two women. Although same-sex marriage has been regulated through law, religion, and custom in most countries of the world, the legal and social responses have ranged from celebration on the one hand to criminalization on the other. Some scholars, most notably the Yale professor and historian John Boswell (1947–94), have argued that same-sex unions were recognized by the Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe, although others have disputed this claim. Scholars and the general public became increasingly interested in the issue during the late 20th century, a period when attitudes toward homosexuality and laws regulating homosexual behaviour were liberalized, particularly in western Europe and the United States. The issue of same-sex marriage frequently sparked emotional and political clashes between supporters and opponents. By the early 21st century, several jurisdictions, both at the national and subnational levels, had legalized same-sex marriage; in other jurisdictions, constitutional measures were adopted to prevent same-sex marriages from being sanctioned, or laws were enacted that refused to recognize such marriages performed elsewhere. That the same act was evaluated so differently by various groups indicates its importance as a social issue in the early 21st century; it also demonstrates the extent to which cultural diversity persisted both within and among countries. For tables on same-sex marriage around the world, in the United States, and in Australia, see below. IFRAME: /GPTIframe/ajax/sync/EB_HOUSE_DESKTOP Cultural ideals of marriage and sexual partnership Perhaps the earliest systematic analyses of marriage and kinship were conducted by the Swiss legal historian Johann Jakob Bachofen (1861) and the American ethnologist Lewis Henry Morgan (1871); by the mid-20th century an enormous variety of marriage and sexual customs across cultures had been documented by such scholars. Notably, they found that most cultures expressed an ideal form of marriage and an ideal set of marriage partners, while also practicing flexibility in the application of those ideals. Among the more common forms so documented were common-law marriage; morganatic marriage, in which titles and property do not pass to children; exchange marriage, in which a sister and a brother from one family marry a brother and a sister from another; and group marriages based on polygyny (co-wives) or polyandry (co-husbands). Ideal matches have included those between cross-cousins, between parallel cousins, to a group of sisters (in polygyny) or brothers (in polyandry), or between different age sets. In many cultures the exchange of some form of surety, such as bride service, bridewealth, or dowry, has been a traditional part of the marriage contract. Cultures that openly accepted homosexuality, of which there were many, generally had nonmarital categories of partnership through which such bonds could be expressed and socially regulated. Conversely, other cultures essentially denied the existence of same-sex intimacy, or at least deemed it an unseemly topic for discussion of any sort. Religious and secular expectations of marriage and sexuality Over time the historical and traditional cultures originally recorded by the likes of Bachofen and Morgan slowly succumbed to the homogenization imposed by colonialism. Although a multiplicity of marriage practices once existed, conquering nations typically forced local cultures to conform to colonial belief and administrative systems. Whether Egyptian, Vijayanagaran, Roman, Ottoman, Mongol, Chinese, European, or other, empires have long fostered (or, in some cases, imposed) the widespread adoption of a relatively small number of religious and legal systems. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the perspectives of one or more of the world religions—Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—and their associated civil practices were often invoked during national discussions of same-sex marriage. Perhaps because systems of religion and systems of civil authority often reflect and support each other, the countries that had reached consensus on the issue by the early 2000s tended to have a single dominant religious affiliation across the population; many such places had a single, state-sponsored religion. This was the case in both Iran, where a strong Muslim theocracy had criminalized same-sex intimacy, and Denmark, where the findings of a conference of Evangelical Lutheran bishops (representing the state religion) had helped smooth the way for the first national recognition of same-sex relationships through registered partnerships. In other cases, the cultural homogeneity supported by the dominant religion did not result in the application of doctrine to the civic realm but may nonetheless have fostered a smoother series of discussions among the citizenry: Belgium and Spain had legalized same-sex marriage, for instance, despite official opposition from their predominant religious institution, the Roman Catholic Church. The existence of religious pluralities within a country seems to have had a less determinate effect on the outcome of same-sex marriage debates. In some such countries, including the United States, consensus on this issue was difficult to reach. On the other hand, the Netherlands—the first country to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples (2001)—was religiously diverse, as was Canada, which did so in 2005. Most of the world religions have at some points in their histories opposed same-sex marriage for one or more of the following stated reasons: homosexual acts violate natural law or divine intentions and are therefore immoral; passages in sacred texts condemn homosexual acts; and religious tradition recognizes only the marriage of one man and one woman as valid. In the early 21st century, however, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism all spoke with more than one voice on this issue. Orthodox Judaism opposed same-sex marriage, while the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative traditions allowed for it. Most Christian denominations opposed it, while the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Canada, and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) took a more favourable stand or allowed individual churches autonomy in the matter. The Unitarian Universalist churches and the gay-oriented Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches fully accepted same-sex marriage. Hinduism, without a sole leader or hierarchy, allowed some Hindus to accept the practice while others were virulently opposed. The three major schools of Buddhism—Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana—stressed the attainment of enlightenment as a basic theme; most Buddhist literature therefore viewed all marriage as a choice between the two individuals involved. Sexuality is but one of many areas where religious and civic authority interact; definitions of the purpose of marriage is another. In one view, the purpose of marriage is to ensure successful procreation and child rearing. In another, marriage provides a—and perhaps “the”—fundamental building block of stable communities, with procreation as an incidental by-product. A third perspective holds that marriage is an instrument of societal domination and so is not desirable. A fourth is that relationships between consenting adults should not be regulated by the government. Although most religions subscribe to just one of these beliefs, it is not uncommon for two or more viewpoints to coexist within a given society. Proponents of the first view believe that the primary goal of marriage is to provide a relatively uniform social institution through which to produce and raise children. In their view, because male and female are both necessary for procreation, the privileges of marriage should be available only to opposite-sex couples. In other words, partnerships involving sexual intimacy should have at least a notional potential for procreation. From this perspective, the movement to legally recognize same-sex marriage is a misguided attempt to deny the social, moral, and biological distinctions that foster the continued existence of society and so should be discouraged. Because this view considers biological reproduction a sort of social obligation, its advocates tended to frame individuals’ legal and moral commitment to one another as a matter of genetic relatedness. In cases of inheritance or custody, for instance, they generally defined the parents’ legal duties to their biological children differently than those to their stepchildren. Among groups who feel strongly that same-sex marriage is problematic, there is also a tendency for the legal relationships of spouses, parents, and children to converge. Typically, these societies provide for the automatic inheritance of property between spouses, and between parents and children, and allow these close kin to co-own property without joint ownership contracts. In addition, such societies often allow close kin a variety of automatic privileges such as sponsoring immigration visas or making medical decisions for one another; for those with whom one shares no close kin relationship, these privileges typically require legal interventions. Such legal circumventions are usually more difficult for, and in some cases even prohibited to, same-sex couples. In contrast to the procreative model of marriage, advocates of the legalization of same-sex marriage generally believed that committed partnerships involving sexual intimacy are valuable because they draw people together to a singular degree and in singular ways. In this view, such relationships are intrinsically worthy while also quite distinct from (though not incompatible with) activities associated with the bearing or raising of children. Sexual partnerships are one of a number of factors that bond adults together into stable household units. These households, in turn, form the foundation of a productive society—a society in which, albeit incidentally, children, elders, and others who may be relatively powerless are likely to be protected. From this perspective, the devaluation of same-sex intimacy is immoral because it constitutes arbitrary and irrational discrimination, thereby damaging the community. Most same-sex marriage advocates further held that international human rights legislation provided a universal franchise to equal treatment under the law. Thus, prohibiting a specific group from the full rights of marriage was illegally discriminatory. For advocates of the community-benefit perspective, all the legal perquisites associated with heterosexual marriage should be available to any committed couple. In contrast to these positions, self-identified “queer” theorists and activists sought to deconstruct the paired oppositional categories common in discussions of biology, gender, and sexuality (e.g., male-female, man-woman, gay-straight) and to replace these with categories or continua that they believed better reflect the actual practices of humanity. Queer advocates contended that marriage is an institution of “hetero-normality” that forces individuals into ill-fitting cultural categories and demonizes those who refuse to accept those categories. For these reasons, they maintained that consensual intimacy between adults should not be regulated and that marriage should be disestablished as a cultural institution. A fourth view, libertarianism, had different premises from queer theory but somewhat similar ramifications; it proposed that government powers should be strictly limited, generally to the tasks of maintaining civil order, infrastructure, and defense. For libertarians, marriage legislation of any sort—either the legalization or the prohibition of same-sex marriage—fell outside of the role of government and was unacceptable. As a result, many libertarians believed that marriage should be “privatized” (i.e., removed from government regulation) and that citizens should be able to form partnerships of their choosing. Same-sex marriage and the law Societies have resolved the intertwined issues of sexuality, reproduction, and marriage in myriad ways. Their responses regarding the morality, desirability, and administrative perquisites of same-sex partnerships have been equally diverse. Notably, however, by the beginning of the 21st century most countries opted for one of only three legal resolutions to these intersecting problems: to ignore same-sex partnerships, to criminalize them, or to grant them a status similar or equal to that of heterosexual marriage. Many countries have yet to reach a consensus on these issues. (See also marriage law.) As noted above, many societies traditionally chose to ignore the issue of same-sex marriage by treating same-sex intimacy as a subject unsuitable for discussion. Many of these jurisdictions, as well as those that actively criminalize same-sex unions, contended that homosexuality and lesbianism are mental disorders and built their public policies on this premise. In treating same-sex desire as a psychiatric illness, these cultures moved same-sex intimacy and marriage from the realm of civil regulations (the domain of contract law) to that of public safety (the domain of criminal law). In such societies, the possibility of arrest or institutionalization further reinforced taboos on same-sex intimacy and discussions thereof, typically driving such activities underground. International In the early 21st century the countries that most seriously penalized same-sex relations tended to be in deeply conservative regions of the world, particularly Islamic theocracies and some parts of Asia and Africa. They often proscribed behaviours that other countries viewed as subject to moral, rather than legal, regulation. The judicial systems of many predominantly Muslim countries, for instance, invoke Islamic law (Sharīʿah) in a wide range of contexts. A variety of sexual or quasi-sexual acts, usually including same-sex intimacy, were criminalized in these countries, and the penalties for these acts could be as severe as execution. However, in a notable show of support for transgender individuals in the late 20th century, Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a legal decree, or fatwa, supporting gender-reassignment surgery when undertaken by individuals who wished to “fix” their physiology and thus become heterosexual in the eyes of the law. In contrast, the acceptance of same-sex partnerships was particularly apparent in northern Europe and in countries with cultural ties to that region. In 1989 Denmark became the first country to establish registered partnerships—an attenuated version of marriage—for same-sex couples. Soon thereafter similar laws, generally using specific vocabulary (e.g., civil union, civil partnership, domestic partnership, registered partnership) to differentiate same-sex unions from heterosexual marriages, went into effect in Norway (1993), Sweden (1995), Iceland (1996), the Netherlands (1998), and elsewhere in Europe, including the United Kingdom (2005) and Ireland (2011). Interestingly—and perhaps as a reflection of tensions between the marriage-for-procreation and marriage-for-community-good positions discussed above—many European countries initially prevented same-sex couples from adoption and artificial insemination; by 2007, however, most of these restrictions had been removed. Outside Europe, some jurisdictions also adopted some form of same-sex partnership rights; Israel recognized common-law same-sex marriage in the mid-1990s (the Israeli Supreme Court further ruled in 2006 that same-sex marriages performed abroad should be recognized), and same-sex civil unions went into effect in New Zealand (2005) and in parts of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico in the early 21st century. In 2007 Uruguay became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex civil unions nationwide; the legislation became effective the following year. Some jurisdictions opted to specifically apply the honorific of “marriage” to same-sex as well as heterosexual unions. In 2000 the Netherlands revised its same-sex partnership law and the following year became the first country to offer marriage to same-sex couples; several other European countries subsequently legalized gay marriage. In 2003 the European Union mandated that all of its members pass laws recognizing the same-sex marriages of fellow EU countries. As countries began to legalize same-sex partnerships, public opinion, particularly in Europe, began to shift in favour of full marriage rights for same-sex unions. For example, by the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, a Eurobarometer poll (carried out by the European Commission) found that four-fifths of the citizens of the Netherlands felt that same-sex marriage should be legal throughout Europe; in a further seven countries (Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic), a majority held a similar view. Nevertheless, in other parts of Europe, particularly central and southern Europe, support for same-sex marriage was quite low, often with fewer than one-fifth of those polled favouring legalization. By the following decade, polls indicated that roughly one-half of British citizens approved of legalizing same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom; such marriages were legalized in England and Wales in 2013, and Scotland followed suit in 2014. In 2005 Canada became the first country outside Europe to pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. Thereafter, South Africa (2006) and Argentina (2010) were the first African and Latin American countries, respectively, to legalize same-sex marriage. New Zealand (2013) became the first country in Oceania to do so. Elsewhere, Bermuda legalized same-sex marriage in 2017, but the following year it passed a bill that replaced such marriages with domestic partnerships. Bermuda thus became the first country to repeal same-sex marriage. In other countries, decisions on same-sex marriage were effectively turned over to individual states or districts. In 2009 the Federal District (Mexico City), separate from other Mexican jurisdictions, legalized same-sex marriage. Soon after the law went into effect in 2010, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional and that all states in the country had to recognize same-sex marriages performed in Mexico City. Gay marriage was later made legal, under the same terms, elsewhere in the country. Similarly, shortly after Brazil legalized same-sex civil unions in 2011, the Supreme Federal Court ruled that sexual orientation could not be a pretext for denying a couple the legal protections of marriage, although it stopped short of specifically authorizing same-sex marriage at the federal level. In response, several Brazilian states separately opted to allow for same-sex marriages, which were considered valid throughout Brazil, before the National Council of Justice approved a resolution in 2013 ensuring that such unions could be registered anywhere in the country. Also in 2013, the Australian Capital Territory became the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass a law permitting the marriage of same-sex couples, although Australia’s High Court later struck down the law within days of its having taken effect. In 2017 a majority of Australians voted for same-sex marriage in a nonbinding referendum. Shortly thereafter the country’s Parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, and it was signed into law in December 2017. United States In the United States the question of whether couples of the same sex should be allowed to marry has roiled politics since at least 1993. In that year the Supreme Court of Hawaii heard a case in which the plaintiffs claimed that the state’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples abrogated those individuals’ rights to equal treatment under the law. The state, in turn, argued that it had a compelling interest in preventing same-sex marriage, as that practice would inherently damage the public good. The court found for the plaintiffs, basing its argument on the law’s absence of a clear definition of who might or might not participate in such a partnership. Soon after this finding, Hawaiian legislators added such a definition to the state constitution and thus made moot the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex partners. Many Americans felt that the Hawaii court decision represented a serious threat to social stability, and in 1996 the U.S. Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This legislation declared that same-sex marriages would not be recognized for federal purposes, such as the award of Social Security benefits normally afforded to a surviving spouse or employment-based benefits for the partners of federal employees. The act also restated existing law by providing that no U.S. state or territory was required to recognize marriages from elsewhere when it had strong policies to the contrary. Within a decade of the federal act’s passage, almost all the states had enacted laws or constitutional amendments declaring variously that marriage was legally defined as a heterosexual institution, that same-sex marriages from other states would not be recognized, or that same-sex marriage was contrary to the public policies of the state. Nonetheless, some states moved toward the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships. In 1999 the Vermont Supreme Court declared that same-sex couples were entitled under the state constitution to the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples; shortly thereafter the state legislature enacted a law creating “civil unions,” which conferred all the rights and responsibilities of marriage but not the name. In 2003 California enacted a similar statute, calling the relationships “domestic partnerships.” Also in 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violated the state constitution; the court gave the state six months to comply with its order to remedy the situation. The state soon began to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples, but these were quickly challenged and their legal status over the long term remained uncertain. Officials in some smaller jurisdictions, notably San Francisco, joined the controversy in early 2004 by issuing marriage licenses in defiance of local prohibitions; these licenses were later found to be invalid. Subsequently, several other states and Washington, D.C., either established same-sex civil unions or adopted jurisdictionwide policies that accorded some spousal rights to same-sex couples. Early in 2008 the Supreme Courts of two states—California and Connecticut—struck down state laws limiting marriage to the union between a man and a woman. Later in 2008 the voters in California passed a referendum, Proposition 8, that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Proposition 8 subsequently was ruled unconstitutional in federal district court in August 2010 on the grounds that the prohibition of same-sex marriage violated the due process and equal protection clauses. Although advocates of the referendum quickly sought to contest the decision, it was upheld by a federal appeals court in February 2012. Referenda similar to California’s Proposition 8 were approved in Arizona and Florida in 2008 and in North Carolina in 2012. In April 2009 the Iowa Supreme Court overturned a state law that barred gay marriage, and soon afterward the legislatures of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage—though in November 2009 Maine voters repealed the law. By 2011 Washington, D.C., and New York state had enacted similar legislation. In early 2012 bills allowing for same-sex marriage were passed by legislatures in Maryland and Washington state. Subsequent challenges to the laws made their implementation contingent on the results of ballot referenda, and in November voters in both states affirmed the laws. As the electorate in Maine simultaneously reversed its previous decision, the three states became the first in the country to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box. Broadly reflecting the community-benefit rhetoric noted above, many American legal scholars and same-sex marriage advocates developed arguments that the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution guaranteed the fundamental right to marry. Opposition arguments broadly reflected the procreative position and frequently invoked biblical exegeses or other religious doctrine to support claims that marriage, strictly defined, should be available only to heterosexual couples. Advocates of both perspectives cited various and conflicting sociological studies in defense of their claims. At the beginning of the 21st century a clear majority of the U.S. population opposed same-sex marriage, but by 2010 about half of the population supported legalization, and many of those opposed were open to the creation of legally recognized partnerships for same-sex couples. In 2012, as public debate on the issue persisted, two significant events occurred at the federal level. Pres. Barack Obama, who during his initial years in office had endorsed only civil unions for same-sex couples, in May became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage. In December the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear challenges to DOMA and to Proposition 8. The following year the court declared DOMA to be unconstitutional “as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment,” and it vacated the appeals court’s ruling regarding Proposition 8 on the grounds that the law’s defenders (a group of private citizens) lacked standing to appeal the district court’s order. same-sex marriage: U.S. demonstration same-sex marriage: U.S. demonstrationDemonstrators in favour of same-sex marriage protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C., 2013.Doug Mills—The New York Times/Redux Between December 2013 and August 2014, federal judges in 14 states overturned state bans of same-sex marriage. In all but two of those states, the rulings were stayed, although some of the states briefly performed same-sex marriages prior to their suspension. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that those marriages would be recognized by the federal government, and in February 2014 he introduced a Department of Justice policy to grant equal protection and treatment to all lawful marriages in the United States. In October the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review appeals of federal court decisions in five states, which effectively made same-sex marriage legal in those jurisdictions. As an indirect consequence, same-sex marriage was soon legalized by U.S. district courts in several additional states. By the end of 2014, the number of states where such marriages were legal had reached 35—more than twice as many as at the beginning of the year. In January 2015 the Supreme Court agreed to review a November 2014 decision of the Court of Appeals of the Sixth Circuit that had upheld state laws and constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage or the recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. In June, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the court reversed both of the Sixth Circuit’s holdings, thereby legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states. White House White HousePeople gathering in Lafayette Park to see the White House illuminated with rainbow colours in commemoration of the Supreme Court's ruling that effectively legalized same-sex marriage, June 2015.Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images The future of same-sex marriage At the turn of the 21st century it was clear that the evolution of rights for same-sex couples depended to a great extent upon the interplay of a country’s institutional forces. In parliamentary unitary systems, such as those of the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom, for example, legislatures (and the executives derived from them) were instrumental in the success or failure of such laws. In other countries, particularly those with federal political systems and strong judiciaries, such as Canada, South Africa, and the United States, the courts played a vital role. For yet another group of polities, such as Switzerland and many U.S. states, institutional rules enabled voters to take a direct role in the passage or rejection of legislation. In countries where consensus has yet to be reached on this issue, the debate is unlikely to be resolved quickly or easily. In some parts of the world, such as those plagued by war or natural disasters, same-sex marriage is simply not an urgent matter. In others, the broad spectrum of notions about sexuality and the purpose of marriage is compounded by national pluralism and a tendency for secularism and religiosity to intersect in complex and unexpected ways. Same-sex marriage around the world The table provides a list of countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, as well as selected countries that offer some other legal status for same-sex couples. CAPTION: Same-sex marriage around the world Countries with same-sex marriage^1 country year effective ^1Same-sex marriage is also legal in parts of Mexico, and marriages performed in those jurisdictions are recognized throughout the country. See also footnote 2. ^2Same-sex marriage is legal in England, Wales, and Scotland. Argentina 2010 Australia 2017 Belgium 2003 Brazil 2013 Canada 2005 Colombia 2016 Denmark 2012 Finland 2017 France 2013 Germany 2017 Iceland 2010 Ireland 2015 Luxembourg 2015 Malta 2017 Netherlands 2001 New Zealand 2013 Norway 2009 Portugal 2010 South Africa 2006 Spain 2005 Sweden 2009 United States 2015 Uruguay 2013 Selected countries with other legal status for same-sex couples country status year effective Andorra civil union 2014 Austria registered partnership 2010 Chile civil union 2015 Croatia life partnership 2014 Cyprus civil partnership 2015 Czech Republic registered partnership 2006 Ecuador stable union 2008 Estonia registered partnership 2016 Germany registered life partnership 2001 Greece civil partnership 2015 Hungary registered partnership 2009 Italy civil union 2016 Liechtenstein registered partnership 2011 Malta civil union 2014 Slovenia registered same-sex partnership 2006 Switzerland registered partnership 2007 United Kingdom^2 civil partnership 2005 Learn More in these related Britannica articles: * United States United States: The Barack Obama administration …the end of June the Supreme Court ruled on a pair of landmark cases. In Obergefell v. Hodges, it found state bans on same-sex marriage and on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions to be unconstitutional under the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. That… * Spain Spain: Zapatero and a new generation of Socialist leadership …which were the legalization of same-sex marriage and the criminalization of domestic violence. Zapatero had long stressed the importance of the immigration issue for Spain, and his approach to it was very different from that of most other European governments; in 2005, for example, he implemented a program that enabled… * Australia Australia: Domestic issues …support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in a nonbinding postal referendum. Turnbull pledged that his government would work to revise Australia’s Marriage Amendment Act 2004, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman, and in December 2017 Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality.… * Canada Canada: Third premiership …nature of Canadian law regarding same-sex marriage was brought into question by Justice Department lawyers responding to a pair of divorce cases. At issue was the legality of a requirement that same-sex married couples must live in Canada for one year before seeking divorce. More controversial was the new assertion… * Ireland Ireland: Social and religious changes …in the world to approve same-sex marriage by referendum when 62 percent of participating voters gave their approval to the measure allowing it. This result and the election of the openly gay Varadkar reflected a profound shift in Irish society away from its traditional social conservatism and toward progressive values… ADDITIONAL MEDIA * gay rights movement: Proposition 8 More About Same-sex marriage 41 references found in Britannica articles Assorted References * Anglican Church of Canada + In Anglican Church of Canada * Argentina + In Argentina: The Menem era and the 21st century * Australia + In Australia: Domestic issues + In Malcolm Turnbull * Belgium + In Belgium: Federalized Belgium * Canada + In Canada: Third premiership + In Ontario: History + In Paul Martin * Costa Rica + In Costa Rica: Costa Rica in the 21st century * Ecuador + In Ecuador: Ecuador from the late 20th century (Submit) View More Additional Reading External Websites * National Conference of State Legislatures - Same-Sex Marriage Laws Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. * same-sex marriage - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Article History Article Contributors Feedback Corrections? 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Prior to the ruling, 37 states and the District of Columbia had legalized gay marriage: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Most other states had enacted constitutional or statutory bans on same-sex marriage, known as "Defense of Marriage" Acts. The following map shows state laws prior to the Supreme Court ruling: Same-Sex Marriage Map IFRAME: https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=MAP&q=select+col3%3E%3 E1+from+1v4taOmjhl_MsIiq8L7xaPNPaEv_nU1IO5PIF1Wg&h=false&lat=38.0653923 5133249&lng=-95.9765625&z=4&t=1&l=col3%3E%3E1&y=2&tmplt=2 NOTE: Please zoom out to view Alaska and Hawaii State Legislation Same-sex marriage legalized Civil unions or domestic partnerships Constitutional or statutory provisions prohibiting same-sex marriage RELATED CONTENT North Carolina Senate Overrides Governor's Veto of Anti-Gay Marriage Bill State senators also approved a bill restricting abortions. North Carolina Governor Vetoes Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Pat McCrory won't sign a bill that would have allowed magistrates to opt out of performing weddings if they have religious objections. Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Goes to North Carolina Governor's Desk In March, Gov. Pat McCrory voiced concerns about a bill to allow magistrates to opt out of performing marriages and said he won't sign it. He stopped short, however, of saying he would veto it. The governor can allow bills to become law without his signature. Judge Legalizes Gay Marriage in Alabama, But Not Yet The federal judge who struck down Alabama's laws banning same-sex marriage reaffirmed her decision Thursday evening, but delayed its implementation. Pittsburgh Pride's Iggy Azalea Problem Many LGBT groups are angry over Pittsburgh Pride headliner Iggy Azalea because of because of tweets from the singer that they consider to be homophobic and racist. LATEST DATA HEADLINES * 6 Innovative Ways States and Localities Are Preparing for the 2020 Census 1 day ago * Your ZIP Code Determines Your Life Expectancy, But Not in These 7 Places 1 month ago * Finance Employees Are Fastest-Growing Segment of Local Government Workforce 2 months ago * The Economy Is Growing. 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Now campaigners are fighting to save it and other key protections under Trump. Tim Teeman 10.04.18 6:15 PM ET [180928-Teeman-Obama-Gave-Us-gay-marriage-tease_zigqrt] Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast In October 2008 The Daily Beast was born, just days before Connecticut became the third U.S. state to legalize gay marriage, and a month before Proposition 8 was passed in California, which overturned that state’s ruling the previous May that had legalized gay marriage. (Marriage equality eventually became law in California in 2013.) The last 10 years in American LGBT politics featured marriage equality as a red-button pivot, motivating activists pro and anti. That struggle, its hangover and practical and ideological remnants, is still being contested. Following a momentous SCOTUS ruling, marriage equality was finally legalized nationwide in 2015; the White House that June evening was wreathed in the colors of the rainbow to mark both the key civil-rights victory and Pride month. But ever since President Donald Trump’s election, the victory and meaning of marriage equality—so hard fought, and a brilliant achievement—has become imperiled. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the searingly-phrased ruling in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, has retired. He was also the deciding vote in the key LGBT-focused SCOTUS cases of Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, and Windsor v. the United States (culminating in the striking down in 2013 of the discriminatory section of the Defense of Marriage Act, with the inspirational Edie Windsor as its figurehead). President Trump is filling the Supreme Court’s empty spots with conservative justices: Neil Gorsuch is in place, Brett Kavanaugh, at the time of writing, is awaiting confirmation. The fiercely religious Vice President Mike Pence has long made clear his animus to the LGBT community, and now holds the zealotry-gilded keys to the political kingdom. Those opposed to LGBT equality have a new drum to march behind: religious liberty. The new guard at the White House, with Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions at their ideological forefront, have chosen an insidious scythe to chop away at not just marriage equality but also other equality and anti-discrimination measures and protections. Jim Obergefell himself wrote for Time, “With Kennedy’s retirement, I am concerned that the backlash is going to turn into a complete ripping away of every bit of equality—every bit of progress—we’ve made over these decades.” ‘Religious liberty,’ as evidenced in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, posits that it is fine to not marry gay people, or serve them in shops, or afford them equality of treatment when it comes to adoption and fostering if you, as a religious person, disapprove of them. Sessions has even set up the Orwellian-sounding Religious Liberty Task Force to search out, and help, all those who feel their ‘religious liberties’ and ‘religious freedoms’ are being trespassed upon them by having to treat LGBT people equally. The attacks on LGBT people, using “religious liberty,” has coincided with a period of particular trans-focused prejudice. President Trump has announced his determination to ban trans people from serving in the military. States like Texas have tried to pass ‘bathroom bans’ (and in Texas’ case will possibly try once more after failing the first time), which seek to regulate where trans people can and cannot use toilets in public. Meanwhile, trans people are being murdered and are victims of violence, which oddly doesn’t seem to bother the conservatives who have sought to make their lives so miserable and legally curtailed. If the LGBT hope of the Obama era has dissipated when it comes to the country’s legislators, in pop culture, progress is being made in terms of LGBT representation. Not enough—but still, characters, stories and shows on screen, including in the Oscar-winning Moonlight and Call Me By Your Name, have shown a sated thirst and hunger for new LGBT narratives. Those cultural battles on screen seem—presently at least—to be bearing more fruit than the fights on Capitol Hill and in courthouses. As The Daily Beast enters its second decade, the prevailing LGBT feeling is worry, concern, and the feeling that not only is marriage equality under threat, but so much else as well. Hearteningly, the energy of LGBT campaigners of many ages and experiences is rising to meet such challenges, grave and ill-portending as they are. As Obergefell wrote for Time: "I’m not just worried about the LGBTQ community. I’m scared for women’s rights, for voting rights. I’m scared for every marginalized group in this nation who relies upon the Supreme Court to live up to those four words etched into the building’s western pediment: Equal Justice Under Law.” Keep Reading for more Daily Beast 10th Anniversary Coverage: READ THIS LIST * Politics * Entertainment * World News * Half Full * Arts and Culture * U.S. News * Tech * Hunt for the Cure * Science * Scouted * Travel * About * Contact * Tips * Jobs * Help * Privacy * Code of Ethics & Standards * Terms & Conditions * Copyright & Trademark * Sitemap * Privacy Settings © 2019 The Daily Beast Company LLC Advertise With Us * News * Nightly News * Meet the Press * Dateline * MSNBC * TODAY (Submit) (Submit) Search ____________________ (Submit) Sponsored By * Politics * Shutdown * U.S. News * Business * World * Tech & Media * THINK * Sports [_] * Share this — * * * * (Submit) OUT Politics and Policy Cuba's new president backs same-sex marriage In his first interview since taking office, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said he supports gay marriage. Miguel DIaz-Canel Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, center, greets Cuban doctors outside the National Pantheon where he visited the tomb of Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 30, 2018.Ariana Cubillos / AP file Sep. 17, 2018, 4:45 PM GMT By Brooke Sopelsa Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in his first interview since taking office in April that he supports a proposed change to the constitution to allow same-sex marriage. "I defend there being no kind of discrimination," he said, although he added that it is up to the Cuban people to decide whether to include the change. The interview with the Venezuela-based television station Telesur aired on Sunday evening. Cuba is currently drafting a new constitution that is being debated at community meetings throughout the Caribbean island nation. The document will replace Cuba’s Cold War-era constitution. Diaz-Canel, 58, joins Cuban lawmaker Mariela Castro in support of legalizing gay marriage in the country. Mariela Castro is the daughter of Raul Castro — Diaz-Canel’s predecessor and the current leader of the Communist Party — and the niece of Fidel Castro. Mariela Castro, center, marches during the Eighth Annual March against Homophobia and Transphobia in Havana, on May 9, 2015.Alexandre Meneghini / Reuters file At a news conference in May, Mariela Castro said she would push for same-sex marriage to be included in the country’s constitutional reform process, which began in July. She also spoke of the need for tougher sanctions for anti-LGBTQ violence, according to Latin American news outlet Telesur. Mariela Castro has been a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights in Cuba and serves as director of the National Center for Sex Education, a Havana-based LGBTQ advocacy and educational organization. She also leads the annual march against homophobia and transphobia in Havana, and her status as a staunch supporter for LGBTQ rights was the subject of a 2016 HBO documentary, “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution.” FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Reuters contributed. * About * Contact * Careers * Privacy policy * Terms of Service * SiteMap * Advertise * AdChoices © 2019 NBC UNIVERSAL * * * * News * Nightly News * Meet the Press * Dateline * MSNBC * TODAY (Submit) (Submit) Search ____________________ (Submit) Sponsored By * Politics * Shutdown * U.S. News * Business * World * Tech & Media * THINK * Sports [_] * Share this — * * * * (Submit) OUT Politics and Policy Kentucky clerk jailed over gay marriage licenses loses re-election bid Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who went to jail in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, lost her bid for a second term on Tuesday. Image: Kim Davis, the county clerk for Rowan County in Kentucky, works with the county election board on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Morehead, Ky.John Flavell / AP Nov. 7, 2018, 2:49 PM GMT By Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky clerk who went to jail in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples lost her bid for a second term on Tuesday. Kim Davis, the Republican incumbent, was defeated by Democrat Elwood Caudill Jr. in the election for clerk of Rowan County in northeastern Kentucky. Caudill won with 4,210 votes, or 54 percent, to 3,566, or 46 percent, for Davis. "I believe that as a community we must continue to work together toward a more prosperous and cohesive Rowan County," Caudill said after his win, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Davis became a national figure when she stopped issuing marriage licenses days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. The ruling overturned same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Davis cited her religious beliefs, saying she was acting under "God's authority." She was released from jail when her staff issued licenses in her absence. Related NBC OUT Sharice Davids, a lesbian Native American, makes political history in Kansas Rowan County voters denied Davis another term to a job that pays about $80,000 a year. She was elected to the clerk's job as a Democrat in 2014, but later switched parties because she said the Democratic Party "abandoned her." She didn't back away from her stand, saying at a fall campaign debate that she didn't treat anyone unfairly, and that she took an oath to uphold the constitution. She said she treated everyone equally because she quit issuing marriage licenses altogether. At the same debate, Caudill said if elected he would treat everyone equally because he took an oath to uphold the law. Caudill criticized Davis for hiring her son to work for her. Davis defended the hiring, saying her son is someone she can trust to oversee human resources and handle the office computers. Related NBC OUT Colorado's Jared Polis projected to be first openly gay man elected governor Kentucky voters in 2004 overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. But in June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples have the right to marry. The ruling overturned same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Days after the ruling, Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses. She was sued by gay and straight couples, and a federal judge ordered Davis to issue the licenses. She refused and spent five days in jail. She was released only after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The state legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses. A federal judge later ruled Kentucky taxpayers must pay the couples' legal fees of about $225,000. FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM * About * Contact * Careers * Privacy policy * Terms of Service * SiteMap * Advertise * AdChoices © 2019 NBC UNIVERSAL * * * #alternate [tr?id=1106253262752192&ev=PageView&noscript=1] News24 News. Breaking News. First LAST UPDATED: 2019-01-19, 22:22 In partnership with [city_press.png] ____________________ Search Cape Town High level clouds. Mild. Sunday 14-25°C High level clouds. Mild. * 3 day forecast + Monday 17-22°c High level clouds. Cool. High level clouds. Cool. Tuesday 17-21°c Sunny. Cool. Sunny. Cool. Wednesday 17-21°c Mostly sunny. Cool. Mostly sunny. Cool. More weather from Weather24 > Brought to you by: [336064604a924ed5b127b2a937101b54.png] * News + South Africa + World + Africa + Entertainment + Green + Health + Local * Voices + MyNews24 + Books * Business + Markets + Personal Finance + Economy + Opinion + Small Business + FinWeek * Sport + News + Rugby + Cricket + Soccer + Golf + Tennis + Formula1 + Other Sport + SuperSport + Live Streaming + Video Highlights * Lifestyle + Health + Women + Motoring + Food + Travel + Entertainment + Parent + You + Drum + TrueLove + Move! + Dating * Video [1e8bfdb31c634fbd91a88b74679e91f8.png] + South Africa + Entertainment * Focus + Mandela100 + Cyril100 + Underworld Unmasked + Zimbabwe + Aids Focus + Good News + Competitions * Jobs * Property * Travel + News + Explore + Family Holidays + SA Holiday Guide + Weekend Escapes + Travel Planning + My Travels * Motoring + News + New Models + 4X4 + Formula One + MotorSport + Bikes + Your Wheels * City Press * Partners + Anthem Project + Luxury Of Time + Mandela100 + Mobility For All + Thank You For Caring + Be The Generation Gay marriage: Europe split in two 2018-10-04 22:00 [cb37867fb9344c36af17faaf59b4e1e7.jpg] Scott D'Amico, left, and Brad Harker celebrate after the same sex marriage vote result announcement in Queens Park, Australia. (Photo: File - David Clark, AP) Scott D'Amico, left, and Brad Harker celebrate after the same sex marriage vote result announcement in Queens Park, Australia. (Photo: File - David Clark, AP) Multimedia · User Galleries · News in Pictures Send us your pictures · Send us your stories Related Links * Zim gay group calls for tough govt action against abuse of its members * US restricts visas to unmarried gay diplomats * Have your say on Home Affairs officials refusing to marry same sex couples The referendum in Romania this weekend that could see the conservative country ban gay marriage underlines the largely East-West split in Europe over same-sex unions. Western Europe: pioneers In 2001 The Netherlands became the first country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in a civil ceremony. Fifteen European countries have followed: Belgium, Britain (but not Northern Ireland, which only accepts civil partnerships), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, with Austria due to join next year. In several of these countries, gay marriage had been preceded by civil partnerships, which come with fewer rights, Denmark being the pioneer in 1989. Some European countries still only allow such partnerships, rather than marriage, including Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland. Slovenians also allow civil partnerships but in 2015 rejected in a referendum a proposal to legalise gay marriage. Bans in the east In June 2018 the Czech government backed draft legislation that would make the country the first post-communist member of the European Union to legalise same-sex marriage. But most Eastern European countries allow neither gay partnerships nor marriages, including Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In 2014 Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to authorise same-sex civil unions. In Russia homosexuality was considered a crime up to 1993 and a mental illness until 1999. Now legal, a 2013 law however punishes the promotion of homosexuality among minors. West opens to gay adoption Western Europe also leads the way on the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children, whether within marriage or civil partnerships. This is allowed in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Malta and The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Other countries, like Finland and Slovenia, allow gay people to adopt their partner's children. Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) is allowed for lesbian couples in Austria, Belgium, Britain, The Netherlands, Spain and the Nordic countries. France is examining whether to make such a move. Most European countries however ban surrogacy although the use of surrogate mothers is allowed - as long as they are not paid - in Belgium, Britain and The Netherlands. In an exception, Greece in 2014 authorised paid surrogacy. Further afield, homosexual couples can also marry in Canada since 2005 and in the United States since 2015, as well as in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. South Africa in 2006 became the sole African nation to allow gay marriage. Read more on: lgbt | homosexuality NEXT ON NEWS24X [86d48eb77eec4d548805f1a55e29f7fd.jpg] WATCH: Spanish rescuers drilling tunnel to search for toddler in well 2019-01-19 22:22 Join the conversation! 24.com encourages commentary submitted via MyNews24. Contributions of 200 words or more will be considered for publication. We reserve editorial discretion to decide what will be published. Read our comments policy for guidelines on contributions. 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Login with your Facebook account #Brookings » Feed Brookings » Comments Feed alternate alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WHWFZ5 Skip to main content Search Brookings ____________________ Search * About Us * Experts * Events * The Brookings Press * Brookings Exec Ed * Support Brookings * Careers * Cart 0 * (Submit) Search Conservative Case for Gay Marriage * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Print * SMS * Email * More * * Reddit * Google * * * Cities & Regions * Global Development * International Affairs * U.S. Economy * U.S. Politics & Government * More (Submit) (Submit) 0 civil_union001 Op-Ed Conservative Case for Gay Marriage Jonathan Rauch Monday, May 20, 2013 * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Print * SMS * Email * More * * Reddit * Google * * “It became a cascade.” Dale Carpenter, a friend who e-mailed those words from Minneapolis, was writing about the unexpectedly lopsided vote for same-sex marriage in the Minnesota House last week (the state Senate approved it Monday, and the governor has signed it), but he might have been writing about the whole marriage movement. This month, Rhode Island and Delaware approved gay marriage. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court could restore it in California. If that happens, nearly 30% of the population will live in gay-marriage states. The cascade extends beyond marriage. America is rethinking its whole relationship with its gay citizens. This month, a poll by ABC News and The Washington Post found not only a 55% majority supporting marriage equality, but also even bigger majorities in favor of allowing openly gay Boy Scouts and opposed to banning gay Scout leaders. As for NBA center Jason Collins’ public announcement that he’s gay, it isn’t even controversial: It enjoys 68% approval. To understand why the public is breaking so fast for same-sex marriage, look not at “blue” (Democratic-leaning) states that recently approved it. Glance instead at deep-red South Carolina. There, on the same day that Delaware’s Senate passed marriage equality, the voters of the first congressional district sent former Republican governor and congressman Mark Sanford back to the House seat he occupied in the late 1990s. Related Books * Reclaiming the American Dream By Ben Hecht 2018 * The Future of Work By Darrell M. West 2018 * Chile and the Inter-American Human Rights System By Karinna Fernández, Sebastián Smart, and Cristián Peña 2017 Now, this is not a man who has done right by marriage. Rather, he used it as a doormat. As governor, Sanford took a mistress, then disappeared for days on a visit to her in Argentina and lied about it. He lost his job and his marriage. But last week, the voters chose to overlook both his infidelity and his mendacity. They even overlooked Sanford’s putting his mistress (now fiancée) onstage at a campaign event with his 14-year-old son, whom news accounts described as “visibly uncomfortable.” The voters of South Carolina are entitled to shrug off Sanford’s connubial escapades, but many other people notice a conservative double standard. No matter how hard gays work to be true to our life partners, we don’t qualify for marriage. But no matter how shabbily straights treat their vows, they qualify not only for marriage but also for Congress. When millions of Americans see straight people busting up marriages while gay people struggle to form them, they draw the obvious, and correct, conclusion. America needs more marriages, not fewer. The threat to marriage in the USA today comes not from gays’ trying to marry but from straights’ failing to get married and stay married. Author Jonathan Rauch Senior Fellow - Governance Studies jon_rauch Researchers find that blue states have lower rates of divorce and teen pregnancy than red states do. “If you’re looking for solid marriages,” as the (conservative) New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has written, “head to Massachusetts, not Alabama.” Why? Gay marriage probably isn’t reducing straight divorce rates, at least not much. But it is part and parcel of a re-commitment to family values, not a flight from them. Same-sex marriage is socially conservative in that sense — and in a deeper sense, too. The movement is about equality and rights, yes, but it is also about responsibility and obligation. Marriage joins couples not just in a contract with each other but also in a pact with their community, their kids, their God and millenniums of custom. Gay and lesbian Americans yearn for those bonds. The father of conservatism, Edmund Burke, famously said society is “a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born.” In seeking marriage, gays are asking to join Burke’s mighty stream of tradition. They are asking to be constrained, not liberated: to be tied to a commitment larger than themselves, larger even than each other. That is why same-sex marriage is cascading. The public looks at marriage equality and sees the greatest social conservative movement of our time. And, at least outside South Carolina, it looks at Mark Sanford and sees something else. Republished from USA Today >> Related Topics * Social Issues More on Social Issues Transportation staff The Avenue Three things that matter for upward mobility in the labor market Alan Berube Tuesday, January 15, 2019 A man walks a dog past a row of vacant houses on Crandall Street, a street that became a hub for narcotics activity according to local media and police, in Binghamton, New York, U.S., April 8, 2018. Picture taken April 8, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly - RC166673BE20 FixGov Congress in 2019: The challenge of left-behind places Elaine Kamarck Wednesday, January 2, 2019 Nathan Allen, 65, poses for a portrait in front of the motorhome where he sleeps in a homeless RV and tent encampment near LAX airport in Los Angeles, California, United States, October 26, 2015. Allen lost his job as a handyman, and so couldn't afford to pay the rent for his apartment. Los Angeles is grappling with a massive homelessness problem, as forecasted El Nino downpours threaten to add to the misery of thousands of people who sleep on the streets. Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed spending $100 million to combat the problem in the sprawling metropolis but stopped short of declaring a state of emergency. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson PICTURE 16 OF 17 - SEARCH "NICHOLSON MOTORHOME" FOR ALL IMAGES - GF10000270563 Social Issues Progress paradoxes and sustainable growth Carol Graham Wednesday, December 19, 2018 * Find us on Facebook * Find us on Twitter * Find us on YouTube * Listen to our Podcast * Browse Newsletters * Subscribe to our RSS * Languages * Español * 中文 * عربي * About Us * Research Programs * Find an Expert * For Media * Careers * Contact * Terms and Conditions * Brookings Privacy Policy * Copyright 2019 The Brookings Institution (Submit) Close * Trending + U.S. Politics & Government + International Affairs + U.S. Economy + U.S. Foreign Policy * Topics + Cities & Regions + Global Development + International Affairs + U.S. Economy + U.S. Politics & Government + More * About Us * Experts * Events * The Brookings Press * Brookings Exec Ed * Support Brookings * Careers * Cart 0 Get daily updates from Brookings Enter Email ____________________ Subscribe (Submit) Send to Email Address ____________________ Your Name ____________________ Your Email Address ____________________ _________________________ loading Send Email Cancel Post was not sent - check your email addresses! 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All rights reserved. * Search + ____________________ Submit Menu Interest Successfully Added We'll notify you here with news about AlertTag Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? [_] Off On * Notifications + Notifications For Interests: + Breaking + Interests See All To save your interests across all devices Log In or Sign Up Turn on desktop notifications for breaking news? [_] Off On * Log In * Video * Live * Shows + Good Morning America Good Morning America + World News Tonight World News Tonight + Nightline Nightline + 20/20 20/20 + This Week This Week + The View The View + What Would You Do? What Would You Do? * + U.S. + Politics + International + Entertainment + Lifestyle + Health + Virtual Reality + Technology + Sports + Weather + FiveThirtyEight + Privacy PolicyPrivacy Policy + Your CA Privacy RightsYour CA Privacy Rights + Children's Online Privacy PolicyChildren's Online Privacy Policy + Interest-Based AdsInterest-Based Ads + Terms of UseTerms of Use + Contact UsContact Us + Yahoo!-ABC News Network | © 2019 ABC News Internet Ventures. All rights reserved. ____________________ Submit Here are the 27 countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal * By Elisa Tang Close More from Elisa * via GMA Jun 22, 2018, 5:41 AM ET * 0 Shares * * * * Email * Star PHOTO: Pride Story Hero PlayABC News WATCH Here are some of the other countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal * 0 Shares * * * * Email As part of Pride Month, "GMA" is spotlighting on all issues that impact the LGBT community. We compiled a list of all the countries that have officially legalized same-sex marriage. Twenty-seven out of 195 countries have passed laws allowing gay marriage, according to the Pew Research Center. Pride Story map GMA Pride Story map Below is a timeline for the 27 countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal. The year marks when the law was first enacted in that country. PHOTO: Netherlands gfx ABC News Netherlands gfx * 2000: The Netherlands The country became the first in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The following year, four couples married in the world’s first same-sex wedding in 2001. [Associated Press] * 2003: Belgium Three years after the new law was enacted, the country’s parliament granted same-sex couples the right to adopt in 2006. [Pew Research Center] * 2005: Canada The nation's traditional definition of civil marriage was changed to include the union between same-sex couples. [Pew Research Center] * 2005: Spain The new law gave same-sex couples all of the same marital and adoption rights as heterosexual citizens. [Pew Research Center] * 2006: South Africa The measure passed by a margin of greater than five-to-one with support from major opposing political parties. [Pew Research Center] * 2008: Norway One year after legalizing same-sex marriage, the country’s Lutheran Church voted to allow its pastors to marry same-sex couples in 2009. [Pew Research Center] * 2009: Sweden Months before the bill passed in October 2009, the country’s governing church board initiated a petition to permit same-sex marriages. [Pew Research Center] Pride Story Nick Clegg Quote GMA Pride Story Nick Clegg Quote * 2010: Argentina Argentina was the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. [Pew Research Center] * 2010: Portugal Six years after Portugal's parliament legalized same-sex marriage, the country granted gay couples the right to adopt. [Reuters] * 2010: Iceland Iceland legalized same-sex marriage in a unanimous vote. [Pew Research Center] * 2012: Denmark Prior to legalizing same-sex marriage, Denmark was the first country to recognize same-sex couples as domestic partners. [Pew Research Center] * 2013: Uruguay The country’s inclusive legislation of LGBT rights began to attract thousands of tourists each year since passing the law to legalize same-sex marriage in 2013. [National LGBT Chamber of Commerce] * 2013: Brazil Over 3,700 marriages took place in 2013 after same-sex marriage was legalized. [GLAAD] * 2013: New Zealand The measure to legalize same-sex marriage in New Zealand won approval by a 77-44 margin. [Pew Research Center] * 2013: England, Wales After the landmark decision was made, former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, "No matter who you are and who you love, we are equal." [BBC] * 2013: France The first same-sex wedding took place in France and was met with great applause by the public. [BBC] * 2014: Luxembourg The new law was the first major reform of the country’s marriage laws since 1804. [Pew Research Center] * 2014: Scotland Three years after the majority of the Scottish Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage, the Scottish Episcopal Church became the UK's first major Christian church to perform same-sex marriages. [BBC] * 2015: United States The hashtag #LoveWins almost immediately became the number-one trending hashtag in the world on Twitter after the U.S. legalized same-sex marriage. * 2015: Ireland Ireland was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote. [Pew Research Center] * 2015: Finland The bill to call for the legislation of same-sex marriage started out as a "citizen's initiative" - with a reported 167,000 signatures. [Pew Research Center] * 2015: Greenland The country's legislators passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage on the world's biggest island. [Pew Research Center] PHOTO: USA same-sex marriage gfx ABC News USA same-sex marriage gfx * 2016: Colombia The country enacted the new law by a 6-3 vote stating, “All people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation.” [Pew Research Center] * 2017: Malta Parliament’s vote to legalize same-sex marriage was nearly unanimous, despite criticism from the Catholic Church. [Pew Research Center] * 2017: Australia The LGBT rights advocates celebrated the new law outside Australia’s Parliament House before the final decision was announced. * 2017: Germany The country’s bill received an overwhelming amount of public support. Parliament approved the measure in a 393-226 vote. [Pew Research Center] * 0 Shares * * * * Email * Star Comments Add Interests Customize your news feed by choosing the topics that interest you. To save your interests across all devices Log In or Sign Up » [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] All of the countries where same-sex marriage is legal +Olympians Adam Rippon, Gus Kenworthy on what inspires them this Pride Month [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Trump proposes to extend 'Dreamers,' TPS protection for full border wall funding [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Trump meets with families of soldiers killed in Syria [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Snapchat fires 2 execs after alleged sexual misconduct [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Suspended pairs skating champion John Coughlin dies at 33 [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Anxiety in Alaska as endless aftershocks rattle residents [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Winter storm brings 1-2 feet of snow, dangerous drop in temperatures [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] 21 dead, 71 burned in fire at illegal tap on Mexico pipeline [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Romney backs Trump in shutdown showdown, questions Pelosi [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Fact Check Friday: Picking fights with Pelosi, prayer rugs and parsing border crime [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Shutdown hits home for Trump; he lives in government housing [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] White House sets record for time span with no press briefings during Trump presidency [PrideStory_Embed3_hpEmbed_17x9_992.jpg] Candidacies, committees and criticism. 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Boxes filled with anti-gay marriage petition signatures are placed in front of Taiwan's Central Election Commission in Taipei, on Aug 28, 2018.PHOTO: AFP Published Aug 28, 2018, 3:20 pm SGT More Share Tweet Linkedin Pin Google+ Reddit Print Permalink: ____________________ (Submit) Copy TAIPEI (AFP) - Conservative campaigners on Tuesday (Aug 28) threw a roadblock in the path to legalising same-sex unions in Taiwan, proposing a public vote on the issue and saying any reforms would jeopardise "family values". Taiwan's top court ruled in May 2017 that preventing same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and gave a two-year deadline for its legalisation - which would make the island the first place in Asia to do so. But there has been little progress on the issue since then, with President Tsai Ing-wen saying society is still divided on the issue. The anti-gay marriage Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance submitted a referendum petition to election authorities on Tuesday to try to prevent the civil code from being amended to recognise same-sex partnerships. If successful, the move may instead require a separate law to be enacted for civil unions between same-sex couples - a move that gay marriage campaigners say would be discriminatory and offer fewer legal protections. "The bottom line of basic family values shouldn't be overturned," alliance spokesman Tseng Hsien-ying told reporters after the petition was brought to the election commission. "The collapse of the family system will deal a huge blow to society." Last year's court decision did not give specific guidance on how same-sex relationships should be legislated. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has openly supported the legalisation of gay marriage, but her majority government has been accused of dragging its feet on implementing the change. Related Story Taiwan still divided on gay marriage, says President Tsai Ing-wen Related Story Taiwan holds Asia's largest pride parade; waits for same-sex marriage to be legalised The petition collected more than 678,000 signatures. If vetted and approved by the Central Election Commission, the referendum will be held to coincide with local elections in November. The group said it would also lodge two more petitions with the commission later on Tuesday. One would remove same-sex education from the school curriculum, while the other redefines the civil code's definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. The commission said it had a number of other referendum proposals to process first and would handle the group's petition later on Tuesday or Wednesday. Gay rights campaigners are also rushing to gather signatures for their own referendum proposal, which would ask the public to vote to enshrine same-sex marriage in the civil code. "We have to let those in power see very clearly the wishes of the people, and we hope they can amend the legislation as soon as possible," said Ms Miao Bo-ya, a key activist behind the campaign. Referendum proposals in Taiwan are put to a public vote if they are supported by 1.5 per cent of the electorate - a little over 280,000 signatures. Plebiscites are legally binding and the government is obliged to propose laws that reflect their results. Topics: * TAIWAN * HOMOSEXUALITY/LGBT * LAW AND LEGISLATION More Share Tweet Linkedin Pin Google+ Reddit Print Permalink: ____________________ (Submit) Copy Branded Content Subscribe to The Straits Times call 6388-3838 or click here Available for iPhones and iPads Available in Google Play Back to the top [arrow-up.svg] * Singapore * Politics * Asia * World * Videos * Multimedia * Lifestyle * Food * Forum * Opinion * Business * Sport * Tech * Games Follow ST * * * * * The Straits Times Terms & ConditionsData Protection PolicyNeed help? 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The Asahi Shimbun | Asia & Japan Watch * ____________________ Search * Twitter * Facebook Language * 日本語 * English * 繁体字 * 簡体字 * TOP * Japan News + Social Affairs + 3/11 Disaster + People + Sci & Tech * Politics * Business * Sports * Culture + Style + Movies + Manga & Anime * Travel * Asia + China + Korean Peninsula + Around Asia * Opinion + Editorial + Vox Populi + Views * Special The Asahi Shimbun > Politics > article * Politics Lawmaker’s ‘no’ to gay marriage as sexuality is a ‘matter of taste’ By YUKI NIKAIDO/ Staff Writer August 2, 2018 at 15:30 JST * Share 0 * Tweet list * Print Photo/Illutration Tomu Tanigawa (Asahi Shimbun file photo) A ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker on Aug. 1 defended his view expressed on an Internet TV show that gay marriage should not be legalized because sexual orientation is a matter of “taste.” Tomu Tanigawa made the remarks while appearing as a panelist on a debate show broadcast July 29 on Abema TV. In an Aug. 1 written response to an interview request made by The Asahi Shimbun on July 31, Tanigawa said, “What I meant was that it is difficult to accept same-sex marriage under Article 24 of the Constitution that states ‘marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes.’” Tanigawa, 42, a Buddhist priest who has been voted into office twice by the Kinki electorate under the proportional representation system, also wrote, “I did not intend to discriminate against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people, nor do I deny diversity.” In the debate show, panelist Hirotada Ototake, a bestselling author, raised questions over how the government is stubbornly refusing to allow married couples to legally retain different surnames and the legalization of same-sex marriage. Tanigawa responded that he “does not deny sexual diversity,” but also believes “there is no need to legalize same-sex marriage” because choosing whether to love someone of the same sex or opposite sex is a “matter of taste.” He then elaborated on the reason he believes only heterosexual marriage should be legally allowed. “A man and a woman get married, and have children. That is how a traditional family is formed,” said Tanigawa. “Humans have been doing so from antiquity to fend off nations’ decline and ruin.” Tanigawa’s comments are at odds with a booklet published by the LDP to be distributed within the party to raise awareness on sexual minority issues. The booklet warns readers that “there is widespread misunderstanding that (being a sexual minority) is a matter of individual will, taste or preference.” The contentious remarks came only days after Mio Sugita, another LPD lawmaker, drew criticism for her anti-gay remarks in a magazine article she wrote. Sugita said gay couples are “unproductive” because they cannot produce children and, therefore, do not contribute to prosperity of the nation. * Share 0 * Tweet list * Print Related News * U.S. government shutdown delays start of trade talks with Japan January 19, 2019 * Ministry admits to losing or discarding years of labor data January 18, 2019 * Budget proposal redone to clean up mess from dodgy labor data January 18, 2019 * 80 billion yen needed to cover unpaid benefits in stats scandal January 17, 2019 * Russia calls on Japan to recognize outcome of World War II January 17, 2019 * * What's New DJ SumiRock, at 83, still lights up the club scene in Kabukicho Indonesia cleric to be freed despite holding to radicalism Gunmen kill two Buddhist monks in Thailand's troubled south Light and Darkness brought by Carlos Ghosn Recommended * Photo The Paradise Papers Featured here are videos, photos and graphics on how journalists dug into documents leaked from Bermuda and elsewhere to uncover shady transactions through tax havens. * Photo Transform through SDGs Here are reports about efforts in Japan and abroad to achieve the U.N. sustainable development goals. * Photo Chasing Haruki Murakami Here are news reports and feature stories that keep you up to date on author Haruki Murakami. * Photo 360-DEGREE LIVES You can view videos of animals as interactive images that allow you to pan and zoom in to them. 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No reproduction or republication without written permission. #publisher [tr?id=1570461443220689&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-P5L2Z5Z The Texas Tribune * Our Picks * Data * Events * Newsletters * Donate * * (Submit) * (Submit) Menu * (Submit) Close (Submit) ____________________ (BUTTON) (Submit) ____________________ * Our Picks * Data * Events * Newsletters * Donate * Gay marriage More Topics * * 1 * 2 * 3 * … * 8 * next [Lawrence_Katine_Garner_REUTERS_TT.jpg] [Lawrence_Katine_Garner_REUTERS_TT.jpg] REUTERS/Carlos A. Martinez Fifteen years after landmark gay rights case, same-sex couples in Texas still face challenges in court by Emma Platoff and Sydney Greene June 26, 2018 On June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law banning gay sodomy — a watershed moment for gay rights. But 15 years later, same-sex couples face another court case that aims to roll back their rights. Full Story [Rainbow_Flag_and_Elephant.jpg] [Rainbow_Flag_and_Elephant.jpg] Getty Images/iStockphoto Analysis: Texas GOP ignores young voters with LGBT snub by Ross Ramsey April 11, 2018 With its vote to deny the Log Cabin Republicans a booth at the GOP state convention, the State Republican Executive Committee might be drawing a line with the younger voters it hopes to attract. Full Story [TxTrib-GayWedding_017.JPG] [TxTrib-GayWedding_017.JPG] Tamir Kalifa Houston looks to Supreme Court to resolve same-sex marriage benefits fight by Alexa Ura Sept. 18, 2017 The city of Houston is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by the Texas Supreme Court in which it suggested a landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage does not fully address the right to marriage benefits. Full Story [TexasSupremeCourtBuildingTT.jpg] [TexasSupremeCourtBuildingTT.jpg] What the Texas Supreme Court decided — and didn't — in its 2017 term by Emma Platoff June 30, 2017 After 10 months and 81 decisions, the Texas Supreme Court wrapped up its 2017 term on Friday. Here's a look back at what the nine justices decided — and didn't. Full Story [TTE-tribcast_leadart.png] [TTE-tribcast_leadart.png] Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman Same-sex benefits, teacher pay raises and Dawnna Dukes (podcast) by Emily Ramshaw and Todd Wiseman June 30, 2017 On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about the state Supreme Court's same-sex benefits ruling, Gov. Greg Abbott's plan for teacher pay raises and state Rep. Dawnna Dukes' not-guilty plea in court. Full Story [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] Tamir Kalifa Court throws out ruling that favored same-sex marriage benefits by Alexa Ura June 30, 2017 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a lower court ruling that said spouses of gay and lesbian public employees are entitled to government-subsidized same-sex marriage benefits. Full Story [TT-UT-Bathrooms-003.jpg] [TT-UT-Bathrooms-003.jpg] Jacob Villanueva/The Texas Tribune UT/TT Poll: Texas voters weigh in on importance of "bathroom bill" by Ross Ramsey June 19, 2017 Most Texas voters don't rate proposals to regulate transgender people's use of public restrooms as an important issue, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story [_BDB8695CleoNicole1.jpg] [_BDB8695CleoNicole1.jpg] Bob Daemmrich Texas on the hook for $600,000 after conceding same-sex marriage case by Alexa Ura April 19, 2017 A federal appeals court this week ordered the state to pay more than $600,000 in legal fees to two same-sex marriage couples who sued Texas over its now-defunct same-sex marriage ban. Full Story [041417_Still.jpg] [041417_Still.jpg] Texas' voter ID law again takes a hit in the courts (video) by Alana Rocha April 14, 2017 Asked to re-evaluate the state’s voter ID law, a federal judge rules for the second time that state lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Latino and black voters in passing the strict law. Full Story [TxTrib-GayWedding_017.JPG] [TxTrib-GayWedding_017.JPG] Tamir Kalifa Senate approves recusals for county clerks, judges objecting to same-sex marriage by Alexa Ura April 11, 2017 Under a Senate-backed proposal, county clerks with religious objections to same-sex marriages can recuse themselves from signing marriage licenses. Full Story [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] Tamir Kalifa After GOP appeal, Texas Supreme Court agrees to take up same-sex marriage case by Alexa Ura Jan. 20, 2017 The Texas Supreme Court reversed course and agreed to take up a case involving benefits for married same-sex couples after Republican leaders urged the court to reconsider its earlier decision to let a lower court decision stand. Full Story [Anti_Abortion_SCOTUS2TT.jpg] [Anti_Abortion_SCOTUS2TT.jpg] Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS Analysis: Anti-Regulation Party in Texas Has a Strong Taste for Rules by Ross Ramsey June 28, 2016 Monday's Supreme Court ruling against two key provisions of the state's anti-abortion law was the latest setback for a band of Republicans who abhor regulatory constraints on business but who regularly try to control the behavior of individuals in Texas. Full Story [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] [TxTrib-GayWedding_014.JPG] Tamir Kalifa A Year Later, Texas Gay Marriage Debate Shifts by Madeline Conway June 26, 2016 Hundreds of gay couples across Texas are reaching their one-year wedding anniversaries, but resistance to same-sex marriage hasn’t gone away, it’s just changed focus. Full Story [Screenshot_2016-06-12_10.26.47.png] [Screenshot_2016-06-12_10.26.47.png] Analysis: Reaction to Patrick’s Tweet is Based on a History of Hostility by Ross Ramsey June 13, 2016 Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is under fire for his comments after the shootings in a gay nightclub in Orlando, and he can only blame himself. His problem isn’t his intent; his problem is that his other actions of late made his critics’ worst suspicions plausible. Full Story [marriage.png] [marriage.png] Joe Deshotel Court Ends Challenge to State's First Legal Same-Sex Marriage License by Alexa Ura April 15, 2016 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tossed out Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to undo the union of the first gay couple to legally wed in Texas. Full Story [TT-god-lead-revisit.png] [TT-god-lead-revisit.png] Justin Dehn Revisit Our God & Governing Series by Texas Tribune Staff March 18, 2016 In the 2015 Texas legislative session, state lawmakers frequently used their religious beliefs to defend their policymaking. Take a look back at "God & Governing," our documentary-style series on the role lawmakers' personal faith played in their legislating. Full Story [_CMS_ACLUpress0236_Hoffman.jpg] [_CMS_ACLUpress0236_Hoffman.jpg] Bob Daemmrich Senate Republicans Zero in on Religious Freedom Bills by Alexa Ura Feb. 17, 2016 The next Texas legislative session is almost a year away, but Senate Republicans are already zeroing in on proposals to bolster legal protections for religious opponents of same-sex marriage. Full Story [TT-2015-yearinreview_socialtraffic-lead.png] [TT-2015-yearinreview_socialtraffic-lead.png] Loyalty Oaths, Jade Helm, Sandra Bland are Most-Read Trib Stories of 2015 by Rodney Gibbs Dec. 31, 2015 This year, Tribune readers flocked to our coverage of some of Texas’ – and the nation’s – most controversial topics. Check out our most popular news stories of 2015, on everything from gay marriage to Jade Helm. Full Story [_S3R7369hug.jpg] [_S3R7369hug.jpg] Bob Daemmrich A New Governor, Gay Weddings and Gun Rallies: 2015 in Photos by Shelby Knowles Dec. 26, 2015 Take a look at the top Texas Tribune images of 2015, which show everything from Greg Abbott being sworn in as governor to Capitol rallies supporting and opposing Planned Parenthood to the vibrant landscapes of Texas. Full Story [McClellan_resize_1.jpg] [McClellan_resize_1.jpg] Screen grab Video: Same-Sex Couples Struggle with Immigration by Alana Rocha and Justin Dehn Nov. 21, 2015 Months after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, some Texas couples are still working to get their spousal immigration benefits realized. They're finding that legal matrimony doesn't always lead to citizenship. Full Story * * 1 * 2 * 3 * … * 8 * next Be a citizen, not a spectator. Support independent, fact-based journalism. Donate to our 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom. 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The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. * Donate * Contact Us * Advertise * © 2019 The Texas Tribune Topics * Congress * Courts * Criminal justice * Demographics * Economy * Energy * Environment * Health care * Higher education * Immigration * Politics * Public education * State government Info * About Us * Our Staff * Who Funds Us? * Strategic Plan * Republishing Guidelines * Code of Ethics * Terms of Service * Privacy Policy * Send us a confidential tip * Corrections * Feeds * Newsletters * Video Social Media * Facebook * Twitter * YouTube * Instagram * LinkedIn * Reddit * Join our Facebook Group, This Is Your Texas. #alternate alternate alternate alternate publisher IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W9SLGS (Submit) Discover Thomson Reuters FinancialGovernment SolutionsLegalReuters News AgencyRisk Management SolutionsTax & AccountingBlog: Answers OnInnovation @ Thomson Reuters Directory of sites Login Contact Support * World * Business * Markets * Politics * TV ____________________ (Submit) (Submit) (BUTTON) Brexit The Z Factor Imprisoned In Myanmar CES Breakingviews Future of Money World At Work World News July 21, 2018 / 5:23 PM / in 6 months Cuba's draft constitution opens path to gay marriage Sarah Marsh 3 Min Read HAVANA (Reuters) - The draft of Cuba’s new constitution opens the path to same-sex marriage, a government official said on Saturday, which would make the country that once persecuted homosexuals an unlikely leader in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. [?m=02&d=20180721&t=2&i=1285701455&r=LYNXMPEE6K0NE& w=20] A cat climbs the stairs as a placard opposing gay marriage is seen on a wall in Havana, Cuba, July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer In the early years of Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, many homosexuals were sent to correctional labor camps, part of an institutionalized homophobia for which Castro later apologized. Yet Communist-run Cuba has made great strides over the past decade on LGBT rights, approving sex-change operations and banning workplace discrimination, partly thanks to the high-profile advocacy of Castro’s niece Mariela Castro. Proposals to recognize same-sex unions had stalled in view of the slow legislative process and lingering stigma in the macho society. That will start to change with the new constitution that will replace Cuba’s 1976 Soviet-era Magna Carta, the secretary of the council of state, Homero Acosta, told lawmakers on Saturday. The draft, elaborated by a commission headed by former President Raul Castro - Mariela Castro’s father - defines matrimony as between two individuals rather than between a man and a woman, he said. “The possibility of marriage between two people strengthens our project’s principles of equality and justice,” Acosta told lawmakers, adding that further legal changes would be needed to allow for gay marriage. The move reflects a trend in Latin America where same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and some parts of Mexico in recent years, despite church opposition. The battle has not yet been won however, Cuban LGBT rights activist Isbel Diaz Torres cautioned on social media. While the national assembly is expected to approve the draft constitution this weekend, it will then be submitted to a popular consultation, and final draft will be put to a national referendum. “We will continue in the streets until the final process of the constitutional reform,” said Diaz Torres. “And after the constitutional modification has been approved, we must ensure that same sex marriage is approved.” Grassroots campaigns for and against gay marriage have made it the most broadly debated proposed constitutional modification. Five evangelical denominations shared a statement on social media last month declaring marriage “exclusively the union of a man and a woman, according to the Bible.” Churches also plastered neighborhoods with anti gay marriage posters such as one reading “I am in favor of the original design - the family as God created it,” showing a heterosexual couple with a boy and a girl. LGBT rights activists fought back with their own posters such as one reading “I am in favor of Cuban design - a very original family,” showing a panoply of different family configurations including same-sex unions. Reporting by Sarah Marsh, Nelson Acosta and Marc Frank in Havana, Editing by Franklin Paul and Nick Zieminski Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 * narrow-browser-and-phone * medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet * landscape-tablet * medium-wide-browser * wide-browser-and-larger * medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet * medium-wide-browser-and-larger * above-phone * portrait-tablet-and-above * above-portrait-tablet * landscape-tablet-and-above * landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser * portrait-tablet-and-below * landscape-tablet-and-below * Apps * Newsletters * Advertise with Us * Advertising Guidelines * Cookies * Terms of Use * Privacy * * * * * * All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. 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IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N8CVZ65 ERROR Main Error Mesage Here More detailed message would go here to provide context for the user and how to proceed OKAY ERROR Main Error Mesage Here More detailed message would go here to provide context for the user and how to proceed CANCEL CONFIRM City Journal search City Journal is a publication of Manhattan Institute Search ____________________ search Experts * Heather Mac Donald Topics * Health Care Publications * Health in New York * Heat Infrastructure * Heart of US Economics On the Ground * Health in New York * Heat Infrastructure * Heart of US Economics Projects * Health in New York * Heat Infrastructure * Heart of US Economics * The Magazine * Topics + Arts & Culture + California + Cities + Economy, Finance, Budgets + Education + Health Care + Infrastructure & Energy + New York + Politics & Law + Public Safety + Technology & Innovation + The Social Order + Texas + Other * Contributors * Books * Multimedia * All Publications * About * Praise * Subscribe City Journal search [logo-print.svg] Close Nav Search Close Search ____________________ search Share this article on Facebook Twitter Google Plus Close Gay Marriage vs. American Marriage Share from the magazine Gay Marriage vs. American Marriage The gay advocates’ civil rights argument forgets what the Founders thought marriage is for. Kay S. Hymowitz Summer 2004 Other The Social Order These days everyone has a strong opinion about marriage, but no one seems to be sure what it is, exactly. Is it a sacramental union? Is it a public recognition of a committed love relationship? Is it a state scheme for distributing health insurance and tax breaks? Or given what two eminent anthropologists writing recently in support of gay marriage in the Washington Post describe as a "startling diversity of socially approved forms of marriage," is the institution too varied to fit into a single, dictionary-neat meaning? The anthropologists are right about one thing: human beings have come up with almost as many ways of getting hitched as they have languages to tell mother-in-law jokes. Some cultures allow only monogamous marriage; some accept polygamy. In many cultures, the wife moves into her husband's family's home; in others, the husband moves into the wife's; in still others, they get a mortgage and move into their own two-bedroom ranch in Levittown. Though most cultures give husbands the primary responsibility for providing for the children, some make the wife's brother—the baby's uncle—responsible for providing the food and the bow-and-arrow lessons. Some cultures don't allow divorce; some allow divorce but not remarriage; some allow divorce if husbands fork over most of their life savings to the likes of Raoul Felder; and others let a guy say "I divorce you" three times before booting his wife out the door. This protean diversity is central to today's marriage debate. If marriage is, as these examples suggest, an eminently malleable social construct, why shouldn't society shape it any way it likes, especially by letting gays marry each other? But beneath all the diversity, marriage has always had a fundamental, universal core that makes gay marriage a non sequitur: it has always governed property and inheritance rights; it has always been the means of establishing paternity, legitimacy, and the rights and responsibilities of parenthood; and because these goals involve bearing and raising children, it has always involved (at least one) man and woman. What's more, among the "startling diversity" of variations that different cultures have elaborated on this fundamental core, our own culture has produced a specifically American ideal of marriage that is inseparable from our vision of free citizenship and is deeply embedded in our history, politics, economics, and culture. Advocates for gay marriage cite the historical evolution of that ideal—which we might call republican marriage—to bolster their case, arguing that gay unions are a natural extension of America's dedication to civil rights and to individual freedom. But a look at that history is enough to cast serious doubt on the advocates' case. Strange as it seems, America's founding thinkers were as interested in the subject of marriage as any of Fox TV's bachelorettes. Given the political experiment that they were designing, they had good reason, for they understood the basic sociological truth that familial relations both echo and shape the political order. "To the institution of marriage the true origin of society must be traced," James Wilson, a member of the Continental Congress and later a Supreme Court justice, wrote in 1790. Before the Revolutionary War, legal philosophers and statesmen like Wilson filled magazines and speeches with discussions of what kind of marriage would best live up to the principles of the new country. It's not surprising that they zeroed in on one quality in particular: self-government. The Founders did not sketch their ideas about marriage on a blank slate, of course. They brought to their task a set of traditional Western assumptions about the institution, and these assumptions remained implicit in their new ideal and still resurface in our current discussions. Given that marriage was originally a religious sacrament, the Founders understood that the institution retained, even in their secular republic, an element of spirituality, an assertion that man is something higher than the beasts and more than a merely material being. The ceremony confers a special, human dignity upon our relations. In addition, they understood that marriage is a contract, regulated by the laws and ultimately enforceable by the state, that spells out property relations between the spouses, as well as their inheritance rights and those of their children. Therefore, marriage is intrinsically a government concern. In addition to these time-honored beliefs, the Founders brought a more modern idea to the matrimonial drafting table. Like many of their educated contemporaries in Western Europe, they had come to think of marriage in a way congruent with emerging ideals of individual liberty and democratic equality. In the old world, marriage was originally a matter of caste, class, or clan. Courtship was closer in spirit to bartering than romance; young people were to be traded off by elders intent on solidifying family ties and merging family fortunes and acres. By the late eighteenth century, however, Western Europeans were increasingly emphasizing marriage as a love-match between two self-determining individuals. Young people were free to choose for themselves with whom to spend their lives, and love could transcend class barriers to recognize the intrinsic personal worth of the beloved. This is the lesson of the profoundly democratic novels of Samuel Richardson and Charlotte Brontë, in which the drama concerns a rich, well-born master coming to realize that he loves his servant, that she is a character of sterling worth, and that he should marry rather than merely seduce her. In the same vein, the novels of Jane Austen dramatize what she understood was turning into one of life's most momentous, morally fraught decisions. For if the young could freely choose their own spouses, they needed to do so wisely, transcending mere sexual attraction and judging their suitors' worth in the moral rather than economic sense. Even so, at the time of the Founding, these modern ideas were still more theory than practice in Europe, where arranged marriages remained the norm. The Founders wanted to clear away many of the traditions that had kept these democratic notions from taking firm hold in old Europe. American marriage would reflect American principles of liberty and self-government. Unlike the hordes of serfs, servants, and subjects in other parts of the world, American citizens were going to shape their own lives and determine their country's destiny. Just as citizens would be self-governing in the political realm, they would also choose their spouses freely. According to Nancy F. Cott's Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation, the source for much of the history of marriage in America that follows, since the struggle against domination and coercion was the essence of the American nation, the young needed to be free from arranged marriages and the authoritarian fathers who contracted them. As historian Jay Fliegelman has observed, the American Revolution and the new Western seriousness about romantic love, which developed at the same time, both sprang from a heightened valuation of the ideal of self-determination. Essential as it was, the loving, self-chosen vow was only one ingredient in the recipe for self-government. Self-government also meant citizenly self-reliance. The Founders believed that American citizens should not only be allowed to run their own lives but should be capable of doing so and responsible for doing so. In order to be free from "authority in all its guises," as Jefferson put it, citizens had to be competent, industrious, self-sufficient, and virtuous. All these qualities were to be learned in the republican home: "The foundations of national morality must be laid in private families," John Adams wrote in his diary in 1778. Here Adams was voicing an up-to-the-minute theory of the republican family. Political thinkers imagined the American family as a factory specifically designed to turn out self-governing citizens—something quite different from what other kinds of families did. They believed that the affectionate ties between spouses led to civic responsibility: marriage based on individual choice would promote trust and equality that could then be projected into public life. "In detaching us from self, [love] accustoms us to attach ourselves the more to others. . . . [T]he lover becomes a husband, a parent, a citizen," a 1791 essay in New-York Magazine put it. In addition, the Founders recognized, the colonists' pioneer past had already made the American family an unusually and dependably self-reliant and industrious unit, just as later, when the nation expanded westward, the frontier family became a byword for rugged and indomitable self-sufficiency. Most important, republican marriage provided the edifice in which couples would care for and socialize their children to meet the demands of the new political order. If republican marriage celebrated self-government, it also had to pass down its principles to the young; it was supposed to perpetuate as well as to embody the habits of freedom. So whereas in all Western societies, the state concerns itself with fostering the institution of the family because it is the mechanism by which the society reproduces itself, in America that state concern takes on a special urgency, because of child rearing's unique momentousness to the national project. The small size of American families helped here. As any soccer mom or dad knows, parents with two or three children can invest far more attention in each individual child than those with eight or ten. By the Jacksonian period, the size of American families began to shrink. According to Janet Brodie's Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America, the number of children born to white native-born women decreased 49 percent in the nineteenth century, from an average of seven children in 1800 to 3.6 by 1900. Demographers usually explain the decline in fertility as the result of improvements in infant mortality rates and a shift away from a strictly agrarian economy, in which large families were an advantage, but it's also likely that republican parents were discovering that preparing children for self-government was a mammoth undertaking, more demanding than socializing children to thrive in more communal societies. Early republican child-rearing experts emphasized to American parents that they were responsible for creating independent, industrious, and resourceful future citizens. American children should be brought up to be active, observant thinkers. "All the faculties of a child's mind should be cultivated," wrote Lydia Child in Mother's Book; kids should develop "habits of attention and activity of mind." American theorists also encouraged parents to abandon the demand for absolute, fearful obedience that was a relic of the old world. Children preparing for life in the new country could not remain mere passive subjects within an old-world patriarchal family. Whippings and beatings, commonplace throughout much of the world, were to be used only as a last resort; punishment "should be threatened as seldom as possible, and next as seldom executed as possible," clergyman and child expert Horace Bushnell wrote in 1849. This kinder, gentler discipline was designed to get children to behave virtuously because they had internalized national values, not because they feared either external authority or the shame they would bring on their families. To hear foreign travelers of the early nineteenth century tell it, the republican couple maintaining the homestead or going to church with its republican offspring was noticeably different—though admittedly, there was a downside. British naval officer and author Captain Frederick Marryat wrote of a scene that he witnessed during a visit to the United States in 1839. He watched a three-year-old named Johnny, whose mother had called him to come in out of the cold. "I won't!" the boy answered. "Come, my sweet, I've something for you," his mother implored. "I won't," Johnny pouted. His father took the more patriarchal approach and ordered his son inside. "I won't," the child insisted yet again. "A sturdy republican!" the father exclaimed, smiling, to the captain, who, being from the old world, was standing aghast. The Founders probably didn't foresee republican children quite like Johnny, but such "sturdiness" may have been inevitable in families in which the young had some freedom to question authority. Marryat may have been disdainful, but other European observers of the new world, including Alexis de Tocqueville, were impressed by the egalitarian, youthful spirit of the American family, which they contrasted with their own stuffy, patriarchal households. Unlike "the respectful and frigid observances of aristocratic families," Tocqueville observed, democratic families enjoy a "familiar intimacy, which renders authority less absolute. . . . [A] species of equality prevails around the domestic hearth." The new political order was placing unprecedented emphasis on individual rights, personal choice, and equality; the new domestic order appeared to be doing the same. You won't hear much about this historical background in the current debate over gay marriage, but advocates certainly invoke fragments of the American past in their argument. They frequently compare the current predicament of gays with that of other minorities, particularly African Americans, in the days before they had full rights to marriage. History, they argue, shows us that marriage is a civil right that has expanded over time to include previously marginalized groups; gays now deserve those rights as well. "Throughout the history of Massachusetts, marriage has been in a state of change," a group of historians of marriage, family, and the law asserted in an amicus brief in the case that legalized gay marriage in the state. Gay marriage "represents the logical next step in this court's long tradition of reforming marriage to fit the evolving nature of committed intimate relationships and the rights of the individuals in those relationships." But detaching the "tradition of reforming marriage" from the multifaceted tradition of republican marriage not only starts history around 1968, but it also presents a seriously distorted picture of why the American government is in the marriage business at all. While gays often invoke the black/homosexual analogy to assert in a general way that anti-homosexual sentiments are as vicious and irrational as racism, gay-marriage advocates use the comparison much more specifically. Their most commonly repeated argument goes like this: denying homosexuals the right to marry whom they wish is little different from denying blacks the right to marry whites, an injustice written into many state law books well into the twentieth century. It was not until 1967 that the Supreme Court, in Loving v. Virginia, finally ruled that state bans on such intermarriage were a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's equal-protection clause. "Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man," Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in his decision, in words that have become a familiar refrain in the current debate. The court rested its decision on one important pillar in the sophisticated architecture of republican marriage: that marriage is a civil contract. If the Fourteenth Amendment protects the right of black citizens to enter into a mortgage agreement or take out a car loan, it certainly protects their right to marry whomever they choose. It is logically inescapable, gay-marriage advocates conclude, that the same goes for homosexuals. And it would be logical—if a pillar were the same thing as the whole building. That the state has an interest in upholding the civil rights of individuals who want to marry doesn't mean that that's the only interest it has in the institution. The state also has a strong—even a life-and-death—interest in marriage as the environment in which the next generation of its citizens is raised. An earlier chapter in the history of African-American marriage illustrates this point. After the Civil War, anti-slavery Republicans were alarmed by the promiscuity and rampant fatherlessness among ex-slaves, disastrous consequences of the institution's prohibition against slaves entering into marriage contracts. These abolitionists created the Freedmen's Bureau, in part as a federal marriage initiative: they wanted to encourage ex-slaves to marry and create stable families. Their aim wasn't primarily to ensure the civil right of blacks to enter into contracts of all sorts, including marriage; they believed, above all, that American-style marriage would help ex-slaves become responsible, self-reliant citizens who would rear responsible, self-reliant children. In light of this dual state concern—the rights of the couple and the promotion of self-governing families that would mirror and sustain the republic—the historical analogy between black marriage and gay marriage that the advocates posit makes no sense. In fact, gay-marriage proponents generally treat children as a distraction from the state's interest in marriage rather than crucial to it. They impatiently insist that history has settled the matter: it has definitively separated child rearing and marriage, demonstrating conclusively that marriage is a changing and elastic institution that can easily accommodate homosexuals. "When a third of children are born out of wedlock, when contraception and abortion are available on demand, when you have single-parent adoption legal in every state," Jonathan Rauch, the author of the recent Gay Marriage, has opined, "the debate is over about detaching marriage from parenthood—indeed was over years ago." Andrew Sullivan, along with Rauch one of the most thoughtful and eloquent advocates writing today, agrees: the argument that marriage has anything to do with children, he says, "fails socially and culturally because in our culture at this time, procreation is not understood to be an essential part of what it is to be married." But it's worth considering just how recently—and how haphazardly—Americans closed "the debate . . . about detaching marriage from parenthood." For most of American history, republican marriage remained the reigning paradigm: a self-reliant and child-centered couple, who had freely chosen each other in a spirit of equality and mutual affection and who would pass on to their young not just property but also the qualities needed to live in freedom. That reign only came to an end in the late 1960s as divorce laws loosened and Americans began pulling off their wedding rings at record rates. Divorce is such a conundrum for the nation because it follows directly from American principles even while threatening to subvert them. During the Revolutionary era, marriage theorists understood that a nation that loves liberty had to tolerate some divorce; if it was a matter of principle that you chose to enter into wedlock, it was also a matter of principle that you had to have some way of choosing to get out, at least under some circumstances. A number of early writers—including Thomas Paine, whose problems with Mrs. Paine gave him a personal stake in the issue—urged Americans to take a tolerant approach toward the practice. Still, even though divorce was more accepted in this country than in many parts of the world, it remained rare, a last resort and one that worried people deeply. That was no longer the case by the late 1960s, when squeamishness on the subject evaporated, the marital exit door flew open, and not only the battered and the miserable but also the merely unfulfilled came pouring out. This shift was a threat to republican marriage for reasons that went beyond a mushrooming population of newly single mothers scraping together funds to pay their rent or their babysitters, while their children trekked across the country to visit Dad every school vacation. The soaring rates of divorce signaled a fundamental transformation in the American idea of marriage. As Americans crowded into the divorce courts, they were casting aside the complex—and demanding—vision of the Founders. Marriage was becoming a minimalist institution; people now thought of it as an intimate relationship between two adults, having little to do with children and nothing to do with propagating the political and moral culture. This demand for a fuller recognition of the individual rights of spouses who sought divorce, along with the loosening relationship between child rearing and marriage—both necessary precursors for gay marriage—led inexorably to a further development. If marriage was simply a personal relationship between adults and had little to do with child rearing, Americans wondered, then what was the problem with a woman's having a baby if she wasn't wearing a ring? The answer could only be that there was none. What did the law have to say about this cultural revolution, given the state's interest in protecting marriage as the institution in which children are raised? The courts, in all their wisdom, decided that safeguarding marriage wasn't their job any more. In case after case, judges decreed that marriage was an ordinary civil contract and that marriage and child rearing were legally unconnected. Never mind that American law and policy had always accepted the traditional assumption that marriage laws centered largely on the relationship between generations. That was history. In the 1972 Stanley v. Illinois case, to cite just one of many examples, the Supreme Court decided that custody laws distinguishing wed and unwed fathers were "constitutionally repugnant." Fathers who had never married their child's mother should have the same rights as those who had. More recently, the prestigious American Law Institute recommended that state family law be updated to treat cohabiting parents as virtually identical to married parents in the event of a breakup. Sometimes parents marry; sometimes they don't. Why should the state care? Many have interpreted these legal innovations as part of the "long tradition of reforming marriage" in America that includes giving wives more rights over their own property as well as the repeal of miscegenation laws. They were no such thing. Unlike the changes in the treatment of blacks and women, which more fully expressed the Founders' ideals, the divorce revolution and the consequent change in thinking about marriage and child rearing represented a hard turn away from the original republican model. Widespread divorce and illegitimacy fracture into pieces the Founders' ideals of the self-governing family. Republican marriage had been a great experiment to harness a universal family bond into the service of a particular view of human freedom. Every society has some kind of marriage to tie parents and their offspring together, but only the American form of marriage strove to allow individuals the greatest amount of freedom within that tie. Little did the Founders expect that their most treasured ideal, freedom, would eventually be turned against the institution that they most prized for promoting that liberty by nurturing free citizens. No one knows the personal destruction wrought during this history better than the children who were its victims. For the generation now in its twenties and thirties, the sundering of child rearing and marriage was not part of the musty past; it was a bitter and lived reality. The world they grew up in was a scary, unpredictable place of self-absorbed adults who had a habit of disappearing, only to pop up from time to time with a stranger introduced as a new member of the family. That's not the world they want for their own children. Few of them are familiar with founding thinkers like James Wilson or John Adams, but they know enough to see that the family life the Founders had in mind was better than the one they endured. Yankelovich Partners found in one poll that almost three-quarters of Gen Xers—that is, adults in their late twenties and thirties—said they'd favor a return to more traditional standards in family life, though only a little over a half of their boomer parents agree. Knowing firsthand what it feels like when your father sits you down at the kitchen table and, unable to look you in the eye, says, "Your mother and I don't love each other any more"—and knowing from personal experience that their own capacity for stable relationships is shaky as a result—this generation questions a regime of drive-through divorces. A 1994 study by the National Opinion Research Center found that Gen Xers were the age group least likely to say that divorce is the best option for troubled couples. Young parents in their twenties and thirties are "nostalgic for the childhood that boomers supposedly had," as American Demographics has put it. "It's informed their model of the perfect, traditional marriage." So what are we to make of the fact that these mom-and-apple-pie young people tend to be more in favor of gay marriage than their parents and grandparents are? The great irony is that their traditionalism enlarges their sympathy for gays' hunger for ’til-death-do-us-part commitment; after all, that's what's they want, too. Odd as it sounds, gays and the children who grew up in single-parent homes share the experience of standing outside and looking longingly through the window at the peaceful, Norman Rockwell family reading or playing Scrabble in front of the fireplace. Rauch and Sullivan, in particular, have written touchingly of marriage as a solemn, even spiritual, union, a momentous public vow to another person that comes with profound responsibilities and aspires to transcendence. If you add together young people's earnest devotion to marriage and their interest in the civil rights movement (insofar as they have studied any American history at all, it's likely to begin with Rosa Parks and end with Martin Luther King), you have a generation for which gay marriage seems merely commonsensical. But what the young neo-traditionalists have trouble understanding is that their embrace of the next civil rights revolution, as many of them are inclined to see the fight for gay marriage, is actually at war with their longing for a more stable domestic life. Gay marriage gives an enfeebled institution another injection of the toxin that got it sick in the first place: it reinforces the definition of marriage as a loving, self-determining couple engaging in an ordinary civil contract that has nothing to do with children. That's no way for marriage to get its gravitas back. It is marriage's dedication to child rearing, to a future that projects far beyond the passing feelings of a couple, that has the potential to discipline adult passion. "The gravity of marriage as an institution comes from its demand that love be negotiated through these larger responsibilities [surrounding procreation]," Shelby Steele has written in response to Andrew Sullivan. Ignore those responsibilities and you get, well, you get the marital meltdown that this generation was hoping to transform. There is another reason to be skeptical about the idea that gay marriage is another step forward in an unbroken history of social progress. In fact, the fraying of the marriage–child rearing bond over the past decades has been a step backward: it has increased poverty and inequality. Too often, single-parent families, whether divorced or never married, are poor—and very much poorer than their two-earner counterparts. Instead of being the self-reliant units the Founders envisioned, too many of them are dependent on a powerful nanny state, either for welfare payments or for determining custody and tracking down child support. And instead of being the self-governing institutions of republican theory, nurturing sturdy, self-governing citizens, too many single-parent families, as many studies have shown, bring up kids who as adults do markedly less well on average in school, career, and marriage than those who grew up in intact two-parent families. As for children of never-married mothers: many of them make up the permanent underclass, and their high rates of crime, school failure, and welfare dependency are everything that the Founders expected the republican family to prevent. That so many of these families are black would make the Reconstruction architects of the Freedmen's Bureau weep. Think of the past several decades of high rates of divorce and illegitimacy as a kind of natural experiment testing the truth of the Founders' vision. The results are in: if we forget that marriage is both a voluntary union between two loving partners and an arrangement for rearing the next generation of self-reliant citizens, our capacity for self-government weakens. Alongside the familiar anthropological truth that marriage comes in many forms is another truth you don't hear about so much: different kinds of marriage—not to mention non-marriage—mold different kinds of individuals. The Founders envisioned a very specific sort of institution, one that would nourish a republic of equal, self-governing citizens. The evolution of marriage over the past 40 years has undermined that vision. Gay marriage threatens to sabotage it even further. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google Plus Print Sign up for Email Alerts Summer 2004 [CJ_14_3.jpg] More from Kay S. Hymowitz [first-man-masculinity_666_400.jpg] books and culture Untoxic Masculinity Kay S. Hymowitz First Man celebrates the moon landing without irony. [carrie-nation-temperance-movement_666_400.jpg] from the magazine #ThemToo Kay S. Hymowitz Earlier women’s crusades tell us much about the one currently shaking up American life. [ford-kavanaugh-testimony_666_400.jpg] eye on the news Tracks of Our Tears Kay S. Hymowitz The Ford-Kavanaugh testimony was emotionally grueling on both sides—but emotions should not guide our conclusions. More on Other [john-bogle_666_400.jpg] eye on the news Portfolio for the Common Man Nicole Gelinas John Bogle’s positive—but complex—legacy. [remembering-george-hw-bush_666_400.jpg] eye on the news The Underestimated Tevi Troy George H.W. Bush, R.I.P. [herb_london_666_400.jpg] eye on the news A Great and Good Man Benjamin Weingarten Herb London, 1939–2018 [] Up Next from the magazine It’s Morning After in America Here’s why social indicators, dismaying for decades, have turned positive. Kay S. 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In each of the past three annual polls, Gallup has recorded three-percentage point increases among Americans who say same-sex marriages should be legally valid. The current figure is up 40 percentage points from the 27% who supported gay marriage when Gallup first polled on the question in 1996. GayMarriageSupport These data are from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll, conducted May 1-10. Some of the increases in support may be due to greater numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults getting married in the U.S. Using data for all of 2017, Gallup has found that more than 10.4% of LGBT adults are married to a same-sex spouse. This means that Americans are more likely to know someone who has married a same-sex partner, and the visibility of these marriages may be playing a role in overturning some folks' previously held opposition to their legal status. Gay marriage became legal nationwide in 2015 upon the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision. This came more than a decade after the first state, Massachusetts, had legalized gay marriage. In the years leading up to the decision, a patchwork of state laws were created for and against same-sex marriage. ##SPEEDBUMP## Democrats Reach New High in Support for Same-Sex Marriage Democrats remain the most likely to support gay marriage among party groups. The 83% of Democrats in favor of legally recognized same-sex marriages is the highest level of support recorded for this group. Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to support legal recognition of gay marriages -- less than half of the GOP favors legal gay marriage (44%). The latest figure for Republicans' views on gay marriage is similar to the 47% recorded in 2017. The GOP has seen growth in the percentage of Republicans who favor legally recognized gay marriage over the years, but has yet to reach majority support. Meanwhile, independents' opinions on the issue are closer to those of Democrats. Currently, 71% of independents say gay marriages should be recognized by the law as valid, matching this group's previous high from last year. GayMarriageSupport_political Bottom Line With the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision nearing and no formidable opposition trying to undo gay marriage's legality, it's likely that the percentage of married LGBT adults in the U.S. will continue to grow as new generations of same-sex couples enjoy their newfound rights. The trend toward increased public support for same-sex marriage could very well continue, given that there is still room for increased support among Democrats and independents. Reaching a national consensus on the issue would depend more on greater acceptance among Republicans, who remain mostly opposed to legally recognized same-sex marriages. In addition to the general trend toward greater acceptance of gay marriage, the same-sex weddings taking place across the country may be softening opposition among some Americans who once feared for what legalization would bring. But now that it's been legal for nearly three years -- and even longer in certain states -- some opponents to gay marriage may be rethinking their previous opposition. Americans have changed their minds on the legality of other issues as well. Gallup's trend on support for legalization of marijuana has largely mirrored its trend on legalization of gay marriage. On both issues, support gained steadily in the 2000s before reaching majority level in the 2010s. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted May 1-10, 2018, with a random sample of 1,024 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. [View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends.] Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Gallup Gallup News Alerts Gallup News Alerts Get the latest data-driven news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Related Topics Include: USA All Gallup Headlines LGBT Marriage Moral Issues Politics Social and Policy Issues Advanced Analytics Access Crucial Data for Your Research Search, examine, compare and export nearly a century of primary data. Learn More about Access Crucial Data for Your Research Subscribe to receive weekly Gallup News alerts. Never miss our latest insights. Sign Up Recommended Gallup Blog May 21, 2018 Explore Americans' Views on LGBT Issues Over the next week, Gallup will release a series of three articles providing insight into LGBT issues. Politics May 22, 2018 In U.S., Estimate of LGBT Population Rises to 4.5% The percentage of American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender increased to 4.5% in 2017 from 4.1% in 2016 and 3.5% in 2012. Politics Feb 7, 2018 Majority Remains Satisfied With Acceptance of Gays in U.S. A majority of Americans remain satisfied with the acceptance of gays and lesbians in the U.S., but 23% are dissatisfied because they seek more acceptance. Polling Matters Aug 3, 2018 Looking Into What Americans Mean by "Working Class" by Frank Newport Some Americans may literally define the "working class" as those who are working, rather than as a position in the socioeconomic hierarchy. May 23, 2018 Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/234866/two-three-americans-support-sex-mar riage.aspx Gallup World Headquarters, 901 F Street, Washington, D.C., 20001, U.S.A +1 202.715.3030 News Our Company * About Gallup * Locations * George Gallup * Methodology Center * Senior Scientists & Advisers Topics * Business * Politics * World * Education * Social & Policy Issues * Well-Being * Economy * Blogs * Trends A-Z More From Gallup * Gallup.com * Exceptional Workplaces * Advanced Analytics * CliftonStrengths * Gallup Access * News * Reports * Books * Courses & Workshops * Events * Shop Contact Us * Careers * Media Inquiries * Gallup Speakers * Get In Touch * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * YouTube Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 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Reproduction prohibited without the express permission of Gallup, Inc. * Privacy Statement * Legal #The Stranger: Whole Site The Stranger: Slog Section The Stranger: Articles by Rich Smith The Stranger * Things to Read + Art and Performance Winter 2018 + Happy Hour Guide + Green Guide Fall 2018/Winter 2019 + Home + Slog + Savage Love + Queer + I, Anonymous + Features + News + Weed + Food&Drink + Music + Film/TV + Arts * Things to Do + MLK Day + Valentine's Day + Resistance & Solidarity + Things To Do Home + All Events + Music + Movie Times + Film Festivals&Events + Performance + Comedy + Art + Readings&Talks + Food&Drink Events + Shopping + Queer + Weed Events + Weed Shops + Festivals + Community&Civics + Parties & Nightlife + Geek&Gaming + Sports&Recreation + Restaurants + Bars&Clubs * + Log in + Sign up * ____________________ (BUTTON) Menu Close The Stranger ____________________ (Submit) * Things To Read * Art and Performance Winter 2018 * Happy Hour Guide * Green Guide Fall 2018/Winter 2019 * Home * Slog * Savage Love * Queer * I, Anonymous * Features * News * Weed * Food&Drink * Music * Film/TV * Arts * Print Archives * Things To Do * MLK Day * Valentine's Day * Resistance & Solidarity * Things To Do Home * All Events * Music * Movie Times * Film Festivals&Events * Performance * Comedy * Art * Readings&Talks * Food&Drink Events * Shopping * Queer * Weed Events * Weed Shops * Festivals * Community&Civics * Parties & Nightlife * Geek&Gaming * Sports&Recreation * Restaurants * Bars&Clubs * Other Things * Ad Info & Rates * Stranger Tickets * Account * Log in * Sign up [] Books • LGBTQITSLFA Jordan Peterson's Views on Gay Marriage and Child-Rearing Are Dumb by Rich Smith • Jun 22, 2018 at 11:18 am Tweet submit to reddit I dunno, looks like a cultural Marxist conspiracy to me... Love wins? I dunno, looks like a cultural Marxist conspiracy to me... Kelly O Last night professor Jordan Peterson—daddy of all lobsters, Kermit of all frogs, palest of the spiders crawling around on the Intellectual Dark Web—stopped by The Moore for the second time since May. I didn't attend the lecture because I wasn't invited, but I do want to celebrate his departure. Since it's #pride this weekend, and since Slog is appropriately gay themed this morning, I thought it might be nice to briefly review Mr. Peterson's ideas about gay marriage and gay child-rearing. He's a clinical psychologist, after all, so maybe he has some interesting things to say about those subjects. Surprise! He doesn't. Let's begin with the most recent of the two videos I'll discuss. It was posted in early May of 2018, and it's called "Thoughts on Gay People Raising Children." When asked what he thinks about gay people raising kids, he says "I think the devil's in the details to tell you the truth." IFRAME: https://www.youtube.com/embed/kPtZ-u78hDc Peterson ultimately offers his blessings, but only under the condition that the gay couple "accept the fact that it's necessary for kids to have models of both sexes," believe deep in their hearts that "the sexes are different" in the first place, and realize they have a "tremendous responsibility" to provide for their children "what it is they would get in the classical human unit," which he describes as "father, mother, child." He specifically seems most worried about one or the other parent not taking on the father's role, which he claims is to initiate "rough and tumble play with the kids." So Peterson approves of you lesbian ladies adopting children, but only if one of you promises to put on the pants and throw the kid into the lake, a role he thinks you might not naturally perform due to your sex. And you gay mens can raise babies all you want, but only if one of you plays the role of the nurturing Yin chaos mother. Peterson might be worried about the fates of kids raised by gay couples, but an overwhelming number of other scientists are not. Only four of 79 studies surveyed by Columbia Law School suggested that kids raised by gay parents faced any adverse effects, but "all four took their samples from children who endured family break-ups." Over at the Guardian, Nick Evershed cites two other reviews that support the conclusion that kids are just as well off being raised by gay parents as they are by straight parents. But this question of gay couples raising kids doesn't happen in a vacuum, it happens in a country with an adoption crisis and a broken foster care system. We need gay couples to adopt children if we want to help more kids out of foster homes and into stabler situations. But Peterson is so obsessed with enforcing gender norms in parenting that he doesn't even think about this larger issue. Now, should gay people even get married in the first place? Though it seems like a pretty settled subject for the majority of Americans, even in 2017 Peterson still had some concerns. IFRAME: https://www.youtube.com/embed/4jef2C4T1_A "That's a really tough one for me. If the marital vows are taken seriously, then it seems to me that it's a means whereby gay people could be more integrated more thoroughly into standard society, and that's probably a good thing. And maybe that would decrease promiscuity, which is a public health problem, though obviously that's not limited to gay people," he says. Seems like he's into it for all the wrong reasons, but whatever, I don't always require purity of motive. But then in the video Peterson makes a little turn. He describes gay marriage as a wedge issue, and says it isn't obvious to him that "that legalizing gay marriage has done anything to decrease the demands that the radical left neo-Marxist types are placing on traditional society." You see, he's "concerned about the undermining of traditional modes of being, including marriage, which has technically and historically been a union between a man and a woman fundamentally for the purpose of raising children in a stable...environment." Again, Peterson's so obsessed with his weird little worldview that he sees gay marriage not as a fight for equal treatment under the law, not as a fight to claim next of kin so you can be in the hospital room when your partner is sick and dying, not as a fight to be just as miserable in love as straight people in marriages, but as one more milestone in a vast neo-Marxist conspiracy to erode "traditional modes of being." For the last time: this ~*free thinker*~ is not to be taken seriously. His ideas are "dangerous," but not in a cheeky contrarian way. If people adopted Peterson's ideas on LGBTQ issues, gay couples wouldn't be able to adopt children, and they might not even be seen as couples in the eyes of a law. But more than "dangerous," Peterson's ideas are boring, tedious, retrograde, and confused. He's a tradition-humping reactionary crank feeding off of the "Make the Present the Past Again" sentiment driving some of the worst impulses in the country right now. He's been roundly and thoroughly skewered by writers who've spent lots of time with him and by writers who haven't. But he's also been glorified as a savior of not-just-white-men on the internet. I'm sympathetic to readers who say Peterson's books saved them from the precipices of far right, but he doesn't seem to be pulling them back that far. To get this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to The Stranger's Slog AM/PM newsletter. ____________________ ____________________ (Subscribe) Subscribe Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 46 You might also be interested in these: Dreamy, Warm, Homespun Fun with PETS at Barboza Today by Jasmyne Keimig Slog PM: Mueller Team Contradicts BuzzFeed Report, the National Parks Are Suffering, Seattle Woman May be Evicted Over $2 by Nathalie Graham We Just Got a Letter to the Editor Calling Lester "Poopy Pants Snowflake" by Christopher Frizzelle Most Popular in Slog * Some Thoughts on Coming, Catholicism, and Making a Portrait of Trump Out of Dicks Savage Love Letter of the Day: Reader Advice Round-up by Dan Savage * Slog PM: Mueller Team Contradicts BuzzFeed Report, the National Parks Are Suffering, Seattle Woman May be Evicted Over $2 by Nathalie Graham * Dear Todd Herman: Maybe You Shouldn't Drive in Bus Lanes, Considering All Your Traffic Violations by Nathalie Graham * Federal Workers Demand Trump and Republicans End the Government Shutdown by Rich Smith * We Just Got a Letter to the Editor Calling Lester "Poopy Pants Snowflake" by Christopher Frizzelle * The Effortless Queer Pop of Babie by Charles Mudede * Fuck Your Report, Seattle Is the Best Coffee City in the World by Lester Black Newsletters Sign up for the latest news and to win free tickets to events Stranger Tickets Buy tickets to events around Seattle Stranger Things To Do Comprehensive calendar of Seattle events Stranger Things To Do App The easiest way to find Seattle's best events This Week's Issue Cover of this issue of The Stranger Print Archives Publication Info + Masthead + Ad Info & Rates + Distribution + Jobs at The Stranger + Contact Check it out Savage Lovecast Cocktail Compass The Stranger Promotions Follow Us + RSS + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram The Stranger All contents © Index Newspapers LLC 1535 11th Ave (Third Floor), Seattle, WA 98122 Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Takedown Policy The Stranger All contents © Index Newspapers LLC 1535 11th Ave (Third Floor), Seattle, WA 98122 Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Takedown Policy Quantcast Quantcast #next IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5F22G6 Google Tag Manager Sat, Jan 19, 2019 Sign In Subscribe Search form Search _______________ Search * U.S. * World * Business * Tech & Science * Culture * Sports * Health * Opinion * Ndelible Same-Sex Marriage GettyImages-486342292 U.S. Majority of U.S. Muslims Now Back Same-Sex Marriage During his campaign, President Donald Trump said he would protect the LGBT community from the oppression of Islam. 02_10_Same-Sex_01 U.S. Gay Teacher Fired After Wedding “This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result,” Morffi said on social media. GettyImages-874325494 World Pictures of same-sex weddings in Australia "It's another way to show your love and appreciation of your partner in front of the people in your life," Craig Burns, who married his partner Luke Sullivan at midnight, told the Associated Press. GettyImages-800027580 World Bermuda May Ban Same-Sex Marriage Again A bill would replace same-sex marriage with a domestic partnership arrangement. GettyImages-543297060 U.S. Same-Sex Couples Denied Full Marriage Benefits in Texas The Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that lets the state take away spousal benefits under employee insurance plans. 11_15_Same_Sex_Marriage_Australia World Where Is Same-Sex Marriage Legal? LGBT activists are celebrating in Australia after the country voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Kim Davis U.S. Kim Davis Will Run for Re-Election She may be opposed by one of the people who sued her. 10_21_australia_02 World Will Australia Embrace Same-Sex Marriage? A 'yes' vote from the public is expected to lead to legalization. 09_30_LDS_Conference U.S. Mormon Church Still Opposes Same-Sex Marriage The Supreme Court may have declared same-sex marriage a right nationwide, but the church still does not accept it. German Same-Sex marriage World Christian Politicians Try to Stop Same-Sex Weddings The new rules are set to come into effect at the end of the year. Same-Sex Marriage U.S. U.S. More Americans Than Ever Back Same-Sex Marriage Most Americans now support equal rights to marriage, and attitudes have changed rapidly even among Republicans. Putin, patriarch kirill World Russian Church Leader Compares Gay Marriage to Nazi Law It is not the first time Patriarch Kirill, Russia’s highest religious authority, has spoken out against same-sex marriage. 05_16_davidson_01 World U.K. Diplomat Opens Up About Promoting LGBTI Tolerance The U.K.'s ambassador to Thailand will speak Wednesday at the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in Bangkok. same_sex_marriage_0515 U.S. Same-Sex Marriage Support at Highest-Ever Level: Poll Gallup first started polling Americans on the issue in 1996. 03_05_germany_01 World Same-Sex Marriage Endorsed by German Parties Germany's Social Democrats and Greens push for legalization, which has been opposed by the chancellor's Christian Democrats. young_people_terrorism_0207 World World’s Young People Most Afraid of Terrorism: Report More than 20,000 people aged 15 to 21 from 20 countries were surveyed. Donald Trump abortion U.S. Donald Trump Talks Same-Sex Marriage And Abortion Law If Roe v Wade is overturned, women will not be able to terminate pregnancies in certain states. 10_08_australia_01 World Australians Rally for Same-Sex Marriage, Against Vote Backers want Parliament to authorize same-sex marriage instead of allowing the public to vote next year. NewsweekGaysUnderFire Opinion Hunted for Holding Hands 24 years after being featured on Newsweek’s 1992 “Gays Under Fire” cover, Brad Lamm writes what has changed since he and his then partner were attacked in New York. alabama U.S. Top Alabama Judge Orders Halt to Gay Marriage Licenses Roy Moore said a ban on Alabama same-sex marriage licenses remains in effect. 12_28_Rowan_County_01 Opinion Kim Davis Denied Me a Marriage License. And I’m Not Gay The woman who ruined my wedding and turned my life into a circus looked straight through me. 1223_Kim_Davis_01 U.S. Kim Davis: 'I Failed So Miserably at Marriage' She spent five days in jail for refusing to issue licenses to same-sex couples. 1220_slovenia_same_sex_marriage World Same-Sex Marriage Referendum Fails in Slovenia About 63.4 percent vote against allowing same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt children. 1117_First_gay_couple_marries_Ireland_01 World First Gay Couple Marries in Ireland Six Months After Referendum Vote Richard Dowling and Cormac Gollogly are the first gay couple to marry in Ireland. 09_25_KimDavis_01 U.S. Kim Davis is a Republican Now "The Democratic Party left us a long time ago, so why were we hanging on?" she said. 0914_Kim_Davis_returns_work_01 U.S. Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Back in Office, but Defiant on Gay Marriage Licenses Davis said she will allow her deputies to issue licenses despite her stance against U.S. Supreme Court. 0913_Kim_Davis_billboard_01 U.S. Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Mocked on Billboard in Hometown The county clerk was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. North_Carolina_Gay_Marriage U.S. Magistrates in a North Carolina County Refuse to Perform Same-Sex Marriages Magistrates are being brought in from a neighboring county to perform marriages after four refused to do so. 09_10_samesexmarriage_01 Opinion Gay Marriage and Religious Rights: Say Nada to FADA A bill intended to protect those offended by gay marriage could open a can of worms. 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Current Issue * Blog Back Same Sex Marriage Laws Same-Sex Marriage Laws 6/26/2015 Table of Contents * State Same-Sex Marriage Laws Map * History Contact * All Press Inquiries [rings_gavel_240.jpg] Latest Development: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, thereby requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Background and History: State legislatures, voters and more recently the courts have made sweeping changes over the past two decades in laws defining whether marriage is limited to relationships between a man and a woman or is extended to same-sex couples. Before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Oct. 6, 2014, declining to hear cases on same-sex marriage, 31 states had either constitutional or statutory provisions that explicitly defined marriage as between a man and a woman and just 19 states and the District of Columbia allowed same-sex marriage. Now, at least 37 states and D.C. recognize same-sex marriage. The status of same-sex marriage remains in flux. All states have some court case pending on the topic. Five of those states’ cases were pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided not to hear the cases, thereby allowing the decisions from the 4th, 7th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal to stand. That meant same-sex couples could marry in five more states—Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. The following day, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down same-sex marriage bans in Nevada and Idaho. Two days later, West Virginia’s attorney general stopped his defense of that state’s ban. Colorado’s attorney general said the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision invalidates that state’s ban. In North Carolina, a federal judge ruled that state’s ban unconstitutional, applying the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. Alaska's appeal was refused by the Supreme Court and a federal district judge ruled Arizona's ban unconstitutional and the attorney general said he would not appeal the decision. Wyoming is the latest state where the attorney general has decided not to appeal a federal district court judge ruling the state’s ban unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 12, 2014, lifted its hold on issuing same-sex marriage licenses in Kansas. A South Carolina state Supreme Court and federal judge in Montana are the latest to rule overturning same-sex marriage bans. On Jan. 6, 2015, the state of Florida will begin allowing same-sex marriage after a district judge ruled the ban unconstitutional and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant the state’s attorney general a stay on the decision. On February 9, 2015 Alabama began issuing same-sex marriage licenses after a U.S. district judge ruled the state's ban unconstitutional. The judge put the January decision on hold to allow the state to prepare. The state requested the hold be extended, but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to do so. With these changes, at least 37 states and D.C. recognize same-sex marriage. In June 2015, a federal judge in Guam ruled their ban to be unconstitutional, making Guam the first territory to allow same-sex marriage. There is also a federal appeals court ruling to uphold states' ban on same-sex marriage. On Nov. 6, 2014, a federal appeals court judge in the 6th U.S. Circuit upheld four states' bans on same-sex marriage. The opinion upholds bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The decision is the first by a federal appeals court to uphold the bans. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the four cases. The court is expected to hear arguments in April and make a decision in June on whether it is constitutional for states to prohibit same-sex marriage and whether states may refuse to recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed out of state. CAPTION: States that Allowed Same-Sex Marriage Prior to 2015 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Alabama New Hampshire Alaska New Jersey Arizona New Mexico California New York Colorado North Carolina Connecticut Oklahoma Delaware Oregon Florida Pennsylvania Hawaii Rhode Island Idaho South Carolina Illinois Utah Indiana Vermont Iowa Virginia Kansas Washington Maine West Virginia Maryland Wisconsin Massachusetts Wyoming Minnesota District of Columbia Montana Guam Nevada State Same-Sex Marriage Laws Prior to 2015 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling: Legislatures and Courts 50-state map History The public national discussion around same-sex marriage first began in 1993 when the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that laws denying same-sex couples the right to marry violated state constitutional equal protection rights unless the state could show a "compelling reason" for such discrimination. Since that time, many states have taken actions to clearly define marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman and others have allowed same-sex couples to marry. Before 1993, seven states had laws that defined marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. After the Hawaii court decision raised the possibility that states could recognize same sex marriage, 32 state legislatures (including Hawaii) adopted statutory language defining marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman, including Alaska, which adopted both a statute and the nation’s first constitutional provision prohibiting same-sex marriage. Nebraska adopted a constitutional provision limiting marriage to relationships between a man and a woman. As a result, 40 states had statutory and/or constitutional provisions limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples by the end of 2000. Starting in 2000, some states began recognizing same-sex couples’ relationships. In April 2000, Vermont approved landmark legislation to recognize civil unions between same-sex couples, granting them virtually all the benefits, protections and responsibilities that married couples have under Vermont law. The Vermont legislation was a result of the state Supreme Court ruling in Baker v. Vermont that said same-sex couples are entitled, under the state constitution's "Common Benefits Clause," to the same benefits and protections as married opposite-sex couples. The court ruled that the Vermont General Assembly must decide how to provide these benefits and protections, either by legalizing marriage for same-sex couples or by establishing an alternative system. The Vermont General Assembly chose to preserve marriage as the "legally recognized union of one man and one woman," but at the same time create a parallel system of civil unions for same-sex couples that went beyond existing "domestic partnership" and "reciprocal beneficiaries." In Nov. 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that barring same-sex couples from civil marriage was unconstitutional. The Senate then asked the court for an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of a proposed law that would bar same-sex couples from civil marriage but would create civil unions as a parallel institution, with all the same benefits, protections, rights and responsibilities under law. In February, the court answered, "segregating same-sex unions from opposite-sex unions cannot possibly be held rationally to advance or preserve" the governmental aim of encouraging "stable adult relationships for the good of the individual and of the community, especially its children." Under this decision, the state of Massachusetts began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in May 2004. It was the first state to do so. In 2005, Connecticut became the second state to enact a state law providing civil unions to same-sex couples. In October 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the legislature to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples or to establish a separate legal structure, such as civil unions, to give same-sex couples the same rights as opposite-sex marriage couples. The New Jersey legislature chose to create civil unions in 2007, which gave same-sex couples the same legal rights as married, opposite sex couples. New Hampshire legislation also created civil unions in 2007, making it the fourth state to adopt that approach. On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples should have the right to marry. The ruling took effect mid-June and same-sex marriages were performed in California for a short period of time before a ballot initiative challenging the decision was certified in late summer. Proposition 8 proposed a state constitutional amendment that defined marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. It passed in November 2008, again banning same-sex marriage in California. Proposition 8 was challenged in early 2009, but the California Supreme Court upheld the law in May 2009. In August 2010, a federal district judge ruled that the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriages violated the equal protection provisions of the U.S. Constitution. The decision was appealed and enforcement (that would allow same-sex marriages to be performed) was delayed until the case could be heard by the federal appeals court. In February 2012, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the earlier district court decision that declared Proposition 8 invalid. The 2-1 decision reinstated the right to marriage for same-sex couples in California. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and enforcement was delayed until the court decided. In October 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that a ban against same-sex marriage was in violation of the equal protection clause in the state constitution. Connecticut became the second state to allow same-sex marriage. In 2009, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a statute allowing same sex marriage and ending civil unions. In April 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban against same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Iowa began performing same-sex marriages in June 2009. In April 2009, the Vermont legislature passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. Governor Douglas vetoed the bill, but the veto was overridden by the legislature. Vermont became the first state where the legislature, without judicial mandate, passed a statute to allow same-sex marriage. The Maine Legislature passed and Governor Baldacci signed legislation in May 2009 allowing same sex marriage. Opponents, however, successfully petitioned a referendum on the issue for the November ballot. Same-sex marriages were delayed, pending the ballot outcome. Voters approved the referendum, effectively repealing the law in November 2009. New Hampshire also passed same-sex marriage legislation in June 2009, bringing the total number of states that allowed same-sex marriage to five. In December 2009, the District of Columbia Council passed a same-sex marriage law, subject to a congressional review period. The law took effect in March 2010. In June 2011, the New York Assembly passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo immediately signed the legislation. The law took effect 30 days after signing, making same-sex marriages available in New York in late July 2011. The pace of state legislative action quickened in 2012. The Washington state Legislature and governor approved legislation in February 2012 establishing same-sex marriage. In June 2012 opponents gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in November. Voters upheld the law and same-sex marriages began on Dec. 6, 2012. The New Jersey Legislature passed a same-sex marriage bill in February 2012, but the measure was vetoed by Governor Christie. The legislature had until January 2014 to override the veto with two-thirds of the Assembly and Senate needed to do so. With the state court decision in October 2013 that the state must recognize same-sex marriage, New Jersey officials are considering whether to pass legislation on same-sex marriage to answer some questions left unanswered in the court decision. Maryland passed a same-sex marriage bill in February 2012 that was signed by Governor O’Malley on March 1. Opponents of the legislation obtained enough signatures to file a referendum challenging the law. Voters upheld the law and it went into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. In November 2012, voters in Maine approved a ballot measure legalizing same-sex marriage. It is the first time voters had been asked to legalize same-sex marriage rather than prohibit it. The measure went into effect Dec. 29, 2012. The Maine initiative and the Washington and Maryland referendum votes to uphold the same-sex marriage laws marked a watershed. They were the first instances of public votes to establish same-sex marriage. On the same date, Minnesota voters voted against a constitutional prohibition of same-sex marriages. Those four votes reversed a long trend of public votes against same sex marriage. Previously, voters in 32 states had consistently voted to limit same-sex marriage. Thirty states had enacted constitutional provisions to define marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman and prohibit same-sex marriages. Between 1998 and May 2012, only one public vote out of 32 had not supported restrictions on same-sex marriage. (In 2006, Arizona voters rejected a constitutional provision prohibiting same-sex marriage and then approved a prohibition in 2008.) Legislative actions supporting same sex-marriage continued in 2013. Rhode Island passed same-sex marriage legislation and Governor Chafee signed the bill into law on May 2, 2013. The bill converted civil unions to marriage and recognizes civil unions and same sex marriage from other jurisdictions. The law went into effect Aug. 1, 2013. Delaware passed same-sex marriage legislation and Governor Markell signed the bill into law on May 7, 2013. The law converts civil unions to marriage and recognizes civil unions and same sex marriage from other jurisdictions. The law went into effect July 1, 2013. Minnesota passed a law allowing same-sex marriage in May 2013. The law went into effect on Aug. 1, 2013. On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to decide the California challenge to Proposition 8, ruling on technical grounds that it did not have jurisdiction. The effect of that decision was to reinstate the federal district court decision overturning Proposition 8, thus allowing same sex marriage in California. Amid some confusion about timing, same-sex marriages began shortly after the decision. On the same day, the Supreme Court decided a challenge to the federal DOMA law that limited over one thousand federal benefits to marriages defined as a relationship between a man and a woman. It ruled that the restriction violated equal protection and due process for married same-sex couples. The decision emphasized the dominance of state law defining marriage and required the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages granted under state law. Federal agencies are now working through the challenges of how to deal with same-sex couples married in a state that allows same-sex marriage but who now live in a state that does not allow same-sex marriage. The court’s federal DOMA decision triggered a challenge to New Jersey’s law providing only civil unions for same-sex couples. The earlier New Jersey Supreme Court decision had required the state to offer the same legal rights to same-sex couples that married, opposite sex couples had. The federal government did not recognize civil unions as marriages so couples in a civil union could not have access to the same federal benefits. The state district court ordered the state to allow same-sex couples to marry, but delayed enforcement of the order for three weeks to allow the state to appeal. The state requested a further delay to allow it to prepare the appeal, but both the district court and the state Supreme Court denied the request on the grounds that the state was unlikely to win on appeal. The order to allow same-sex marriages went into effect and Governor Christie announced that the state would drop its appeal, making same sex marriages legal in New Jersey. Hawaii held a special session in October and November to consider same-sex marriage legislation. The Senate passed the initial bill on Oct. 30. The House Finance and Judiciary Committees held joint hearings that ran five days (55 hours of testimony) and included more than 1,000 people testifying. On Nov. 8, the House passed the Senate bill with an amendment that strengthened exemptions that allow religious organizations to not provide facilities, goods or services for the marriage or celebration of the marriage if it violates their religious beliefs. The Senate agreed to the amendment. Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the legislation on Nov. 13. It took effect on Dec. 2, 2013. On Nov. 5, the Illinois House passed SB 10 which had already passed in the Illinois Senate. For several months, House leaders had delayed the vote over concerns the bill might not have enough support. Governor Pat Quinn signed the legislation on Nov. 20. Same-sex marriages were set to begin on June 1, 2014. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 19, 2013, that same-sex couples are allowed to marry. Before the ruling, New Mexico was the only state without a law or constitutional provision explicitly banning or allowing same-sex marriage. Some county officials had issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples in previous years. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2013, the state asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to make a decision regarding their state policy. The state Supreme Court heard arguments in October and ruled on Dec. 19, 2013, that same-sex couples in the state were allowed to marry. The ruling went into effect immediately. 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Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD Live (Submit) 1. 2. /France * France * LGBT rights * Gay marriage France marks five-year anniversary of same-sex marriage Date created : 23/04/2018 - 16:45Latest update : 23/04/2018 - 18:27 Gérard Julien, AFP | Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau became the first same-sex couple to wed in France when they married on May 29, 2015 in the southern city of Montpellier Text by: FRANCE 24 Follow As couples in France mark five years on Monday since same-sex marriage was made legal with the hashtag #5ansMariagePourTous, ex-president François Hollande expressed regret at not having done more to advance the rights of “non-traditional” families. ADVERTISING (Submit) Read more France’s government voted to pass a bill legalising same-sex marriage and adoption on April 23, 2013, after months of intense lobbying for and against the legislation. The anti-gay marriage movement, Manif Pour Tous (or Protest For All), mounted a fierce campaign against the measure, at one point claiming to have drawn 1.4 million people to demonstrate in the streets of Paris. A little more than a month after the law passed, Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau became the first same-sex couple to wed in France in a highly publicised ceremony in the southern city of Montpellier. More than 40,000 same-sex couples have since married in France, according to the national statistics office Insee. Five years on, people across the country have taken to social media to celebrate the landmark decision by sharing their own wedding photos. “It was a much-discussed reform, and I never thought it would be simple to pass,” Hollande, who was president at the time, recalled in an interview with BuzzFeed published on Sunday. “It was a parliamentary battle, a major political and media battle. But what makes a reform interesting isn’t what led to its adoption, but its irreversibility… And now, five years later, who really questions marriage equality and adoption for same-sex couples?” #5ansmariagepourtous #5ans #mariagepourtous #mariage #égalité #husbands #love #samelawsforeveryone Une publication partagée par @ charles_bosseboeuf le 23 Avril 2018 à 12 :29 PDT Irène Théry, a sociologist and expert in family affairs, credited the law with changing the way people in France view the LGBTQ community. “The law on marriage equality… recognised that a same-sex relationship could, as a couple, integrate our notion of family and conceptions of parenthood. It was an extremely powerful force for integration,” Théry told French daily Le Monde. “Same-sex couples, married or not, have greater legitimacy today than before the law”. Battle over assisted reproduction Although opposition to same-sex marriage appears to have waned, the government has yet to tackle the issues of medically assisted reproduction and surrogacy – two points staunchly opposed by social conservatives and religious groups. Under French law, assisted reproduction is limited to heterosexual couples and surrogacy is prohibited. This means that lesbian couples and single women who want to have a baby using their own DNA are often forced to go abroad for costly procedures. Hollande expressed remorse for having failed to fulfill his promise to legalise equal access to medically assisted reproduction for “nontraditional” families. “I regret that we didn’t go in that direction at the end of my term, because it’s hypocritical. Sure, lesbian couples are allowed to have children, except they’re forced to go to Belgium or Spain, under less than ideal or dignified conditions. Because even if our laws recognise these children, they do not permit for them to be conceived in France.” “When I met women who first thanked me for legalising same-sex marriage and adoption, but then told me they had found a solution outside of France, I said to myself that I should have taken the next step,” he added. Hollande said he is opposed to surrogacy on the grounds that it “commodifies the body”, but urged women in France to continue the fight for equal access to assisted reproduction. “It’s inevitable. And even if they don’t have the right, they should fight so that future generations might have it,” he said. Text by: FRANCE 24 Follow Related content 18/01/2019 From Keira Knightley’s Colette to everything you need to know about Champagne, FRANCE 24’s week in review 17/01/2019 France will remain 'militarily engaged' in Middle East through 2019 15/01/2019 Seeking to quell Yellow Vest anger, Macron says some of the poor are just 'screwing around' 15/01/2019 Macron launches his 'national debate' with speech in Normandy 15/01/2019 Yellow Vests: Macron to kick-off ‘grand debate’ in Normandy 14/01/2019 Macron's open letter on a 'grand debate' comes under fire from rivals, yellow vests 14/01/2019 Yellow Vest protests: Macron launches national debate with open letter to the French 12/01/2019 French MPs face unprecedented death threats from 'Yellow Vest' protesters 11/01/2019 Yellow Vest protesters call for run on French banks 11/01/2019 From Charlie Hebdo to Viggo Mortensen to fashion trends for 2019, FRANCE 24's week in review 10/01/2019 Prosecutor declines to press charges at French cardinal’s cover-up trial 09/01/2019 French public gave less to charities in 2018 This page is not available (Submit) The page no longer exists or did not exist at all. Please check the address or use the links below to access the requested content. [index@promo&td_device=desktop&td_part=css&td_section=lifestyle+gay-mar riage] #publisher Skip to: Main Content Site Navigation Site footer Site Map * Log in * * No account? * Sign up * Log out news.com.au — Australia’s #1 news site [?path=components.header-desktop&t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscom au] * + News.com.au + National + World + Lifestyle + Travel + Entertainment + Technology + Finance + Sport + Search [?path=components.nav-primary&t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau] [index@promo&td_device=desktop&td_part=top&td_section=lifestyle+gay-mar riage] * gay marriage Same-sex marriage is now legal in Australia THE final step to make same-sex marriage legal in Australia has now been completed with couples able to marry by January next year. [charis-chang.png] Charis Chang@CharisChang2 [authorBlock@2.0.0] news.com.auDecember 8, 20179:28am [9b30e1540179d520f7eae3de72956bbf] The Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove receiving the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General, Senator the George Brandis for the assent of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, at Government House in Canberra. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia SAME-SEX marriage is officially legal in Australia after the Governor-General signed off on the historic laws today. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Sir Peter Cosgrove in Canberra for the signing of the bill this morning — the last step to change Australia’s laws. “I assent to this Act ... the Act now passes into Australian law,” Sir Cosgrove said as he signed a copy of the bill. The government has set Saturday, December 9 as the date the new laws will take effect and the Attorney-General’s office has confirmed this means weddings can take place from January 9. This is because couples need to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage one month before their ceremonies. Couples who got married overseas will have their unions automatically recognised under Australia law on Saturday. Governor-General gives the SSM bill royal assent0:33 It's official! Marriage Equality has been assent into law by the Governor General. Same-sex marriages can take place in Australia from January 9th. * December 7th 2017 * a year ago * /display/newscorpaustralia.com/Web/NewsNetwork/Network News/National/ [player] Ahead of the historic moment, an elated Mr Turnbull encouraged his fellow Australians to start making wedding preparations. “It is a big Australian hug for all same-sex couples, saying we love and respect you, now go out there and get married,” he told the Seven Network. The new laws cleared parliament unchanged on Thursday evening after a marathon debate lasting 56 hours and despite a push from conservative MPs for additional religious protections. Only four MPs in the House of Representatives voted against the private bill, a week after the legislation was agreed to by the Senate. Celebrations after the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 passes in the House of Representatives Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Celebrations after the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 passes in the House of Representatives Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra.Source:News Corp Australia Mr Turnbull described the postal survey on same-sex marriage as a game-changer for the issue, now resolved after years of debate. He criticised Labor for not progressing the matter when in office but said the victory now belongs to the whole parliament. The passage of the laws would not put religious freedoms at risk or traditional marriage, he insisted. “People that think gay people making a commitment is a threat to her marriage fails to realise that the real threat is lack of commitment,” Mr Turnbull said. A clearly emotional attorney-general shared a drink with Labor senator Penny Wong after the vote to celebrate. “To see the galleries of the House of Representatives just explode spontaneously was something that was unforgettable,” Senator George Brandis told ABC radio. “Of all the things I’ve done since I’ve been in parliament I think this is the one that will be most consequential.” Labor leader Bill Shorten said the new law spoke for a modern, “inclusive and fair” Australia. — With AAP The Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove receiving the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General, Senator the George Brandis for the assent of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, at Government House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith The Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove receiving the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General, Senator the George Brandis for the assent of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, at Government House in Canberra. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia [index@promo&td_device=desktop&td_part=bottom&td_section=lifestyle+gay- marriage] trending in lifestyle * 300 NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 13: Rihanna attends Rihanna's 4th Annual Diamond Ball at Cipriani Wall Street on September 13, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) [thumbnail] The Beauty Diary: We test Rihanna’s new Pro Filt’r Instant R... * 287 Business leader instructing focused Indian female assistant. Serious and upset woman leaning head on hand and listening to boss during coffee break. Teamwork or company hierarchy concept [thumbnail] ‘The interviewer for my dream job was a guy I ghosted’ * 251 jf skdjfsd kfjdk fdkfjskff dkj [thumbnail] Pill testing at music festivals: Hundreds attend Pill Testin... * 207 Beautiful elegant woman drinking sangria [thumbnail] Single tax: Kate Iselin on the cost of going it alone * 120 Raph and Rory, creators of Peak [thumbnail] Peak Chocolate: Bondi company rejected on Shark Tank earns $... [trending&td_heading=trending%2520in%2520lifestyle&td_showcount=true&td _showimages=true&type=article] * Share on Facebook Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter Share on Twitter * Share via Email Share via Email Leave a comment Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please Log in. Don't have an account? Sign up Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout Jump back to top MORE IN gay marriage * Question PM didn’t answer on religion [82d6baee4e6b8a80c94d0b78ca1a9cb9] * Warning over transgender law change [f2b264ed2ec0e11b3390c6edea5bee85] * Wedding mag closes after controversy [0dcf4f94a4784ecd693423ee45eb453d] * The consequences of gay marriage [987fe8e2b87f84dc6b38559648f5f273] * Secret meeting of marriage vote [86e170382a96c8df01c05f2151299fc1] * World’s most expensive wedding cake [5f56cd3a7c543e3da87b480d8dce6de9] * New twist in Bert and Ernie gay claim [0052525f118a82340adbfe111db6a3c6] * Bert and Ernie truth revealed [595c5f6cda46df07f51dd0541b3f25a0] [more-in&td_module-header=gay+marriage&td_storyID=070e3df2531bdab8663fd 74c9cd5486c] * Follow us * * * Advertise About us Newsletters Connect Be rewarded for your opinions * Privacy Policy * Relevant Ad Opt-Out * Cookie Policy * Terms & Conditions A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. 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Please turn Javascript on to get the best experience from rte.ie * News * Sport * Entertainment * Business * Lifestyle * Culture * Player * TV * Radio * Weather * More Weather ____________________ (Submit) Go * RTÉ Brainstorm * Gaeilge * Tech & Innovation * RTÉ Archives * RTÉ Orchestras * Century Ireland * Aertel * Lotto * RTÉ Shop * RTÉ Jr * TRTÉ * Watch Live * About RTÉ National Weather Warning Get live updates from RTÉ (Submit) 1 Click icon above to allow notifications from RTÉ 2 Select 'Allow' Once prompted by Chrome Maybe later Ireland says Yes to same-sex marriage Updated / Sunday, 24 May 2015 02:53 Thousands gather in Dublin Castle to hear the declaration of the same-sex marriage referendum Thousands gather in Dublin Castle to hear the declaration of the same-sex marriage referendum IFRAME: //www.rte.ie/news/results/2015/referendum/ssm/widget_iframe.html Ireland has become the first country in the world to bring in same-sex marriage by a popular vote. The official result was declared at Dublin Castle shortly before 7pm this evening. A total of 1,201,607 people (62.1%) voted Yes and 734,300 (37.9%) voted No. The total poll was just under two million. The result has been described as a social revolution, an expression of decency and a country coming of age. The highest Yes vote, at almost 75%, was declared in Dublin South East. One constituency voted No; the result in Roscommon-South Leitrim saw over 51% of voters there reject the marriage referendum proposal. The tightest margin was in Donegal South - West where it was Yes by just a whisker, with only 33 votes separating the sides there. More people voted in the same-sex marriage referendum than in any other since the foundation of the State, reflecting the growth in the size of the electorate, and the substantial numbers that applied for late registration. Over 1.9 million voters turned out yesterday compared with over 1.8 million who voted in 2004 in the poll to restrict Irish citizenship. Over 1.6 million voted in the divorce referendum 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the referendum on the age of presidential candidates has been defeated. In the Carlow-Kilkenny Dáil by-election, Fianna Fáil's Bobby Aylward has been elected. Reacting to the result, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said "Gone are the dark clouds that had me down, it's gonna be a bright, bright shiny day". Mr Kenny said today "Ireland is a small country with a big message", adding "people truly answered Ireland's call". Tánaiste Joan Burton said "Together the people of Ireland have struck a massive blow against discrimination." Quoting the late US LGBT rights activist Harvey Milk, she said, "Hope will never be silent." She also thanked her predecessor, former Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore, saying without him "today would not have happened." Mr Gilmore stood over his comments made in mid-2012, that gay marriage was "the civil rights issue of a generation". He said this referendum "was a moment where Irish people expressed their decency and their generosity". Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said that legislation will be brought in this summer to make same sex-marriage a reality. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said it was a special day. "It seems to me that the Irish people had their minds made up on this some time ago," he said. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said right across the country there is a big endorsement of a new attitude towards a minority that had been discriminated against for far too long. Rory O'Neill, aka Panti Bliss, said: "It's an incredible day that even two years we could not have even dared to imagine." Crowds began gathering in the upper courtyard of Dublin Castle from around 9.45am on Saturday morning to watch the declarations being announced for the results of the referendums on the big screen. Lines of people outside Dublin Castle to get in for the #MarRef declaration pic.twitter.com/HPIHOdIvkj — Conor Barrins (@ConorBarrins) May 23, 2015 Huge crowd now at Dublin castle #MarRef #rtenews pic.twitter.com/RJi2vNnubH — Martina Fitzgerald (@MartinaFitzg) May 23, 2015 Senator David Norris, one of the key figures in having homosexual acts decriminalised in the 1990s, said it was a wonderful result. "I believe that by the end of today gay people will be equal in this country. I think it's wonderful," he said. "It's a little bit late for me. As I said the other day I've spent so much time pushing the boat out that I forgot to jump on and now it's out beyond the harbour on the high seas, but it's very nice to look at." Director of the National Youth Council of Ireland Mary Cunningham praised a new generation of voters for making a difference. "It represents a victory not only for the Yes side, but also for Irish society, Irish democracy and the young people of Ireland," she said. "This result sends a strong message to young people across Ireland that they are valued equally; and that we want to promote respect and eliminate homophobia." Yes Equality spokesperson Grainne Healy said: "It's an extraordinary day. "We were going out not telling people to vote Yes, we were going out saying I am voting yes and I'd like to tell you why. That's how the campaign started and that's how it has worked." Senator Katherine Zappone said she had anticipated a Yes but was not sure how wide the margin would be. She said every person who had voted Yes and all of those who had campaigned had got Ireland to this point. No campaigners congratulate Yes side A number of campaigners against same-sex marriage have offered congratulations to the Yes side. David Quinn of the Iona Institute said: "Obviously there's a certain amount of disappointment but also I'm quite philosophical about the outcome." Congratulations to the Yes side. Well done. #MarRef — David Quinn (@DavQuinn) May 23, 2015 He said that going forward the institute will continue to affirm the importance of the "biological ties and of motherhood and fatherhood". In a statement, the Iona Institute said it was "proud to have helped represent the many hundreds of thousands of Irish people who would otherwise have had no voice in this referendum because all of the political parties backed a Yes vote". More on * news * Ireland * Politics * vote 2015 * by-election * referendum * Vote 2015 More for you. 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New Jersey Politics N.J. legalizes gay marriage after decade-long push Updated October 23, 2013 at 2:30 PM; Posted October 22, 2013 at 6:00 AM In first minutes of same-sex marriage in NJ, nine Newark couples tie the knot with Mayor Cory Booker officiating 10 Gallery: In first minutes of same-sex marriage in NJ, nine Newark couples tie the knot with Mayor Cory Booker officiating (Submit) Comment By Salvador Rizzo srizzo@starledger.com The Star-Ledger TRENTON — Same-sex marriage became law in New Jersey on Monday after Gov. Chris Christie conceded defeat in a momentous battle unfolding at the state Supreme Court. The Republican governor, who vetoed a gay marriage bill last year, abruptly withdrew an appeal being heard by the state’s highest court, clearing the way for full marriage rights for thousands of gay couples in the Garden State. Christie’s decision — announced hours after the first same-sex couples exchanged their vows in ceremonies all over New Jersey — marked the end of a decade-long push for same-sex marriage rights in a state that first tried out domestic partnerships in 2004, then civil unions in 2007. Monday’s weddings were held after the state Supreme Court refused Christie’s request to delay the first gay marriages while he appealed a lower-court ruling. New Jersey thus became the 14th state to allow gay marriage — and the first to do so in the wake of June’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. "What’s occurred here is really a great triumph not only for equality ... for people to marry whom they love, but also for the rule of law," said Lawrence Lustberg, an attorney for the six families that won the case yesterday and the group Garden State Equality. As word spread, gay couples, civil-rights advocates and Democratic officials rejoiced at rallies and wedding ceremonies across the state, while same-sex marriage opponents decried Christie’s decision to give up the fight and warned that social conservatives across the country would remember if he ever ran for president. While indicating that he remains personally opposed to it, Christie acknowledged that "same-sex marriage is the law" on Monday. And he vowed to enforce it, calling it his "constitutional duty," his office said. A spokesman for Christie, Colin Reed, said there was no reason to keep fighting because "Chief Justice (Stuart) Rabner left no ambiguity about the unanimous court’s view on the ultimate decision" in Friday’s decision denying the request to delay Monday’s start date for gay marriages. In a 20-page decision, the court rejected Christie’s underlying arguments for opposing gay marriage, with Rabner concluding: "Same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today." "Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law," Reed said. Christie had challenged a lower-court ruling from Sept. 27 that allowed gay couples to marry in New Jersey. With his appeal withdrawn, that ruling by Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson stands as the law. The Republican governor, who is seeking re-election next month and may seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, had urged lawmakers to put the question on the ballot if they wanted to change "the core of a 2,000-year-old institution" and said state judges should steer clear of the issue. He would not answer questions from reporters at an event in Gloucester on Monday. Christie’s opposition to same-sex marriage became a major campaign issue, with Democratic candidate Barbara Buono blasting him in a TV ad and interviews broadcast nationwide for opposing something that had the support of Democrats, Republicans and independents in New Jersey. "Despite Governor Christie’s efforts to block the rights of gays and lesbians at every turn, it took a determined effort by brave individuals and a unanimous decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court to force the governor to drop his appeal," Buono said. "I am thrilled the court ended his ability to enforce his bigoted views." Hayley Gorenberg, an attorney for the families in the lawsuit and the deputy legal director of Lambda Legal, said Christie’s decision "makes all the sense in the world legally, and makes all the sense in the world for our government, for public officials who are supposed to be serving the well-being of everyone in New Jersey." "I think we’re done here," Gorenberg said. But legal experts reacted more cautiously, saying the Legislature may need to pass a law to codify Jacobson’s decision — otherwise a future state Supreme Court could overturn it. "I think it’s pretty solid ... but it’s not ironclad," said Robert Williams, a state constitutional law expert at Rutgers Law School in Camden. "Assume somebody could get a case back to the Supreme Court. The court would in no way be bound by Judge Jacobson’s decision." He added that "there’s likely to be a lot of change in the Supreme Court next year" as Christie continues battling Democrats to make the court more conservative. Democratic leaders in the state Legislature celebrated the "historic day" but were undecided on the next step. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who had promised an override of Christie’s veto by the end of the year, said Monday he’s consulting with lawyers and lawmakers on whether to pass a new bill, keep pushing to quash Christie’s veto, or do nothing. "I was just happy that they dropped the challenge," Sweeney said. "This is a day for same sex couples to actually rejoice, realizing that their unions together are real and they’re going to stay real. And as far as legislation, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do ... in the next couple of weeks." John Tomicki, president of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage, regretted that Christie ended the case before his group could file briefs showing "the sociological basis for marriage, and why it benefits the society" to keep it to one man and one woman. "We hope to work with the Legislature to draft strong language that protects religious institutions," Tomicki said, adding that clergy should be exempt from officiating same-sex weddings. State Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren) criticized Christie for dropping his appeal. "Governor Christie has acquiesced to the same judicial activism that he has long railed against," Doherty said. Jacobson’s ruling was the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, which extended hundreds of tax, medical and other legal benefits to same-sex couples, but only in states that provided them "lawful marriages." As a state with civil unions, New Jersey was left out, the state Supreme Court said. Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University, said some conservatives may reject Christie for dropping the fight, but others will respect that he laid out his opposition clearly. "This shows a conciliatory form of politics that he talks so much about," Harrison said, calling it the mark of "a bipartisan, moderate candidate who can do more than win a Republican primary, who can win a national election." Star-Ledger staff writers Jenna Portnoy and Ryan Hutchins contributed to this report. RELATED COVERAGE • As midnight strikes, same-sex couples wed across New Jersey • N.J. Supreme Court refuses to block same-sex marriage; first wedding expected Monday • N.J. Supreme Court: 'No public interest' in blocking gay marriage • A timeline of gay marriage in New Jersey • More Politics FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER POLITICS: TWITTER | FACEBOOK (BUTTON) View Comments nj.com About Us * About NJ.com * Advertise with us * Contact Us * Jobs at NJ Advance Media * Newsletters * Frequently Asked Questions More on NJ.com * Interact * Weather * Site map * Claim your free business listing * Sponsor Content * Search * Place an ad * Sell your car * Sell/rent your home * Post a job * Post a free classified ad * Apartments & rentals NJ.com Sections * N.J. News * Local News * N.J. 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The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Your California Privacy Rights Ad Choices #Pew Research Center for the People and the Press RSS Feed alternate alternate JSON Representation Prism XML Version Plain Text Version [p?c1=2&c2=19750649&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MVFJNW Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World About Follow My Account Log in View Account Log out Donate Pew Research Center U.S. Politics & Policy * Menu * Research Areas * Home * U.S. Politics * Media & News * Social Trends * Religion * Internet & Tech * Science * Hispanics * Global * Methods * Publications * Topics * Question Search * Datasets * Methodology * Experts February 7, 2012 Growing Public Support for Same-Sex Marriage UPDATED FEBRUARY 16, 2012, WITH MORE COMPLETE DATA. As courts and legislatures address the question of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, public support for gay marriage continues to grow. Polls in 2011 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that an average of 46% favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally; about the same percentage (45%) opposes gay marriage. That marked the first time in 15 years of polling that the public has been evenly divided over this issue. Just two years earlier, in 2009, a clear majority (54%) opposed gay marriage while just 37% favored it. In 1996, when Pew Research first asked about letting gay couples marry legally, almost two-thirds of the public (65%) opposed the idea, and just 27% favored it. There continue to be substantial generational, partisan and racial differences over gay marriage. Since the 1990s, however, support has increased across most demographic and political groups. The shift in opinion has been driven in no small part by generational change. Millennials (born after 1980) are the most in favor of gay marriage (61% favor), followed by Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980 (48%). There is somewhat less support among Baby Boomers (40%), born 1946 to 1964, and members of the Silent Generation (32%), born 1928 to 1945. A majority of Democrats (56%) favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, as do 51% of independents. By comparison, just 27% of Republicans favor same-sex marriage while 66% are opposed. In recent years, support for gay marriage has risen sharply among Democrats and independents, while Republicans’ views have shown less change. Both whites and blacks have become more likely to favor marriage rights for gays in recent years, but the increase in support has been larger among whites. In 2011, 49% off whites and 36% of blacks said they favored allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. (For more on attitudes of religious groups toward gay marriage, see “Religion and Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage,” Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Feb. 7, 2012.) Most Say Homosexuality Should Be Accepted Since the 1990s, there also has been an increase in the percentage of Americans saying that homosexuality should be accepted by society. In March 2011, 58% said that homosexuality should be accepted by society, while a third (33%) said it should be discouraged. In 1994 and 1995, when the Pew Research Center first began asking about this topic, opinion was about evenly divided. But by 2000, slightly more said homosexuality should be accepted by society than said it should be discouraged (50% vs. 41%). In 2006, 51% said homosexuality should be accepted, while 38% said it should be discouraged. In 2011, support for societal acceptance of homosexuality again increased, to 58%. Report Materials Table of Contents * Most Say Homosexuality Should Be Accepted Related PublicationsOct 5, 2017 The Partisan Divide on Political Values Grows Even Wider PublicationsJun 8, 2015 Support for Same-Sex Marriage at Record High, but Key Segments Remain Opposed PublicationsJul 1, 2013 Public Divided over Same-Sex Marriage Rulings PublicationsJun 24, 2013 Final Court Rulings: Public Equally Interested in Voting Rights, Gay Marriage PublicationsJun 6, 2013 Changing Attitudes on Same Sex Marriage, Gay Friends and Family Topics * Gay Marriage and Homosexuality Popular On Pew Research Fact Tank12/13/2018 18 striking findings from 2018 Fact Tank03/01/2018 Defining generations: Where Millennials end and post-Millennials begin Fact Tank09/06/2018 Are you in the American middle class? 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Shvat 14, 5779 Time in Israel: 12:10 AM ____________________ Search (textSearch) Click to search (Submit) * Israel News (BUTTON) All sections * Israel News (Submit) + Israel Election 2019 + Israeli Culture + Sports + Travel in Israel + Business + Security & Aviation + Your Daily Brief + Podcasts + Year in Review 2018 * U.S. News * World News (Submit) + Impact Journalism Day 2018 + Africa, Asia and Australia + Americas + Europe + Jewish Poland * Middle East News (Submit) + Palestinians + Egypt + Iraq + Syria + Iran + Turkey + Jordan + ISIS * Jewish World (Submit) + Rosh Hashanah + Holocaust Remembrance Day * Opinion (Submit) + Haaretz Editorial + Letters to the Editor + Haaretz Cartoon * Archaeology * Science & Health * Life & Culture (Submit) + Books + Television + Movies * Food * Haaretz Magazine * E-paper * Shabbat Times * Weather * Plan a Trip to Israel * The Power of Giving * Israel Real Estate Share Tweet Email (Submit) Zen * Israel Election * Women's March * Blackwater * Benny Morris * Trump - Iran * Netanyahu * + Profile (Submit) Scroll back (Submit) Scroll forward [1.6833175.3721638439.gif] Home > U.S. News Colorado Elects First Openly Gay Governor in the U.S. - Rewriting the State's anti-LGBT History Colorado was once dubbed the 'hate state' for its anti-LGBT laws Alexander Griffing Send me email alerts for new articles by Alexander Griffing (Submit) Send (BUTTON) Close ____________________ Email Please enter your email For a list of Haaretz newsletters, click here. (BUTTON) Close Alexander Griffing (Submit) SendSend me email alerts Nov 07, 2018 4:18 PM comments Print (Submit) Zen Subscribe now * Shareshare on facebook * Tweet * send via email * reddit * stumbleupon Democratic Colorado Governor-elect Jared Polis arrives onstage with running mate Dianne Primavera on November 6, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Democratic Colorado Governor-elect Jared Polis arrives onstage with running mate Dianne Primavera on November 6, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.AFP * Trump, the Jews and anti-Semitism: A dangerous double game * Fearing for America’s democracy, Jewish women battle to ‘flip Congress’ in midterms * From New York to Michigan, is a wave of 'anti-Israel' Democrats about to reshape U.S. politics Latest: An Election Night of Firsts: From Colorado’s Gay and Jewish Governor, to Native American and Muslim Women Heading to Congress In October 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was pistol-whipped, tied to a fence and left for dead in an act of violence that stunned Americans and reshaped their country’s approach to hate crimes. Shepard was murdered outside of Laramie, Wyoming, some 30 miles (nearly 50 kilometers) from Colorado – a state that, 20 years on, is poised to elect the country’s first openly gay male governor, Jared Polis. Polls out less than a week before the election show the 43-year-old Polis, who is currently the congressman for ultra-liberal Boulder near Denver, with a five- to eight-point lead over Republican State Treasurer Walker Stapleton. A survey by a Democratic consortium, including Colorado-based Keating Research, found Polis leading 50 percent to 42 percent, while the right-leaning Magellan Strategies has Polis up by five points. The Denver Post notes, however, that in both polls Polis – who will also become Colorado's first Jewish governor – has double-digit leads among women, unaffiliated voters and people in their 40s or younger. U.S. midterms (Submit) skip - Haaretz weekly podcast IFRAME: https://omny.fm/shows/haaretz-podcast/after-pittsburgh-will-american-je ws-punish-trump-i/embed?style=artwork&image=1&share=1&download=1&descri ption=1&subscribe=1&foreground=222222&background=f3f3f3&highlight=09a5d 9 Haaretz Podcast: After Pittsburgh, will U.S. Jews punish Trump in the Midterms? >> Analysis: The era of total Trump control is over ■ Benjamin Netanyahu just lost the U.S. midterms The surveys reflect the demographic changes Colorado has undergone in the last 20 years, as the state’s strong economy has pulled in young people and minorities from places like California and Texas. Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter ____________________ Email* Please enter a valid email address (Submit) Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. (Submit) Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close A 2017 study found that the rural parts of Colorado, which hold significant political power, have undergone a fundamental transformation. In the 1980s, minorities were nowhere to be seen. But today the Latino population in rural communities is almost as large as the white population, which is in steady decline. Colorado has long been a mecca of Christian conservative politics, with powerful organizations like Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family leading the way in pushing socially conservative policies. The 100 mile I-25 corridor between Boulder and Colorado Springs is a microcosm of American politics, with college-town Boulder offsetting the largely Christian conservative Colorado Springs further south. That city is also a military town, including the U.S. Air Force Academy. Denver, the state’s capital and most populous city, sits between the two, while its suburbs populate much of the space in between. In the political battle between Colorado Springs and Boulder, the military town has long won out, with millions of dollars from Christian groups and conservative causes funding ballot initiatives and statewide policy campaigns. But with Polis, that tide may have forever turned. ‘The hate state’ LGBT rights have been a central issue in Colorado politics for decades. In June, a major Supreme Court case originating in Colorado – the “wedding cake case” – was ruled on in favor of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, for decades, anti-LGBT ballot initiatives have won in Colorado; the state has often been a testing ground for conservative groups considering how to approach these issues on the national stage. On November 3, 1992, Colorado voters approved Initiative 2 – a move to amend the state’s constitution to prohibit government agencies from allowing “homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships” to “claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination.” In short, the state made it illegal for the LGBT community to seek protections as a minority, for which critics dubbed Colorado “the hate state.” In 1994, the Colorado Supreme Court found the amendment unconstitutional and two years later, in a landmark case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling, saying the amendment violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Colorado since October 2014, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of lower court decisions overturning a ban. Colorado’s state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which was enacted in 2006 with 56 percent of voters in favor, was struck down in a state court in July 2014; the move was upheld by a U.S. district court a month later. The federal ban on gay marriage, the Defense of Marriage Act, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Eight years later, then-Colorado Senator Wayne Allard introduced legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. Allard’s bill said: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.” Allard’s initiative never made it out of the Senate, but many of his critics see it as his legacy given his lack of other legislative initiatives in his almost 20-year career in Congress. In March 2017, the Democratic majority in the Colorado House of Representatives passed, for the third time, a ban on gay “conversion therapy” for minors. But that move was later blocked by the Republican-majority Colorado Senate. LGBT rights in Colorado were again in the headlines when the state was at the center of the religious-liberties debate concerning the wedding-cake case. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who, citing his religious objections, refused to bake a cake to celebrate the marriage of a same-sex couple. This is another reason why, when on October 26 Matthew Shepard’s ashes were interned in the National Cathedral in Washington, that gesture had a resounding impact across the country. “A church welcoming him to rest there in the cathedral forever is a huge statement. And I’m proud to be associated with it,” said Bishop Gene Robinson to National Public Radio. Robinson is the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and a family friend of the Shepards. "And it's important that the hate crimes bill that was finally passed is named both for Matthew Shepard and for James Byrd, the African-American who was dragged behind a truck until he died, because it links all the marginalized groups who experienced violence against them," Robinson said. “These three fellows who beat Matthew Shepard to death, they felt OK about that,” Robinson added. “They felt justified about that. And for Matthew to come home to the Episcopal Church of which he was a part and for the LGBT community far and wide to see that” is so important. A victory by Polis, particularly in a state with a history like Colorado, is seen as carrying a similar message. Polis is part of a wave of LGBT candidates running in state-wide races as Democrats, which include: a transgender gubernatorial candidate in Vermont, an incumbent lesbian U.S. Senator in Wisconsin and an openly bisexual, atheist running for the U.S. Senate from Arizona. Homophobia still lingers Polis’ run for governor hasn’t been an easy one. He has been attacked for his wealth – both Stapleton and Polis are millionaires who have self-funded their campaigns. Polis has also been accused of changing his name to cover up an assault allegation and has been hit with homophobic slurs. Police are investigating homophobic bumper stickers attacking Polis that appeared in Eagle, Colorado, and in at least one other nearby community in recent weeks. The stickers, which misspelled Polis’ first name, show a set of lips and read, “Don’t Vote for Jerod Polis or He’ll Love Your Ass.” Also, an attack ad has been running in the state saying: “Fact-checkers found the court granted a temporary restraining order against him and that he changed his name 11 months later from Schutz to Polis. That’s the truth – he can’t be our Governor.” The assault allegation in question refers to a June 1999 altercation in which Polis allegedly pushed a female colleague. Fox’s local station, the “fact-checkers” that the ad mentions, declared the claim in the ad “misleading,” saying, “We did say 'It is true Polis changed his name 11 months after the event from Jared Schutz to Jared Polis.’” The station, added that “to suggest it was because of this incident is an attempt to connect dots that do not factually exist. Polis has repeatedly said he changed his name to honor his mother’s maiden name.” Despite the challenges, Polis, who is married and a father of two, is still on track for victory. For many LGBT Americans, a Polis win in Colorado would be a ray of light in what many view as dark days for minority groups fearing that their rights are under assault. Alexander Griffing Alexander Griffing Haaretz Contributor Alexander Griffing Send me email alerts for new articles by Alexander Griffing (Submit) Send (BUTTON) Close ____________________ Email * Please enter your email Alexander Griffing For a list of Haaretz newsletters, click here. (BUTTON) Close Send me email alerts for new articles by Alexander Griffing (Submit) Send me email alerts * Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe today Subscribe now (BUTTON) Back to page skip all comments Comments Sign in to join the conversation. 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All Rights Reserved (Submit) close IFRAME: https://4197153.fls.doubleclick.net/activityi;src=4197153;type=sitek029 ;cat=hacom848;ord=1? publisher #Marriage latest posts Marriage latest comments Marriage » Feed Marriage » Comments Feed The Legal Rights of Civil Unions and Gay Marriages What are the Prenuptial Laws of Other Countries alternate alternate Marriage * Getting Married + Marriage Certificate + Name Change After Marriage * Marriage Laws + Annulment of Marriage + Defense of Marriage Act * Common Law + Common Law Marriage + Common Law Marriage in Texas * Marriage License + Marriage License + Marriage License Requirements * Marriage Records * Marriage Counseling + Couples Counseling + Marriage Counseling Questions + Save My Marriage * Getting Married + Marriage Certificate + Name Change after Marriage * Marriage License + Marriage License Requirements * Marriage + Marriage Vows + Marriage Statistics + Definition of Marriage * Marriage Records + Free Marriage Records * Marriage Counseling + Couples Counseling + Save My Marriage + Marriage Counseling Questions * Common Law Marriage + Defense of Marriage Act + Common Law Marriage in Texas + Annulment of Marriage * Common Law + Common Law Marriage + Common Law Marriage in Texas * Gay Marriage + Same Sex Marriage + Gay Marriage States + Gay Marriage Facts + Gay Marriage Rights + Domestic Partnership + Civil Union ____________________ SEARCH Issues About Same Sex Marriage Back To Homepage Subscribe To RSS Feed Issues About Same Sex Marriage Share Issues About Same Sex Marriage Same sex marriage rights have been a very controversial issue in both political and religious circles. While same sex marriage is seen in early history, the debate for gay marriage rights has become a very heated debate. Same sex marriages were first legalized in the Netherlands and Massachusetts was the first US state to allow for legally legally recognized same sex marriages. In fact, less than ten countries or US states recognize same sex marriage. Many religious leaders continue to speak out in staunch opposition to conferring marriage rights to same sex couples. In fact the Catholic church is still very much opposed to same sex marriages. In addition, conservatives are opponents of defining same sex relationships as marriages. However, Democrats generally support same sex marriages, domestic partnerships or civil unions. Many opponents of gay marriage are also against same sex couples raising children. In fact, the opposition generally quotes outdated studies that show detrimental effects on children raised by same sex couples. However, recent studies suggest that children raised by same sex couples, are likely to grow up to be well adjusted and happy individuals. The opposition to LGBT rights, can be extremely detrimental to individuals and to society as a whole. For instance, same sex couples that are not able to wed, are more likely to suffer from sexually transmitted diseases, depression and suicidal tendencies. In contrast, same sex couples that are able to wed, enjoy better over all health and well being and are able to contribute to society in a productive manner. The debate about same sex marriage rights, has greatly effected the political and social climate in this country. In fact, members of the LGBT community have become extremely active in political forums. Many politicians have declined to offer opinions on allowing or prohibiting gay marriage or adoption. In fact, politicians often fail to take a stance on the subject because of the attached controversy. However, states like Florida have explicitly denied gay adoption rights, in part because same sex couples are legally forbidden from marrying in the state. Again, studies suggest that children raised by same sex couples, become productive members of society and suffer no ill effects from being raised by same sex couples. In America, around sixty percent of citizens are supportive of some type of legal recognition of the relationship between same sex couples. In general however, many people believe that marriage should continue to be defined as a unique union of one man and one woman. However, most people believe that couples in domestic partnerships or civil unions, should be entitled to the same rights and responsibilities generally conferred on marriages. In fact, trends suggest much greater support for the rights of the LGBT community, including the ability to criminally prosecute individuals that commit hate crimes against people based on sexual orientation or gender association. However, transsexuals and transgender individuals are currently offered the least protection from discrimination and hate crimes. In fact, most states offer no legal recourse for such actions. Yet, many transsexuals and transgender individuals have been able to get married, due to loopholes in laws that do not state at which point an individual must be of a certain gender. Lawmakers have begun to address issue of discrimination, hate crimes and rights for the LGBT community, including the right to have their relationship legally recognized. Some states have recently legalized same sex weddings in addition to passing hate crime and discrimination legislation that includes criminal penalties for those that break the law. However, other states have passed legislation that explicitly bans legal recognition for any same sex relationships in addition to preventing the passage of legislation that prohibits discrimination or hate crimes against the LGBT community. In addition, other countries have begun to address issues that effect the LGBT community. In fact, same sex couples have recently been allowed to be legally married in Mexico. In addition, transgender individuals are allowed to marry in Singapore as long as the couple is opposite sex. In contrast, some countries have passed laws that explicitly forbid same sex marriage. It appears that the Federal government in this country will be forced to address all of these issues on a national level. In fact, they will either have to prohibit or allow legal same sex marriages, in order to avoid the continued nationwide conflict on the subject. Currently, states have the power to decide the issues for themselves. While some states enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, others have not explicitly forbidden the legal recognition of same sex marriage, but they have also not allowed it as of yet. Politics has a lot to do with each state's stance on same sex marriage. Generally, lawmakers in conservative states, push for the enactment of DOMA, as well as further laws that prohibit the legal recognition of same sex marriage. In addition, many churches have taken an active stance against LGBT rights including the right to recognize any relationship between same sex couples. While Liberal states often enact laws that protect the rights of the LGBT community, including the right to marry. In addition, there are currently many reform movements that seek to enact progressive, but steady change in the LGBT movement. For example, the Jewish Reform movement has recognized the rights of the LGBT community, including the right to marry. Reform movements have been effective in bringing attention to the many issues that effect the LGBT community. Comments comments No related posts. 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Why Support Harvard Magazine? | Financial Update | Donor Services Donate Harvard Magazine (Submit) toggle menu * Latest News * Current Issue * Back Issues * Harvard Squared * Class Notes * Classifieds * Donate Search form Search ____________________ [glass.png]-Submit Your independent source for Harvard news since 1898 [ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+Research] [ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4] Features How Same-Sex Marriage Came to Be On activism, litigation, and social change in America by Michael J. Klarman March-April 2013 [share_Print.png] [share_PDF.png] Fifty years ago, every state criminalized homosexual sex, and even the American Civil Liberties Union did not object. The federal government would not hire people who were openly gay or permit them to serve in the military. Police routinely raided gay bars. Only a handful of gay-rights organizations existed, and their membership was sparse. Most Americans would have considered the idea of same-sex marriage facetious. Today, opinion polls consistently show a majority of Americans endorsing such marriages; among those aged 18 to 29, support is as high as 70 percent. President Barack Obama has embraced marriage equality. Last November, for the first time, a majority of voters in a state—in fact, in three states—approved same-sex marriage, and in a fourth, they rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment to forbid it. How did support for gay marriage grow so quickly—to the point where the Supreme Court may deem it a constitutional right in 2013? The Pre-Marriage Era In the early 1970s, amid a burst of gay activism unleashed by the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, several same-sex couples filed lawsuits demanding marriage licenses. Courts did not take their arguments very seriously. A trial judge in Kentucky instructed one lesbian plaintiff that she would not be permitted into the courtroom unless she exchanged her pantsuit for a dress. Minnesota Supreme Court justices would not dignify the gay-marriage claim by asking even a single question at oral argument. Marriage equality was not then a priority of gay activists. Rather, they focused on decriminalizing consensual sex between same-sex partners, securing legislation forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations and employment, and electing the nation’s first openly gay public officials. Indeed, most gays and lesbians at the time were deeply ambivalent about marriage. Lesbian feminists tended to regard the institution as oppressive, given the traditional rules that defined it, such as coverture and immunity from rape. Most sex radicals objected to traditional marriage’s insistence on monogamy; for them, gay liberation meant sexual liberation. Only in the late 1980s did activists begin to pursue legal recognition of their relationships—and even gay marriage. The AIDS epidemic had highlighted the vulnerability of gay and lesbian partnerships: nearly 50,000 people had died of AIDS, two-thirds of them gay men; the median age of the deceased was 36. An entire generation of young gay men was forced to contemplate legal issues surrounding their relationships: hospital visitation, surrogate medical decisionmaking, and property inheritance. In addition, the many gay and lesbian baby boomers who were becoming parents sought legal recognition of their families. Still, as late as 1990, roughly 75 percent of Americans deemed homosexual sex immoral, only 29 percent supported gay adoptions, and only 10 percent to 20 percent backed same-sex marriage. Not a single jurisdiction in the world had yet embraced marriage equality. Litigation and Backlash In 1991, three gay couples in Hawaii challenged the constitutionality of laws limiting marriage to a man and woman. No national gay-rights organization would support litigation considered hopeless—but in 1993, the state supreme court unexpectedly ruled that excluding same-sex couples from marriage was presumptively unconstitutional. The case was remanded for a trial, at which the government had the opportunity to show a compelling justification for banning gay marriage. In 1996, a trial judge ruled that same-sex couples were entitled to marry. But even in a relatively gay-friendly state, marriage equality was then a radical concept: in 1998, Hawaiian voters rejected it, 69 percent to 31 percent. (A similar vote in Alaska that year produced a nearly identical outcome.) For the Republican Party in the 1990s, gay marriage was a dream issue that mobilized its religious-conservative base and put it on the same side as most swing voters. Objecting that “some radical judges in Hawaii may get to dictate the moral code for the entire nation,” Republicans in 1996 introduced bills in most state legislatures to deny recognition to gay marriages lawfully performed elsewhere. (Such marriages were nonexistent at the time.) One poll showed that 68 percent of Americans opposed gay marriage. By 2001, 35 states had enacted statutes or constitutional provisions to “defend” traditional marriage—usually by overwhelming margins. Gay marriage also entered the national political arena in 1996. Just days before the Republican Party’s Iowa caucuses, antigay activists conducted a “marriage protection” rally at which presidential candidates denounced the “homosexual agenda,” which was said to be “destroying the integrity of the marriage-based family.” A few months later, the party’s nominee, Senator Robert Dole, co-sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which provided that no state was required to recognize another’s same-sex marriages and that the federal government would not recognize them for purposes of determining eligibility for federal benefits. Congress passed the bill by lopsided margins, and President Bill Clinton, eager to neutralize the issue, signed it. Vermont. The litigation victory in Hawaii inspired activists in Vermont to follow suit. In 1999, that state’s high court ruled that the traditional definition of marriage discriminated against same-sex couples. The court gave the legislature the option of amending the marriage law to include same-sex couples or of creating a new institution (which came to be called “civil unions”) that provided them with all of the benefits of marriage. At that time, no American state had enacted anything like civil unions. An enormous political controversy erupted; the legislature’s 2000 session was dominated by the issue. After weeks of impassioned debate, lawmakers narrowly approved a civil-unions law, causing opponents to encourage voters to “keep your blood boiling” for the fall election and “Take Back Vermont.” Governor Howard Dean, a strong proponent of civil unions, faced his toughest reelection contest, and as many as three dozen state lawmakers may have lost their jobs over the issue (though the law survived Republican efforts to repeal it in the next legislative session). Developments in Vermont resonated nationally. All 10 candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 denounced civil unions. One of them, Gary Bauer, called the Vermont decision “in some ways worse than terrorism.” Massachusetts. Activists in Massachusetts, inspired by Vermont, filed their own lawsuit in 2001 demanding marriage equality. In 2003, the Supreme Judicial Court vindicated their claim in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, while rejecting civil unions as “second-class citizenship.” Massachusetts thus became the first American state—and only the fifth jurisdiction in the world—to recognize same-sex marriage. The ruling sparked only a mild local backlash: the state legislature briefly but seriously debated overturning the decision by constitutional amendment, but popular support for such a measure quickly dissipated as same-sex couples began marrying. In the ensuing state elections, marriage-equality supporters actually gained seats in the legislature. Elsewhere, however, the Massachusetts ruling generated enormous political resistance. President George W. Bush immediately denounced it, and many Republican representatives called for a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of a man and woman. In February 2004, after Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco had begun marrying same-sex couples in defiance of California law, Bush endorsed such an amendment, explaining that, “after more than two centuries of American jurisprudence, and millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization.” The issue proved an enormous election-year boon to Republicans. Americans at the time rejected gay marriage by two to one, and opponents generally were more passionate than supporters. At the same time, the issue proved vexing to Democrats. Approximately 70 percent of self-identified gays voted Democratic, yet some of the party’s traditional constituencies, such as working-class Catholics and African Americans, tended to strongly oppose gay marriage. That summer, Republican congressional leaders forced a vote on the proposed amendment, even though it had no realistic chance of passing. Its principal sponsor, Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado, warned, “There is a master plan out there from those who want to destroy the institution of marriage.” Although most congressional Democrats opposed the amendment, while supporting civil unions, most swing voters found the Republicans’ position more to their liking. [ADTECH;loc=300;key=News+Graduate%20Schools+Social%20Sciences+Research+ +] Republicans also placed referenda to preserve the traditional definition of marriage on the ballot in 13 states in 2004, hoping to make gay marriage more salient in the minds of voters and inspire religious conservatives to come to the polls. All the measures passed easily, by margins of as much as 86 percent to 14 percent (in Mississippi). One newspaper aptly described a “resounding, coast-to-coast rejection of gay marriage.” Most of the amendments forbade civil unions as well. The issue proved decisive in some 2004 political contests. In Kentucky, incumbent Senator Jim Bunning, a Republican, began attacking gay marriage to rescue his floundering campaign. State party leaders called his opponent, a 44-year-old bachelor who opposed the federal marriage amendment, “limp-wristed” and a “switch hitter,” and reporters began asking him if he was gay. On Election Day, a state ballot measure barring gay marriage passed by three to one, while Bunning squeaked through with just 50.7 percent of the vote. Analysts attributed his victory to a large turnout of rural conservatives mobilized to vote against gay marriage. In South Dakota, Republican John Thune, an evangelical Christian, challenged Senate minority leader Tom Daschle and made opposition to gay marriage a centerpiece of his campaign. Thune pressed Daschle to explain his opposition to the federal marriage amendment and warned that “the institution of marriage is under attack from extremist groups. They have done it in Massachusetts and they can do it here.” In November, he defeated Daschle by 51 percent to 49 percent—the first defeat of a Senate party leader in more than 50 years. Across the border in North Dakota, a state marriage amendment passed by 73 percent to 27 percent. In the 2004 presidential election contest, the incumbent would not have won a second term had he not received Ohio’s electoral votes. President Bush regularly called for passage of the federal marriage amendment during the campaign and reminded voters that his opponent, John Kerry, hailed from Massachusetts, whose judges had decreed gay marriage a constitutional right. Bush’s margin of victory in Ohio was about 2 percent, while the gay-marriage ban passed by 24 percentage points. If the marriage amendment mobilized enough conservatives to turn out or induced enough swing voters to support Bush, it may have determined the outcome of the presidential election. Among frequent churchgoers—the group most likely to oppose gay marriage—the increase in Bush’s share of the popular vote in Ohio from 2000 was 17 percentage points, compared to just 1 percentage point nationally. During the next two years, 10 more states passed constitutional amendments barring same-sex marriage. In 2006-07, high courts in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington—possibly influenced by the political backlash ignited by the Massachusetts ruling—also rejected gay marriage. Growing Support Despite the fierce political backlash ignited by gay-marriage rulings in the 1990s and 2000s, public backing for gay rights continued to grow, bolstered by sociological, demographic, and cultural factors. Perhaps the most important was that the proportion of Americans who reported knowing someone gay increased from 25 percent in 1985 to 74 percent in 2000. Knowing gay people strongly predicts support for gay rights; a 2004 study found that 65 percent of those who reported knowing someone gay favored gay marriage or civil unions, versus just 35 percent of those who reported not knowing any gays. Support for allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military increased from 56 percent in 1992 to 81 percent in 2004. Backing for laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations rose from 48 percent in 1988 to 75 percent in 2004. Support for granting same-sex couples the legal rights and benefits of marriage without the title increased from 23 percent in 1989 to 56 percent in 2004. Shifts in opinion translated into policy changes. The number of Fortune 500 companies offering healthcare benefits for same-sex partners rose from zero in 1990 to 263 in 2006. The number of states providing health benefits to the same-sex partners of public employees rose from zero in 1993 to 15 in 2008. Those states with antidiscrimination laws covering sexual orientation increased from one in 1988 to 20 in 2008. Dramatic changes were also afoot in the popular culture. In 1990, only one network television show had a regularly appearing gay character, and a majority of Americans reported that they would not permit their child to watch a show with gay characters. By mid decade, however, the most popular situation comedies, such as Friends and Mad About You, were dealing with gay marriage, and in 1997, Ellen DeGeneres famously came out in a special one-hour episode of her popular show, Ellen. Forty-six million viewers were watching, and Time put her on its cover. Many Americans feel as if they know their favorite television characters, so such small-screen changes also tended to foster acceptance of homosexuality. As society became more gay-friendly, millions of gays and lesbians chose to come out of the closet. And support for gay marriage gradually increased as well, despite the political backlash against court rulings in its favor. Between the late 1980s and the late 1990s, support grew from roughly 10 or 20 percent, to 30 or 35 percent. In 2004, the year after the Massachusetts ruling, one study showed that opponents of gay marriage outnumbered supporters by 29 percentage points; by 2008, that gap had narrowed to 12 percentage points. Support for gay marriage grew for a second, related reason: young people had come to overwhelmingly support it. They are far more likely to know someone who is openly gay and have grown up in an environment that is much more tolerant of homosexuality than that of their parents. One scholarly study found an extraordinary gap of 44 percentage points between the oldest and youngest survey respondents in their attitudes toward gay marriage. Moreover, despite the short-term political backlash it sparked, gay marriage litigation has probably advanced the cause of marriage equality over the longer term. The litigation has undoubtedly raised the salience of gay marriage, making it an issue subject to much broader discussion and action—an initial prerequisite for social change. The gay-marriage rulings have also affected individuals’ actions and preferences. Litigation victories inspired gay activists to file lawsuits in additional states. The rulings also led more gay couples to want marriage—an institution about which they previously had been ambivalent. People often teach themselves not to want something they know they cannot have; the court decisions made gay marriage seem more attainable. Finally, the gay-marriage rulings created thousands of same-sex married couples, who quickly became the public face of the issue. In turn, friends, neighbors, and co-workers of these couples began to think differently about marriage equality. The sky did not fall. Legislated Marriage Equality As support for gay marriage grew, high courts in California and Connecticut ruled in its favor in 2008. But the California decision was quickly overturned by Proposition 8, which passed by a margin of about 5 percentage points. (Support for gay marriage in California had grown by about 1 percentage point a year since 2000, but its backers remained just shy of a majority.) Six months after this bitter defeat, gay marriage took an enormous leap forward. Within a few weeks in the spring of 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court and three legislatures in New England embraced marriage equality. The Iowa ruling appeared especially significant: it was unanimous, unlike other state court rulings in favor of marriage equality; and it came from the nation’s heartland, not one of its politically left-of-center coasts. Just days later, Vermont became the first state to enact gay marriage legislatively, and New Hampshire and Maine quickly followed. It seemed possible that New York and New Jersey would do so by year’s end. But that fall, Maine voters vetoed the gay-marriage law by 52.8 percent to 47.2 percent. That result seemed to influence some legislators in New York and New Jersey, where gay-marriage bills were defeated after the election. And in Iowa, polls showed a substantial majority opposed to their high court’s ruling, but Democrats controlling the state legislature refused to permit a referendum on a state marriage amendment. In the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, all five candidates denounced gay marriage; four supported a state constitutional amendment to ban it; and the most extreme candidate, Bob Vander Plaats, promised an executive order to block implementation of the court’s ruling. Vander Plaats came in second in the primary, winning 40 percent of the vote, then turned his attention to removing the judges responsible for the ruling, three of whom were up for retention elections that fall. In 50 years, not a single Iowa justice had ever been defeated for retention, but Vander Plaats and his allies made the election into a referendum on gay marriage, and the justices lost. Elsewhere, gay marriage leapt forward. In 2011, the New York legislature enacted it. Early in 2012, legislatures in Washington, Maryland, and New Jersey passed gay-marriage bills, though Governor Chris Christie vetoed the last of these. Last November 6, for the first time, American voters endorsed gay marriage, in three states: voters in Washington and Maryland ratified marriage-equality bills; Mainers approved a gay-marriage initiative (reversing the 2009 outcome). That same day, Minnesotans rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to bar gay marriage—becoming only the second state in which voters had done so. To the Supreme Court This past December, the Supreme Court agreed to review cases challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8. Assuming the justices address the substantive merits of either challenge (which is uncertain, given procedural issues), they are more likely to invalidate DOMA. Several lower courts have already done so, at least partly on federalism grounds. Historically, Congress has deferred to state definitions of marriage; conservative justices who care about preserving traditional spheres of state autonomy may combine with liberal justices who probably support marriage equality to invalidate the 1996 law. Indeed, a contrary outcome would be surprising. In 1996, some sponsors of DOMA defended it in blatantly homophobic terms, and Supreme Court precedent forbids statutes to be rooted in prejudice. Further, justices are not indifferent to public sentiment, and one recent poll shows that Americans favor repeal by 51 percent to 34 percent. Predicting how the Court will rule on Proposition 8 is harder. The justices are likely to divide five to four, as they do today on most important constitutional issues, such as abortion, affirmative action, and campaign-finance reform. As usual, Justice Anthony Kennedy is likely to determine the outcome. His vote may turn on how he balances two seemingly opposing proclivities. On one hand, his rulings often convert dominant national norms into constitutional mandates to suppress outlier state practices. (His decisions barring the death penalty for minors and the mentally disabled fit this description.) This propensity would counsel restraint on the Court’s part with regard to gay marriage, given that only nine states and the District of Columbia currently permit it. On the other hand, Kennedy wrote the Court’s only two decisions supporting gay rights, one of which explicitly embraces the notion of a living Constitution whose meaning evolves to reflect changing social mores. Moreover, his opinions frequently treat international norms as relevant to American constitutional interpretation, and marriage equality is rapidly gaining momentum in much of the world. Finally, Kennedy seems especially attuned to his legacy. How tempting might it be for a justice to write the opinion that within a decade or two will likely be regarded as the Brown v. Board of Education of the gay-rights movement? Whether or not the Court deems gay marriage a constitutional right this year, the future seems clear. Of late, support for marriage equality has been growing two or three percentage points annually. A study by statistician Nate Silver finds startling results: in 2013, a majority of people in a majority of states support gay marriage. By 2024, he projects, even the last holdout, Mississippi, will have a majority in favor. Even many conservatives have begun to acknowledge the inevitability of marriage equality. In March 2011, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary observed that “it is clear that something like same-sex marriage…is going to become normalized, legalized, and recognized in the culture” and that “it’s time for Christians to start thinking about how we’re going to deal with that.” That a particular social reform may be inevitable does not mean that opponents will cease fighting it. Although conceding, “You can’t fight the federal government and win,” many whites in the Deep South continued to massively resist Brown and school desegregation, insisting that “We’ll never accept it voluntarily” and “They’ll have to force it on us.” People who believe that gay marriage contravenes God’s will are not likely to stop opposing it simply because their prospects of success are diminishing. Moreover, religious conservatives who condemn gay marriage will continue to influence Republican politicians who need their support to win primary elections. Thus, an intense struggle over marriage equality is likely to continue for several more years, even though the ultimate outcome is no longer seriously in doubt.  Kirkland & Ellis professor of law Michael J. Klarman is the author of the recently published From the Closet to the Altar: Courts, Backlash, and the Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage. [ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4] View the discussion thread. 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All right reserved Privacy Policy Report Copyright Infringement facebook twitter linkedin youtube instagram [slow_an_cross.gif] [display.gif] __________________________________________________________________ [cocorner2.jpg] Home Conditional Marriage California Marriage California Gay Marriage Florida Marriage Amendment Bible and Homosexuality Arguments Against Gay Marriage Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage Sample Letters to the Editor Church Bulletin Announcements Church Bulletin Inserts Church Newspaper Ads Bumpersticker Contact Us Bible Sermons Marriage John McCain Marriage Amendment He is against Traditional Marriage Gay Marriage More Resources Against Gay Marriage Virginia Marriage Amendment Wisconsin Marriage Amendment Tennessee Marriage Amendment Massachusetts Marriage Amendment South Carolina Marriage Amendment Gay Marriage Amendment Arizona Marriage Protection Amendment Why we lost in Arizona Idaho Marriage Amendment Article on Gay and Lesbian Marriage Federal Marriage Amendment Biblical Traditional Marriage Pastors Advisory Board God's 1st Commandment Traditional Marriage Bible Sermons The Bible and No Same Sex Marriage Signs of Free Speech Judge Roy Moore Poem Original Ten Commandments Christian Signs Anti Gay Marriage Arguments The following article is from NoGayMarriage.com. Many other articles on sodomite marriage are available at this same website. Gay Marriage: Why Would It Affect Me? Ten Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage (This is a synopsis of the new book by Dr. James Dobson, Marriage Under Fire.) Argument #1. Same Sex Marriage Decays Families The implications for children in a world of decaying families are profound. A recent article in the Weekly Standard described how the advent of legally sanctioned gay unions in Scandinavian countries has already destroyed the institution of marriage, where half of today's children are born out of wedlock. It is predicted now, based on demographic trends in this country, that more than half of the babies born in the 1990s will spend at least part of their childhood in single-parent homes. Social scientists have been surprisingly consistent in warning against this fractured family. If it continues, almost every child will have several "moms" and "dads," perhaps six or eight "grandparents," and dozens of half-siblings. It will be a world where little boys and girls are shuffled from pillar to post in an ever-changing pattern of living arrangements-where huge numbers of them will be raised in foster-care homes or living on the street (as millions do in other countries all over the world today). Imagine an environment where nothing is stable and where people think primarily about themselves and their own self-preservation. The apostle Paul described a similar society in Romans 1, which addressed the epidemic of homosexuality that was rampant in the ancient world and especially in Rome at that time. He wrote, "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (v. 29-31, NIV). It appears likely now that the demise of families will accelerate this type of decline dramatically, resulting in a chaotic culture that will be devastating to children. Argument #2. Gay Marriage Will Lead to Polygamy The introduction of legalized gay marriages will lead inexorably to polygamy and other alternatives to one-man, one-woman unions. In Utah, polygamist Tom Green, who claims five wives, is citing Lawrence v. Texas as the legal authority for his appeal. This past January, a Salt Lake City civil rights attorney filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of another couple wanting to engage in legal polygamy. Their justification? Lawrence v. Texas. The ACLU of Utah has actually suggested that the state will "have to step up to prove that a polygamous relationship is detrimental to society"-as opposed to the polygamists having to prove that plural marriage is not harmful to the culture. Do you see how the game is played? Despite 5,000 years of history, the burden now rests on you and me to prove that polygamy is unhealthy. The ACLU went on to say that the nuclear family "may not be necessarily the best model." Indeed, Justice Antonin Scalia warned of this likelihood in his statement for the minority in the Lawrence case.10 It took less than six months for his prediction to become reality. Why will gay marriage set the table for polygamy? Because there is no place to stop once that Rubicon has been crossed. Historically, the definition of marriage has rested on a bedrock of tradition, legal precedent, theology and the overwhelming support of the people. After the introduction of marriage between homosexuals, however, it will be supported by nothing more substantial than the opinion of a single judge or by a black-robed panel of justices. After they have done their wretched work, the family will consist of little more than someone's interpretation of "rights." Given that unstable legal climate, it is certain that some self-possessed judge, somewhere, will soon rule that three men and one woman can marry. Or five and two, or four and four. Who will be able to deny them that right? The guarantee is implied, we will be told, by the Constitution. Those who disagree will continue to be seen as hate-mongers and bigots. (Indeed, those charges are already being leveled against those of us who espouse biblical values!) How about group marriage, or marriage between relatives, or marriage between adults and children? How about marriage between a man and his donkey? Anything allegedly linked to "civil rights" will be doable. The legal underpinnings for marriage will have been destroyed. Argument #3. States Will No Longer Protect Marriage An even greater objective of the homosexual movement is to end the state's compelling interest in marital relationships altogether. After marriages have been redefined, divorces will be obtained instantly, will not involve a court, and will take on the status of a driver's license or a hunting permit. With the family out of the way, all rights and privileges of marriage will accrue to gay and lesbian partners without the legal entanglements and commitments heretofore associated with it. Argument #4. Children Will Be Taught Perversion With the legalization of homosexual marriage, every public school in the nation will be required to teach that this perversion is the moral equivalent of traditional marriage between a man and a woman. Textbooks, even in conservative states, will have to depict man/man and woman/woman relationships, and stories written for children as young as elementary school, or even kindergarten, will have to give equal space to homosexuals. Argument #5. Children Will Be Placed in Gay Households From that point forward, courts will not be able to favor a traditional family involving one man and one woman over a homosexual couple in matters of adoption. Children will be placed in homes with parents representing only one sex on an equal basis with those having a mom and a dad. The prospect of fatherless and motherless children will not be considered in the evaluation of eligibility. It will be the law. Argument #6. Parents Will Be Reuiqred to Accept Homosexuality in Their Children Foster-care parents will be required to undergo "sensitivity training" to rid themselves of bias in favor of traditional marriage, and will have to affirm homosexuality in children and teens. Argument #7. Gay Partners Will Burden the Government Entitlement System How about the impact on Social Security if there are millions of new dependents that will be entitled to survivor benefits? It will amount to billions of dollars on an already overburdened system. And how about the cost to American businesses? Unproductive costs mean fewer jobs for those who need them. Are state and municipal governments to be required to raise taxes substantially to provide health insurance and other benefits to millions of new "spouses and other dependents"? Argument #8. Gay Marriage Will Spread Quickly to Other Countries Marriage among homosexuals will spread throughout the world, just as pornography did after the Nixon Commission declared obscene material "beneficial" to mankind.11 Almost instantly, the English-speaking countries liberalized their laws against smut. America continues to be the fountainhead of filth and immorality, and its influence is global. The point is that numerous leaders in other nations are watching to see how we will handle the issue of homosexuality and marriage. Only two countries in the world have authorized gay marriage to date-the Netherlands and Belgium. Canada is leaning in that direction, as are numerous European countries. Dr. Darrell Reid, president of Focus on the Family Canada, told me two weeks ago that his country is carefully monitoring the United States to see where it is going. If we take this step off a cliff, the family on every continent will splinter at an accelerated rate. Conversely, our U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that it looks to European and Canadian law in the interpretation of our Constitution.13 What an outrage! That should have been grounds for impeachment, but the Congress, as usual, remained passive and silent. Argument #9. Evangelism Will Be Hindered Perhaps most important, the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be severely curtailed. The family has been God's primary vehicle for evangelism since the beginning. Its most important assignment has been the propagation of the human race and the handing down of the faith to our children. Malachi 2:15 reads, referring to husbands and wives, "Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth" (NIV). That responsibility to teach the next generation will never recover from the loss of committed, God-fearing families. The younger generation and those yet to come will be deprived of the Good News, as has already occurred in France, Germany and other European countries. Instead of providing for a father and mother, the advent of homosexual marriage will create millions of motherless children and fatherless kids. This is morally wrong, and is condemned in Scripture. Are we now going to join the Netherlands and Belgium to become the third country in the history of the world to "normalize" and legalize behavior that has been prohibited by God himself? Heaven help us if we do! Argument #10. The Culture Will Be Anti-Christian The culture war will be over, and I fear, the world may soon become "as it was in the days of Noah" (Matthew 24:37, NIV). This is the climactic moment in the battle to preserve the family, and future generations hang in the balance. This apocalyptic and pessimistic view of the institution of the family and its future will sound alarmist to many, but I think it will prove accurate unless-unless-God's people awaken and begin an even greater vigil of prayer for our nation. That's why Shirley and I are urgently seeking the Lord's favor and asking Him to hear the petitions of His people and heal our land. As of this time, however, large segments of the church appear to be unaware of the danger; its leaders are surprisingly silent about our peril (although we are tremendously thankful for the efforts of those who have spoken out on this issue). The lawless abandon occurring recently in California, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere should have shocked us out of our lethargy. So far, I'm alarmed to say, the concern and outrage of the American people have not translated into action. This reticence on behalf of Christians is deeply troubling. Marriage is a sacrament designed by God that serves as a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and His Church. Tampering with His plan for the family is immoral and wrong. To violate the Lord's expressed will for humankind, especially in regard to behavior that He has prohibited, is to court disaster. Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Deuteronomy 25:5-8 Marriage Duty of the Surviving Brother 5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’ No Gay Marriage bring you these Bible verses: Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Psalms 119:90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Bumpersticker [bumper1_100.jpg] Signup for Weekly Newsletter If you are Gay Click here Gay? Gay Marriage Amendment Gay and Lesbian Marriage Marriage Equality Marriage Protection Amendment Sign up to become a Church Coordinator. click below (Gay Marriage Ban) Click here for state bans on gay marriage (Ban Same Sex Marriage) Links Ban Same Sex Marriage Christian View Same Sex Marriage Articles on Gay Marriage Article on Homosexual Marriage Bible and Homosexual Marriage Westminster Confession of Faith Septuagint Bible Links and Resources Ten Commandments Marriage Amendment Email Page Print Page Contact Us Newsletter Signup #Search mirror IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M3TH25P mirrorLoad mobile navigation * News + UK News + US News + World News + Weird News + Crime + Real Life Stories + Science + Health + Motoring Expand * Politics * Sport + Boxing + Racing + WWE + F1 + Golf + Cricket + Rugby League + Other Sports o Rugby Union o UFC o Tennis o Athletics Expand Expand * Football * Celebs * TV * Film * Royals * Weird News * Tech * Money * Travel + Africa + Asia & Middle East + Australia & New Zealand + Caribbean + Central & South America + Cheap Flights + Cruises + Europe + News + UK & Ireland + USA & Canada Expand * Fashion * Mums * Competitions * Quizzes * Got a Story? * My Account * Subscriptions * Sign Out (BUTTON) * * * * * Shop * Discounts * Offers * Bingo * Dating * Jobs * Funeral Notices * Horoscopes * Cartoons * Crosswords * Trade Classified * Find a job * InYourArea * Discount Codes * Mirror Collections * Psychic * Find a Therapist * Find a local business * Shop * About Us * Contact Us * Work for us * Follow Us * Sell Your Story * How to Complain * Corrections & Clarifications * Google Survey * Privacy Statement * Cookie Policy * Terms and Conditions * Subscribe to Daily and Sunday Mirror newspapers * Subscribe to tablet edition * Irish Mirror * © 2019 MGN Limited 1. Home 2. News 3. Politics 4. Human rights News MP who backs jailing gay people for life welcomed to Downing Street Jovah Kamateeka - who claimed gay marriage will hasten "the end of the world" - spoke in Parliament at the Women MPs of the World Conference * Share * * * * * * * * * * Comments By Dan BloomOnline Political Editor * 16:00, 11 NOV 2018 * Updated20:09, 11 NOV 2018 News [javascript] [4221396001_5860629157001_5860624661001-vs.jpg?pubId=4221396001&vid eoId=5860624661001] Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to playTap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Get politics updates directly to your inbox ____________________ (Submit) Subscribe See our privacy noticeMore newsletters Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email An MP who has backed jailing gay people for life was welcomed to a glittering Downing Street reception - and even spoke in the UK Parliament. Uganda's Jovah Kamateeka was among more than 100 female MPs from five continents who descended on Westminster last week for the Women MPs of the World Conference. In a speech during the conference, pioneered by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman and held in the House of Commons chamber, Ms Kamateeka boasted Uganda's constitution "guarantees human rights". She was also invited to a reception in No10 where Theresa May told delegates: "We're helping give women a greater voice." But now the Sunday Times has revealed Ms Kamateeka as a supporter of Uganda's homophobic Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Read More * Brexit blow for Theresa May as Cabinet colleague warns she could face defeat Jovah Kamateeka claimed gay marriage will hasten "the end of the world" (Image: UK Parliament) Read More * Remembrance Day: Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May lay wreaths with German President The 2014 law was originally dubbed the "Kill the Gays Bill" due to a clause allowing the death penalty, which was dropped. Despite being watered down, the Bill toughened up anti-gay laws allowing life imprisonment for so-called "aggravated homosexuality". Uganda's constitutional court eventually struck down the anti-gay law in August 2014. But Ugandan Parliamentary records show Ms Kamateeka - who leads the Parliament's human rights committee - defended it. She said in April this year: "We stood firm and passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in this House. It was only the courts of law that nullified our actions. As for us, we had passed the Bill into law." Read More * No Deal Brexit: Army 'ready to help' if UK crashes out with no agreement Ms Kamateeka was among more than 100 female MPs invited to Westminster (Image: UK Parliament) She added: "God created man and woman for posterity. "If we allow that men will marry men and women marry women, there will be no children and we will see the end of the world sooner." And she said: "We should say no to bad practices and we should say no to practices and values that are not Ugandan and practices and values that are not African. "We must be able to stand firm. Debate last Thursday during the Women MPs of the World Conference (Image: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor) "That Bill should come back and we pass it because we must stand firm for who we are." Last week's groundbreaking conference was co-hosted by Harriet Harman and Penny Mordaunt, the government's equalities minister. A UK government source confirmed all the MPs who were invited to Parliament were also invited to the Downing Street reception. The event was organised by Harriet Harman and Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt (pictured) (Image: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor) A government spokesman said: "We are clear that homophobia in all its forms is completely unacceptable. "Getting more women into politics gives a voice to women and girls around the world to enable them to fight for their rights, creates female role models and leads to legislation and work which tackles gender inequalities and discrimination." A No10 source insisted Jovah Kamateeka was not in one of the groups of women formally introduced to Theresa May during the reception. A government spokesman added: "This government has been clear about the need to reform legislation that, in many parts of the world, still criminalises same-sex relationships and we have offered our support to member states seeking to reform such outdated legislation.” Read More Latest UK politics news * May faces historic Brexit vote - LIVE * What happens next after defeat * Huge Pension Credit change 'sneaked out' * 17,000 died waiting for benefits * Like us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Politics Newsletter MirrorPolitics * Follow @MirrorPolitics Subscribe to our Politics newsletterEnter email ____________________Subscribe Comments Show more comments More On * Westminster * House of Commons * Theresa May * Human rights * Gay * Politics * (Submit) News * (Submit) all * (Submit) Most Read * (Submit) Most Recent [transparent.png] PoliceDerry 'car bomb': Police warning as vehicle up in flames near courthouseNorthern Irish politicians have condemned the blast outside a courthouse in Bishop Street Derry, with one MLA calling it a "disgraceful act of terrorism" [transparent.png] Met OfficeUK weather forecast: EIGHT INCHES of snow as temperatures plunge in polar freezeThe Met Office says the weather is set to turn colder, bringing a greater risk of snow, sleet and ice [transparent.png] DogsBoo the Pomeranian dead: 'World's Cutest Dog' dies of 'broken heart'Boo the Pomeranian's death was announced to his millions of Facebook and Instagram followers this morning [transparent.png] UK NewsPrince Philip 'threatened to throw Queen out of car' after she 'yelped' in terrorGyles Brandreth, a friend and biographer of The Duke of Edinburgh, spoke about the royal's love of driving fast following Prince Phillip's accident on Thursday [transparent.png] Royal Family'Prince Philip nearly ran my dad off the road - 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UNDER THE RADAR Latin America has become an unlikely leader in LGBT rights By Anna-Catherine BrigidaJune 6, 2018 In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, largely due to the work of LGBT activists like Esteban Paulon. Paulon, who didn’t have a partner at the time, saw this movement as a political struggle, rather than a personal one. “I fought for the law without knowing if I would ever get married or not,” said Paulon, vice president of the Argentine LGBT Federation. “But on the journey to this achievement, I met my partner.” Paulon and his partner were married three years after the law was passed—turning a national political achievement into a personal milestone they were able to celebrate with their friends and family. “If the state says that all families are equal before the law and that all families have the same worth, this inevitably has an effect on daily life and on social perception about sexual diversity,” Paulon said. “The fact of being able to access marriage is also personal.” Since 2010, more than 15,000 same-sex couples have been married in Argentina, the tenth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The decision illustrated Latin America’s unlikely leadership in the fight for LGBT equal rights. Indeed, the focus on the US gay rights movement has overshadowed other countries where important gains have been won. Finally, Latin America is being recognized as a major leader in the global LGBT movement by both academics and major global activists groups like Human Rights Watch. Following Argentina’s Lead And rightly so. Not only was Argentina the first Latin American nation to legalize marriage equality, but it has also enacted some of the most progressive transgender rights laws in the world. Most notable is a 2012 ruling that allows transgender folks to change their gender on government documents without first having to receive psychiatric counseling or transition surgery. Argentina also requires that public and private medical facilities provide free hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery. While credit has long been given to the US gay rights movement, the focus on the English-speaking world has overshadowed other countries where important gains have been won. Since Argentina legalized same-sex marriage in 2010, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico City and 12 Mexican states have also made same-sex marriage legal. Other nations, such as Chile and Ecuador, recognize civil unions between same-sex couples, though not marriages.These advances haven’t been won without vocal—and at time violent—resistance. But Latin America’s LGBT push demonstrates how vibrant activist networks, effective messaging to citizens, and access to democratic institutions have made the legalization of same-sex marriage possible. Argentina has a strong history of LGBT organizing, dating back to at least the 1960s, explains Jordi Díez, professor at Canada’s University of Guelph who has studied the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Americas. These networks were key to getting the law passed. Argentina transitioned from a brutal military dictatorship to democratic rule in the early 1980s—a shift founded on the basis of respect for human rights. Accordingly, local LGBT organizations successfully appealed to citizens to approve same-sex marriage by framing it as a human rights issue. Beyond human rights, Argentina also has a unique relationship with religion. True, Latin America is known for being overwhelmingly Catholic. But the Argentine political system has developed without the infiltration of the church within the legislative assembly, Díez explains. This means—much like in the US—Argentina has essentially kept the church from defining the state. REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar Same-sex couples celebrate their marriages in Mexico. Similar approaches were successful in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, though they met with more religious resistance than in Argentina. Meanwhile, despite Chile’s reputation as one of the most progressive countries in the region, a surprisingly strong church has been able to halt a range of liberal policies including same-sex marriage and abortion. Chile is just one of many Latin American nations that have yet to fully embrace same-sex rights. Much of the reason for this is economic, says Díez: “In Latin America, there is a very strong association with levels of economic development, which include levels of education, industrialization, et cetera, and support for same-sex marriage.” Countries colonized by the Spanish or Portuguese never fully criminalized homosexuality like their British colonial counterparts. Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras score lowest on the development index and also have low approval ratings of same-sex marriage. In Cuba, the same-sex marriage cause has finally taken up by Fidel Castro’s daughter, Mariela Casto, and is expected to be included in a larger constitutional reform process slated for this summer. Also, slow to same-sex marriage rights are countries in the English-speaking Caribbean, which Díez attributes to the legacy of colonialism. Countries colonized by the Spanish or Portuguese never fully criminalized homosexuality like their British colonial counterparts. This means homophobic perceptions may be more deeply entrenched in these Anglophone societies—both new and old—according to Díez. Far more recently, Spain was among the first European nations to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005, which set an example for its former colonies. Meanwhile, same-sex marriage wasn’t legalized in the United Kingdom until 2013. The Right to Life Although a large portion of the region now has access to a wide range of LGBT rights, this fight has not been won without resistance. Unfortunately, there is still a high level of violence against the LGBT population—particularly trans men and women—in the region. Indeed, a 2015 study by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights tallied nearly 600 LGBT murders across Latin America from January 2013 to March 2014. “Alongside the advance of marriage rights in places like Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and parts of Mexico, you also have the rise of fundamentalist groups linked, above all, to Evangelical groups,” said Paulon, who has traveled across the region in the course of his activism. Securing basic rights like personal safety remain at the forefront of these “outlier” nations—where marriage, sadly, still seems like a distant dream. Aldo Alexander Peña, a trans man living in El Salvador, was hospitalized in 2015 after he was beaten unconscious by police in a case that sparked national and international outcry. Since then, Pena has become heavily involved in LGBT activism. His current priority—and that of the handful of trans-rights organizations in El Salvador —is passing a gender identity law to allow trans Salvadorans to legally change their name and gender. Securing basic rights like personal safety remain at the forefront of these “outlier” nations—where marriage, sadly, still seems like a distant dream. “It’s not that we don’t want to be able to get married and have kids one day,” Peña says. “but when we think about it, if they are already denying us the right to gender identity so profoundly, how will they respond the day that LGBT organizations in El Salvador start to fight for same-sex marriage?” Peña ran for a seat on the mayoral council in El Salvador’s March 2018 legislative elections. He didn’t win but believes just running is a step forward for the LGBT community in El Salvador as it promotes LGBT civic participation and political representation. Yet as Peña can attest, much of Central America has a long way to go. There were at least 38 deadly hate crimes against LGBT Salvadorans last year. The Campaign for Costa Rica Larissa Arroyo, a Costa Rican LGBT rights activist who works with the organization Acceder says: “It’s important to understand that marriage is not the most important goal or the ultimate objective in the fight for equal rights, but rather it is a step, which is often symbolic. The goal is really the equal treatment of and the end of discrimination against LGBT people.” All eyes were on Costa Rica this spring during its presidential elections when same-sex marriage became a key issue. On Jan. 9, the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights (IACHR) declared in a landmark advisory opinion that the American Convention on Human Rights—to which Costa Rica is bound—requires all 23 signatory countries to legalize same-sex marriage. The announcement came during campaign season for Costa Rica’s presidential elections. And while human rights activists rejoiced, many conservative forces were galvanized to fight the ruling—which quickly became a “wedge” issue. Throughout the campaign, polls predicted a tight race between Carlos Alvarado—of the ruling party, against evangelical Fabricio Alvarado (no relation)—who rallied support by speaking out against the IACHR decision and the LGBT population. “For the first time in my country, I was scared. I was scared for my life and for the life of my colleagues,” said Arroyo. During the campaign, reports of hate crimes and discrimination against LGBT Costa Ricans, Arroyo said. Arroyo was prepared for the worst as Costa Ricans headed to the ballot box on April 1. She watched the results with friends and colleagues, full of fear and anticipation. But Fabricio Alvarado was overwhelmingly defeated, losing by a 20 point margin. Relieved, Arroyo was one of many Costa Ricans who celebrated with rainbow flags at the Hispanidad Fountain, a common meeting place for marches and celebrations in Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. “In some way, it was how we said, ‘Ok, now we can return to publicly being who we are and we don’t have to be scared anymore of being the target of some type of violence,’” she said. Still, same-sex marriage is still not legal in Costa Rica, and legislation would have to be proposed in Congress to afford this right to all citizens. And so the fight continues. “Our view, at least from the point of activists, is that we are not just going to let them give us a small victory,” said Arroyo. “We want all of our rights and no more discrimination.” This story is part of our series on Global Pride. ____________________ Tags mexico, LGBT, latin america, argentina, marriage equality Created with Sketch.LatestCreated with Sketch.FeaturedCreated with Sketch.ObsessionsCreated with Sketch.EmailsEditions (BUTTON) Close IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MRD738C #alternate alternate alternate publisher IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W9SLGS (Submit) Discover Thomson Reuters FinancialGovernment SolutionsLegalReuters News AgencyRisk Management SolutionsTax & AccountingBlog: Answers OnInnovation @ Thomson Reuters Directory of sites Login Contact Support * World * Business * Markets * Politics * TV ____________________ (Submit) (Submit) (BUTTON) Brexit The Z Factor Imprisoned In Myanmar CES Breakingviews Future of Money World At Work World News January 10, 2018 / 12:58 AM / in a year Latin American human rights court urges same-sex marriage legalization Enrique Andres Pretel 2 Min Read [?m=02&d=20180110&t=2&i=1220712592&r=LYNXMPEE0905E& w=20] People celebrate after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights called on Costa Rica and Latin America to recognize equal marriage, in San Jose, Costa Rica, January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate SAN JOSE (Reuters) - A Latin American human rights court said on Tuesday that countries in the region should legalize same-sex unions, endorsing a growing push for marriage equality despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ decision came in response to a petition submitted two years ago by Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Solis, who had vowed to increase rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the majority Catholic country. A number of Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, do not allow same-sex marriage. However, that trend is changing and in recent years same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and some parts of Mexico, despite church opposition. The Inter-American Court, based in Costa Rica’s capital San Jose, said the countries that it oversees should treat same-sex couples “without discrimination,” ensuring that they receive the same family and financial rights as heterosexual couples. It also recommended that these rights be ensured through temporary decrees while governments pursue permanent laws. Costa Rica’s government celebrated the decision, saying that lawmakers would take steps to adopt the court’s criteria “in its totality.” “The court ... reminds all states on the continent, including ours, of their obligation and historical debt toward this population,” Costa Rica’s vice president Ana Helena Chacon said at a press conference. Writing by Daina Beth Solomon, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 * narrow-browser-and-phone * medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet * landscape-tablet * medium-wide-browser * wide-browser-and-larger * medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet * medium-wide-browser-and-larger * above-phone * portrait-tablet-and-above * above-portrait-tablet * landscape-tablet-and-above * landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser * portrait-tablet-and-below * landscape-tablet-and-below * Apps * Newsletters * Advertise with Us * Advertising Guidelines * Cookies * Terms of Use * Privacy * * * * * * All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2019 Reuters. All Rights Reserved. IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W22QHZ9 Skip to main content (BUTTON) Toggle navigation The Straits Times Asia * Home * Singapore * Politics * Asia + East Asia + SE Asia + South Asia + Australia/NZ * World * Videos * Multimedia + Photos + Graphics * Lifestyle * Food * Forum + Letters in Print + Letters on the Web + Readers' Post * Opinion + ST Editorial + Cartoons * Business + Companies & Markets + Economy + Banking + Property + Invest + Market * Sport + Football + Tennis + Formula One + Basketball + Golf + Schools * Tech + Smartphones + Tablets + PCs + Cameras + Audio + Wearables + Games & Apps * Games * More + Multimedia + Forum + Opinion + Business + Sport + Tech + Games * SPH Websites + news with benefits + ST Wine + SPH Rewards + STJobs + STCars + STProperty + STClassifieds + SITES + AsiaOne + Berita Harian + Hardwarezone + Lianhe Wanbao + omy.sg + STOMP + SGCarMart + ShareInvestor + SRX Property + tabla + Tamil Murasu + The Business Times + The New Paper + zaobao.sg + Advertise with us (BUTTON) (BUTTON) (BUTTON) * Print Edition * ePaper * ST Index (BUTTON) Taiwan still divided on gay marriage, says President Tsai Ing-wen Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has openly supported the legalisation of gay marriage, but her majority government has been accused of dragging its feet on implementing the change. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has openly supported the legalisation of gay marriage, but her majority government has been accused of dragging its feet on implementing the change.PHOTO: AFP Published Jun 25, 2018, 9:29 pm SGT More Share Tweet Linkedin Pin Google+ Reddit Print Permalink: ____________________ (Submit) Copy TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen remained non-committal on Monday (June 25) on whether her government will actively push for quick implementation of a landmark court ruling last year which paved the way for same-sex couples to marry. Taiwan's top court in May 2017 legalised gay marriage - the first place in Asia to do so - and ruled its decision must be implemented within two years. Should the government fail to approve legislation within the deadline, the court ordered that gay marriage automatically become legal anyway. Campaigners were hoping Ms Tsai would help press for a decision in Parliament ahead of the two-year mark, but couples are still waiting to tie the knot over a year after the court ruling. In an interview with AFP on Monday, when asked if she would push the issue, Ms Tsai said the government would "bridge the differences society holds on this issue in order to propose a comprehensive Bill". She cast the issue as dividing generations in Taiwan. "Same-sex marriage is also a reflection of the generational gap. In Taiwan, those above 40 tend to have different views to those under 40," she told AFP. Participants react as they take part in a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride parade in Taipei, Taiwan, on Oct 28, 2017. Related Story Taiwan holds Asia's largest pride parade; waits for same-sex marriage to be legalised Conservative groups have staged mass protests against legalising same-sex unions and have accused the courts of bypassing the government on the issue. Ms Tsai described the court ruling as "one phase" of the reform and said the government must abide by its decision. Taiwan is seen as one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, and it stages the biggest gay pride parade in Asia annually. Ms Tsai has openly supported the legalisation of gay marriage, but since last year's decision by the constitutional court, her majority government has been accused of dragging its feet on implementing the change. The ruling said the island's current laws preventing same-sex unions violate the Constitution's guarantees of freedom of marriage and equality, a move welcomed by activists around the world. 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(BUTTON) Close [pixel?mid=00529a8e9e01c3bfad3c4bd7ec1ab148f6] #VOA - Top Stories [RSS] IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-N8MP7P [811691295?pageName=voa%3aeng%3ar%3a4499246%3aasia%27s+youngest+nation+ celebrates+2nd+lgbt+parade++++&c6=asia%27s+youngest+nation+celebrat es+2nd+lgbt+parade++++&v6=D=c6&g=https%3a%2f%2fwww.voanews.com& amp;c1=D=g&v1=D=g&events=event1&c7=asia%27s+youngest+nation +celebrates+2nd+lgbt+parade++++&v7=D=c7&c16=voa+english&v16 =D=c16&c5=asia&v5=D=c5&ch=english&v15=D=ch&c15=D=ch &c4=article&v4=D=c4&c14=4499246&v14=D=c14&c20=no&am p;c17=responsive&v17=D=c17] Accessibility links * Skip to main content * Skip to main Navigation * Skip to Search (Submit) Close (Submit) Previous (Submit) Next please wait Gallery: Print Options: * [_] Images * [_] Multimedia * [_] Embedded Content * [_] Comments (BUTTON) Cancel (BUTTON) Print logo logo-print * * * Languages * * * * * Search ____________________ (Submit) Search * Listen * Watch * Home * United States + U.S. News + US Politics + All About America + Immigration + People in America * World + U.S. & The Americas + Africa + East Asia + South & Central Asia + Europe + Middle East * Technology * Science & Health * @VOA STUDENTU * VOA News On Iran * VOA Connect * Login / Register * More * + Latest show * More TV + OUR BROADCAST PROGRAMS * VOA Global English + VOA Global English Listen live o [] 17:05 - 17:30 LIVE US Government Shutdown/116th Congress Lookahead + Upcoming o 17:30 - 18:00 US - Saudi Ties o 18:00 - 18:05 VOA Newscasts o 18:05 - 18:30 Stalemate Remains in Shutdown Talks * VOA Africa + VOA Africa Listen live o [] LIVE VOA Africa + Upcoming o 18:00 - 18:05 VOA Newscasts o 22:30 - 23:00 Encounter o 23:00 - 23:05 VOA Newscasts * VOA1 – The Hits + VOA1 – The Hits Listen live o [] LIVE VOA1 – The Hits * VOA Newscasts + VOA Newscasts Latest program o [] VOA Newscasts + Upcoming o 18:00 - 18:04 VOA Newscasts o 19:00 - 19:04 VOA Newscasts o 20:00 - 20:04 VOA Newscasts * More radio + Latest Newscast + OUR BROADCAST PROGRAMS + Radio Schedule Search ____________________ (Submit) Search (Submit) (Submit) Previous Next [_] Breaking News Previous Next [_] Live * US Government Shutdown/116th Congress Lookahead * VOA Africa * VOA1 – The Hits East Asia Asia's Youngest Nation Celebrates 2nd LGBT Parade July 25, 2018 11:35 AM * Krithika Varagur __________________________________________________________________ FILE - Participants attend the 5th annual LGBT pride parade in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug. 21, 2016. East Timor, Asia's youngest nation, held its second LGBT pride parade July 20. FILE - Participants attend the 5th annual LGBT pride parade in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug. 21, 2016. East Timor, Asia's youngest nation, held its second LGBT pride parade July 20. Share * * * * * Asia's Youngest Nation Celebrates 2nd LGBT Parade share * * * * * (Submit) Print JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Asia's youngest nation, East Timor (Timor-Leste), held its second annual LGBT pride parade in its capital, Dili. The small country cemented its role as a regional LGBT rights leader during a time when that community is under threat in many of its neighboring countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. East Timor's pride campaign is notable for its broad base of support in a country of fewer than 1.3 million people. Last year, its prime minister, Rui Maria de Araujo, supported the fledgling movement, stating that "discrimination, disrespect and abuse toward people, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, does not provide any benefit to our nation." This year, the campaign started early with a documentary film on LGBT acceptance within families that was released in April for an audience that included former president and prime minister Xanana Gusmao. It was filmed by the community advocacy group Hatutan. "Kinship is an important issue for the LGBT community in East Timor because it's such a small country," said Dede Oetomo, who founded the Indonesian gay rights advocacy group Gaya Nusantara. This year's parade, held July 20, had about 1,500 participants — up from 500 last year — and had "more participation from LGBT community members, especially the transgender and the lesbian community," said Natalino Guterres, an activist who spearheaded both parades. "It was great to see people of all generations coming to walk together." Small but powerful Pride 2018 was larger but also more complicated, said Guterres. "Last year, people weren't really sure what was going on, but this year they knew that it was an LGBTI pride parade. Some opponents are becoming more vocal … and some even threaten us by using phrases like 'trash of the society,'" he said. Over the weekend, a local band led LGBT marchers in a traditional Timorese resistance song and participants spontaneously held hands, danced in a circle, and cried "tears of happiness," Guterres said. East Timor became fully independent in 2002, and many citizens still have memories of the nationalist struggle against Indonesia. The dance circle showed that the movement was "truly Timorese," said Guterres. "We showed that we are also a part of this country, and that our friends and families are also proud of us to come out to march with us in solidarity." Guterres was surprised by the turnout, and moved by one visitor in particular: his mother. He didn't realize she was there until after the fact, when friends informed him that they had seen her. "Just last year we had a discussion where [my parents] made me promise to be normal,'" he said. "So it was amazing to find out that she also went." Mixed fortunes Oetomo, who advocates for LGBT rights across Southeast Asia, said that East Timor activists have quietly been growing a movement for many years. "In 2002, protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation almost made it into the constitution," he said. "Timorese people have been freedom fighters, they know how to fight for their rights." Plus, said Oetomo, "they don't have the Islam factor, to be frank, like we do in Indonesia." FILE - A man walks past an anti-LGBT banner with writings that read "Indonesia is on LGBT emergency" and "LGBT is a contagious disease, save the young generation from LGBT people," outside the headquarters of a conservative Islamic group in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 17, 2016. FILE - A man walks past an anti-LGBT banner with writings that read "Indonesia is on LGBT emergency" and "LGBT is a contagious disease, save the young generation from LGBT people," outside the headquarters of a conservative Islamic group in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 17, 2016. Conservative Muslim groups like the Family Love Alliance and the Islamic Defenders Front have petitioned for same-sex intercourse to be outlawed and have conducted raids on private establishments, respectively. "The Catholic Church in Timor has never really opposed LGBT rights the way Indonesia's Islamists do," Oetomo said. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch released a landmark report on the rapid decline of LGBT rights in Indonesia, East Timor's largest neighbor, which occupied the country for 22 years. Indonesian police conducted at least six raids on private gatherings that included LGBT people in 2016, and apprehended at least 300 LGBT people in 2017, according to the report. What the report shows, said Human Rights Watch researcher Kyle Knight, is how quickly the climate for LGBT rights can change in a nation. Before January 2016, "Human rights groups like us would hold up Indonesia as an example of pluralism … where governments didn't scapegoat and goad people using the LGBT community as a political pawn," Knight said. However, that was the month when several prominent officials made anti-LGBT remarks, sparking a nationwide moral panic that continues to this day. The situation for LGBT Indonesians declined precipitously within just two-and-a-half years, he said. But there are signs of change. Both Thailand and the Philippines may legalize same-sex marriage or partnerships, and LGBT rights are flourishing in Vietnam. "More and more of what is happening in Timor-Leste will be happening around the region," Oetomo said. "What Timor-Leste has accomplished is inspiring to all of us," he said. "Look, people in my organization are going to save money — in fact they've probably already started — and we will go to Dili [Pride] come 2019!" 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(SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images) Proponents of legalizing same-sex marriage in Taiwan hope other governments in Asia will follow their lead. Taiwan’s Justices of the Constitutional Court cited “freedom” and “people’s right to equality” when it said Wednesday the law should allow same-sex marriage and told parliament to make sure of it. Taiwanese LGBT groups are wondering now who else in the region might follow when their homeland officially becomes Asia’s first place to allow same-sex marriage. "I believe the influence will be quite deep, and we'll see if activists in other countries can push their governments, give the governments more pressure," said Chien Chih-chieh, secretary general of the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights. The short answer to who's next: Thailand and maybe Cambodia. First let’s look at the rest. Authoritarian countries are unlikely to legalize same-sex marriage in full because they restrict civic activism that would give rise to an LGBT advocacy movement. Those advocates often press governments to allow same-sex marriage, if you look at the 20 countries worldwide that are OK with it now. Authoritarian states in Asia mean China, Laos, North Korea and probably Singapore. Some of those places are socially conservative anyway. Vietnam legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 but never followed up with enforcement. Countries with strong monotheistic religions are also unlikely to approve same-sex marriage laws because churches oppose the idea. Indonesia and Malaysia, though democratic, live largely by the rules of Islam. The same religion anchors much of South Asia and the Middle East. About a quarter of South Koreans believe in Christianity of the sort that sticks close to the idea of one man, one woman per marriage. Despite earlier momentum in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte said that as the leader of a largely Catholic country he opposed the idea, according to the American advocacy group Human Rights Watch. Then there's Japan. Japan lacks a “multicultural” component of its democracy, says Jens Damm, associate professor in the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Studies at Chang Jung University in Taiwan. Taiwan’s LGBT movement took shape in the 1990s as politicians elevated the cause of multiple non-mainstream groups as a way of distinguishing the island from its political rival China. But Thailand once stood a chance of beating Taiwan as the first place in Asia with a full-blown same-sex marriage law and someday it might take up the cause again. Scholars and LGBT activists in the Southeast Asian country known for a thriving LGBT scene had drafted legislation five years ago and no organized opposition surfaced, the international law firm G.A.M. Alliance says on its website. A senior legislator said at the time much of the country’s parliament, being mostly older people, was too conservative to pass the law. The bill eventually went on hold due to political instability, according to the website PinkNews. In theory it could resurface. As a possible precursor, Thailand passed the Gender Equality Act in 2015 to punish discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, the news website says. Another likely spot is Thailand’s neighbor Cambodia. The country in 2011 repealed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, and news reports say influential authorities including the late king Norodom Sihanouk have favored a follow-up law. Still, no one in the Cambodian government has made the bold move. Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Contributor As a news reporter I have covered some of everything since 1988, from my alma mater U.C. Berkeley to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing where I followed Communist officials for the Japanese news agency Kyodo. 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These are external links and will open in a new window (Submit) Close share panel Related Topics * Indian gay sex ruling [p06kgds5.jpg] Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption"I'm finally glad I can say I'm not a criminal in this country anymore" In a historic decision, India's Supreme Court has ruled that gay sex is no longer a criminal offence. The ruling overturns a 2013 judgement that upheld a colonial-era law, known as section 377, under which gay sex is categorised as an "unnatural offence". The court has now ruled discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental violation of rights. Campaigners outside the court cheered and some broke down in tears as the ruling was handed down. Although public opinion in India's biggest cities has been in favour of scrapping the law, there remains strong opposition among religious groups and in conservative rural communities. * Joy in India as gay sex legalised * The privacy case that paved the way * How previous ruling shocked the gay community * Where is gay sex still against the law? But this ruling, from the top court, is the final say in the matter and represents a huge victory for India's LGBT community. One activist outside the court told the BBC: "I hadn't come out to my parents until now. But today, I guess I have." What have the judges said? Thursday's decision was delivered by a five-judge bench headed by India's outgoing chief justice Dipak Misra and was unanimous. Reading out the judgement, he said: "Criminalising carnal intercourse is irrational, arbitrary and manifestly unconstitutional." Another judge, Indu Malhotra, said she believed "history owes an apology" to LGBT people for ostracising them. Justice DY Chandrachud said the state had no right to control the private lives of LGBT community members and that the denial of the right to sexual orientation was the same as denying the right to privacy. The ruling effectively allows gay sex among consenting adults in private. What is section 377? It is a 157-year-old colonial-era law which criminalises certain sexual acts as "unnatural offences" that are punishable by a 10-year jail term. Image copyright Reuters Image caption A joyful reaction to the ruling at an NGO in Mumbai The law punishes, in its own words, "carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal". While the statute criminalises all anal and oral sex, it has largely affected same-sex relationships. Human rights groups say police have used the statute to harass and abuse members of the LGBT community. __________________________________________________________________ 'Recognising everyone's right to love' Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi Even though it was rarely invoked when it involved consenting adults, section 377 could be - and was sometimes - used as a tool for harassment. It is not surprising then that campaigners are describing the verdict as a "new dawn for personal liberty". But in a largely conservative India, where leaders of all religions have consistently opposed gay sex, it will still be a while before attitudes change and the community finds full acceptance. But laws almost always play an important role in changing mindsets, and by recognising the community's right to love, the Supreme Court has restored the dignity denied to them for a very long time. __________________________________________________________________ How did we get to this point? It's been a tortuous route. A bid to repeal section 377 was initiated in 2001 and was batted between court and government until 2009, when the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of decriminalisation. [p06jxc3t.jpg] Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionThe power of "pink money" in India Several political, social and religious groups then mobilised to restore the law and in 2013 the Supreme Court struck down the High Court ruling. Anti-section 377 activists then submitted a "curative petition" - a formal request to review an earlier court order perceived as a "miscarriage of justice" - and in 2016 the Supreme Court decided to revisit its ruling. What has the LGBT reaction been to the latest ruling? One of joy given that the community has fought vigorously to strike down the law. Image copyright AFP Image caption Activists say they are elated at the change although more needs to be done Equal rights activists had argued that the very existence of such a law was proof of discrimination based on sexual orientation. LGBT activist Harish Iyer told the BBC: "I'm absolutely elated. It's like a second freedom struggle where finally we have thrown a British law out of this country... I think the next step would be to get anti-discrimination laws in place, or anti-bullying laws." Messages of support were posted on Twitter, including from film director Karan Johar: Skip Twitter post by @karanjohar Historical judgment!!!! So proud today! Decriminalising homosexuality and abolishing #Section377 is a huge thumbs up for humanity and equal rights! The country gets its oxygen back! 👍👍👍💪💪💪🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/ZOXwKmKDp5 — Karan Johar (@karanjohar) September 6, 2018 Report End of Twitter post by @karanjohar Journalist Anna MM Vetticad said India had been saved from its shame: Skip Twitter post by @annavetticad We are witnessing history being made. Hats off to all my #LGBT rights activist friends who have battled hard to get here. You have saved India from the shame of being one of the remaining countries in the world that criminalises #homosexuality - thank you for that. #Section377 — Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) September 6, 2018 Report End of Twitter post by @annavetticad How have political parties reacted? The governing BJP party has said it would leave the decision to the Supreme Court. However, one of its members said he was disappointed with the verdict. Subramanian Swamy, known for making provocative comments, said: "It could give rise to an increase in the number of HIV cases." Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress party has welcomed the ruling, saying they "hope this is the beginning of a more equal and inclusive society". The UN has also welcomed the ruling, saying "sexual orientation and gender expression form an integral part of an individual's identity the world over". What else was said in the ruling? The court said other aspects of section 377 dealing with unnatural sex with animals and children would remain in force. The judges also explicitly said that they only ruled on the constitutional validity of section 377 and were not looking at it in terms of other rights such as those related to marriage or inheritance. It remains too early to say what this will translate to in the longer term. Author and commentator Sandip Roy told the BBC that although the ruling was a cause for celebration, there were still hurdles to overcome, and a need for anti-discrimination laws. "I think we would be foolish to think that this is the end of the fight," he said. Where is homosexuality illegal? The 2017 report from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga) lists 72 countries and territories where same-sex relationships are still criminalised, although that includes India before its latest ruling. Most of them are in Africa, the Middle East and other parts of south Asia. The report said homosexuality could still result in the death penalty in eight nations. Related Topics * Homosexuality in India * India * LGBT * Indian gay sex ruling Share this story About sharing * Email * Facebook * Messenger * Messenger * Twitter * Pinterest * WhatsApp * LinkedIn More on this story * Where is gay sex still outlawed? 6 September 2018 * Joy in India after landmark ruling legalises gay sex 6 September 2018 * Video 'I'm not a criminal anymore' 6 September 2018 * How significant is India's landmark privacy judgement? 24 August 2017 Top Stories Trump in 'compromise' to end shutdown His plan includes a concession on so-called Dreamer immigrants but Democrats have already rejected it. 19 January 2019 Deaths in Mexico pipeline blast rise to 66 19 January 2019 Funeral of Gdansk mayor draws thousands 19 January 2019 Features 'Why I wanted a tattoo on my mastectomy scar' Perfect 10: My 'crazy' week as a viral hit How far do free speech protections go in the US? The most expensive fuel in the world? 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PROGRESS Asia made big strides in LGBT rights in 2017 By Isabella StegerDecember 29, 2017 In the end, Australia pipped Taiwan at the post to legalizing same-sex marriage, in a year of major achievements for LGBT rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Here’s a recap of the big and little steps forward that 2017 ushered in. Taiwan For much of the year, Taiwan looked set to win the accolade of becoming the first country in Asia to make marriage equality a reality, after its top court ruled in May that the existing law that bans same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, and must be amended within two years. But progress on enshrining same-sex marriage in law in Taiwan has stalled, despite a pledge by its premier that the executive branch of government would send a same-sex marriage bill to the legislature in the current session, which is closing shortly. Meanwhile the backlog of same-sex marriage applications continues to pile up. Lawmaker Jason Hsu, a vocal proponent of marriage equality, said that with local elections slated for late 2018, it’s likely that no same-sex marriage bill will pass until early 2019, as a substantial portion of society still remains opposed to it. Nevertheless, Taipei continues to be the center of LGBT life in Asia, with its annual pride parade attracting record attendance—more than 100,000 people—from all around the region this year. And businesses are ready to welcome the a new set of wedding clients. Reuters/Mick Tsikas Two bride figurines adorn the top of a wedding cake for a 2009 ceremony to protest Australian lawmakers’ failure to end the gay marriage ban. Australia In that time, Australia—which had stood out conspicuously as a Western democracy that still had not legalized gay marriage—finally moved on the issue after mounting pressure from advocacy groups, liberal politicians, and companies. A majority of Australians had been in support of gay marriage, but the issue had been held hostage by conservative forces in the political arena in Canberra. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, himself a supporter of marriage equality, agreed to hold a non-binding referendum on the issue via a postal ballot. Less than a month after the results re-affirmed majority support for marriage equality, parliament passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. The first gay marriages took place the same week after two lesbian couples were granted an exemption from the normal 30-day waiting period to marry. Other same-sex couples who’ve filed to marry could be celebrating as soon as the first week of 2018. Japan Six local governments (paywall) in Japan now recognize same-sex partnerships, which ensures that gay couples are entitled to the same local benefits as heterosexual couples. The northern city of Sapporo became the first major city in Japan to recognize same-sex couples in June. Shibuya and Setagaya wards in Tokyo certified same-sex partnerships in 2015, followed by the municipalities of Iga, Naha, and Takarazuka last year. Even as Japan’s political classes and society at large remain conservative—Japan’s only openly gay lawmaker said that legalizing gay marriage on a national level is still years away from becoming reality—it’s clear that such attitudes are increasingly at odds with Japan’s youth. A video of a New Zealand lawmaker who made a speech on marriage equality in parliament went viral in Japan in response to comments made by a member of Japan’s ruling party who said that gay couples would not be welcome to attend banquets at the imperial palace. Japan’s conservative stance on LGBT rights will also increasingly come under the spotlight as the country tries to showcase itself as a welcoming and diverse destination as it tries to attract more skilled foreign workers to live and work there. Hong Kong Hong Kong, one of the world’s major financial centers and home to many foreign workers, has for years seen little progress on the LGBT front despite growing calls from civil society and the private sector to improve rights for sexual minorities. Still, two legal challenges offered some hope in 2017. In April, a court found that the partner of a Hong Kong civil servant—the two had married overseas—was entitled to the same benefits as a heterosexual spouse. The hearings in the Hong Kong government’s appeal against the decision began this month. Then, in September, a court ruled in favor of a lesbian expatriate couple seeking to be treated on par with heterosexual couples by the immigration department. The Hong Kong government is seeking to appeal that decision too and if it is allowed, that could be heard next year or in 2019. In the meantime, according to the law firm that represented the British couple, “the law in Hong Kong now is that foreign registered same-sex marriages and civil partnerships shall be recognised by the Immigration Department for dependant visa purposes.” Since the legal situation is in flux, it’s not clear that same-sex married couples can actually count on that for the moment. China How Hwee Young/EPA Aboard the Glory Sea cruise, organized in June by a prominent Chinese LGBT group. Amid a worsening crackdown on civil society groups in mainland China, there was little substantial progress on the LGBT front—indeed, in the months leading up to a crucial Communist Party meeting in October, a number of events hosted by LGBT groups were forced by authorities to be canceled. Given the climate, one prominent gay rights organization decided to rent a cruise ship to hold a major annual gathering. Nevertheless, society is becoming more accepting of LGBT people, particularly in cities. “Signals from the state are fragmented and contradictory. Regardless, society is rapidly becoming more open and—even despite setbacks—the LGBT community is becoming increasingly visible,” said Darius Longarino, senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center. ____________________ Tags Japan, qzasia, gay marriage, marriage equality, lgbt rights Created with Sketch.LatestCreated with Sketch.FeaturedCreated with Sketch.ObsessionsCreated with Sketch.EmailsEditions (BUTTON) Close IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MRD738C #alternate alternate alternate alternate publisher alternate ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Breaking News World+ U.S.AfricaAmericasAsiaAustraliaChinaEuropeMiddle EastUK WorldU.S. PoliticsBusinessEntertainmentSportTravelStyleHealthVideo Live TV ____________________ (Submit) Search » International Edition+ U.S. International Arabic Español Set edition preference: (_) U.S. (_) International (Submit) Confirm International Edition+ U.S. International Arabic Español Set edition preference: (_) U.S. (_) International (Submit) Confirm Home World * U.S. * Africa * Americas * Asia * Australia * China * Europe * Middle East * UK U.S. Politics * 45 * Congress * Supreme Court * 2018 Election Results Business * Markets * Tech * Media * Success * Perspectives * Video [menu_entertainment.png] * Stars * Screen * Binge * Culture * Media Tech * Innovate * Gadget * Mission: Ahead * Upstarts * Work Transformed * Innovative Cities Sport * Football * Tennis * Equestrian * Golf * Skiing * Horse Racing * Motorsport * Sailing * Rugby [menu_travel.png] * Destinations * Food & Drink * Play * Stay * Videos [menu_style_new.png] * Arts * Design * Fashion * Architecture * Luxury * Autos * Video [menu_health.png] * Food * Fitness * Wellness * Parenting * Live Longer Features * Freedom Project * Impact Your World * Inside Africa * 2 degrees * CNN Heroes * All Features Video * Video news * Feature shows * HLN * TV shows * TV schedule * Faces of CNN Worldwide * CNNVR [vr_new_asset.png] * How To Watch VR * Archives More… * Weather * CNN Profiles * Leadership * Pressroom * Partner sites * Work for CNN [logo_cnn_nav_bottom.png] U.S. [logo_cnn_nav_bottom.png] International [logo_cnn_espaniol.png] Español [logo_cnn_arabic.png] Arabic Set edition preference: (_) U.S. (_) International (Submit) Confirm FacebookTwitterInstagram ____________________ India's top court decriminalizes gay sex in landmark ruling By Manveena Suri, CNN Updated 1305 GMT (2105 HKT) September 6, 2018 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. ____________________ India's top court decriminalizes gay sex. India's top court decriminalizes gay sex. JUST WATCHED India's top court decriminalizes gay sex. Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH (17 Videos) Indian supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community hold placards as they participate in a pride parade in Chennai on June 24, 2018. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images) Indian supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community hold placards as they participate in a pride parade in Chennai on June 24, 2018. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images) India's top court decriminalizes gay sex People participate in the San Francisco Pride parade in San Francisco, California on June 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Josh Edelson (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) People participate in the San Francisco Pride parade in San Francisco, California on June 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Josh Edelson (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) Cities celebrate Gay Pride Month ESPN Body Issue features same-sex couple Queer Eye Van Ness Emmy Reaction Orig Vstan BDK_00001127 Queer Eye Van Ness Emmy Reaction Orig Vstan BDK_00001127 'Queer Eye' star's emotional Emmy reaction A "Vote Yes" banner in support of same sex-marriage hangs on a street in Sydney on September 5, 2017. Same-sex marriage advocates launched legal action in Australia's highest court on September 5, 2017 against a controversial government plan for a postal vote on the issue, calling it divisive and harmful. / AFP PHOTO / PETER PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images) A "Vote Yes" banner in support of same sex-marriage hangs on a street in Sydney on September 5, 2017. Same-sex marriage advocates launched legal action in Australia's highest court on September 5, 2017 against a controversial government plan for a postal vote on the issue, calling it divisive and harmful. / AFP PHOTO / PETER PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images) Australia to vote on same-sex marriage ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 25: A woman is arrested by police after gathering to support the LGBT Pride March on June 25, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2017 LGBT Pride March was banned by authorities for the third year. Organisers defied the order and people attempted to march to Taksim Square but were met by a heavy police presence and the crowd was dispersed by tear gas and several people were arrested. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 25: A woman is arrested by police after gathering to support the LGBT Pride March on June 25, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2017 LGBT Pride March was banned by authorities for the third year. Organisers defied the order and people attempted to march to Taksim Square but were met by a heavy police presence and the crowd was dispersed by tear gas and several people were arrested. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Gay pride parade obstructed by Turkish police ian mckellen amanpour gay rights_00052301.jpg ian mckellen amanpour gay rights_00052301.jpg Ian McKellen on coming out and being knighted north carolina roy cooper bathroom bill repeal sot_00003518.jpg north carolina roy cooper bathroom bill repeal sot_00003518.jpg North Carolina repeals bathroom law Attendees of the Equality March pass by the White House Attendees of the Equality March pass by the White House Equality marchers push for progress on LGBT rights Same-sex activists hug outside the parliament in Taipei on May 24, 2017 as they celebrate the landmark decision paving the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage. Crowds of pro-gay marriage supporters in Taiwan on May 24 cheered, hugged and wept as a top court ruled in favour of same-sex unions. / AFP PHOTO / SAM YEH (Photo credit should read SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images) Same-sex activists hug outside the parliament in Taipei on May 24, 2017 as they celebrate the landmark decision paving the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage. Crowds of pro-gay marriage supporters in Taiwan on May 24 cheered, hugged and wept as a top court ruled in favour of same-sex unions. / AFP PHOTO / SAM YEH (Photo credit should read SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images) Taiwan moves closer to legalizing gay marriage Gay men tell of brutality in Chechnya North Carolina gender bathrooms bill pkg_00002112.jpg North Carolina gender bathrooms bill pkg_00002112.jpg What is HB2? public bathroom controversy history nws orig_00002429.jpg public bathroom controversy history nws orig_00002429.jpg It's not the first time toilets have divided America Trump on SCOTUS: I'm fine with same-sex marriage transgender student bathroom support rally dnt_00011714.jpg transgender student bathroom support rally dnt_00011714.jpg Crowd rallies in support of transgender student battle over religious freedom laws nick valencia lead dnt_00001926.jpg battle over religious freedom laws nick valencia lead dnt_00001926.jpg Tenn. bill would allow therapists to deny LGBT patients china gay marriage rivers lklv _00002407.jpg china gay marriage rivers lklv _00002407.jpg Chinese court dismisses same-sex marriage lawsuit New Delhi (CNN)India's Supreme Court has struck down a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex, overturning more than 150 years of anti-LGBT legislation. The court announced the landmark verdict in Delhi on Thursday, as jubilant crowds cheered and rights activists hugged one another, overcome with emotion. Section 377, an archaic law imposed during British rule that penalized intercourse "against the order of nature," had carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The decision to repeal the law is a major victory for India's LGBT activists and supporters after years of determined struggle. Crowds in Mumbai cheer the Supreme Court announcement. Crowds in Mumbai cheer the Supreme Court announcement. Crowds in Mumbai cheer the Supreme Court announcement. "I can't even explain how I am feeling right now. The long battle has been won. Finally we have been recognized by this country," said Bismaya Kumar Raula, wiping away tears outside the court. Read More Others gathered said that, while they had anticipated a positive outcome, the result still came as a shock. India's top court agrees #Section377Verdict pic.twitter.com/ylHBnPnMZj — Nikhil Kumar (@nkreports) September 6, 2018 "It's an emotional day for me. It's a mix of feelings, it's been a long fight," said rights campaigner Rituparna Borah. "There was not enough media or society support earlier but we have it now. People will not be seen as criminals anymore." Though the law was rarely enforced in full, lawyers argued that it helped perpetuate a culture of fear and repression within the LGBT community. A change in legislation will "create a space of freedom where you can start expecting justice," Danish Sheikh, a law professor at Jindal Global Law School and LGBT advocate, told CNN. Indian LGBT activists in Mumbai react to the news that the Supreme Court has struck down Section 377. Indian LGBT activists in Mumbai react to the news that the Supreme Court has struck down Section 377. Indian LGBT activists in Mumbai react to the news that the Supreme Court has struck down Section 377. Long battle Thursday's historic ruling is the culmination of a lengthy and often fraught legal battle for equality in a country where homosexuality remains taboo. In 2009, the Delhi High Court ruled that the ban on consensual gay sex violated fundamental rights. The decision, which only applied to the Delhi region, was quickly overruled by the Supreme Court in 2013, following a petition launched by a loose coalition of Christian, Hindu and Muslim groups. In its 2013 ruling, the Supreme Court said that only a "minuscule fraction of the country's population constitute lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgenders" and it was therefore "legally unsustainable" to repeal the act. During the latest hearings, lawyers representing more than a dozen gay and lesbian Indians questioned the constitutional basis of that earlier ruling. LGBT Indians gear up for possible U-turn on anti-gay laws LGBT Indians gear up for possible U-turn on anti-gay laws LGBT Indians gear up for possible U-turn on anti-gay laws "It was a wrong judgment. It was not legal and it was based wrongly on the tenets of the constitution," said Colin Gonsalves, one of the lawyers representing the current group of petitioners. That case was strengthened last year, when the Supreme Court moved to uphold the constitutional right to privacy. The ruling, which declared sexual orientation to be an "essential attribute of privacy," helped galvanize campaigners. "Last year's ruling eviscerated the 2013 judgment," said Gonsalves. "There is no issue now. There is not much left to argue," he added. What a historic day for the country! 🏳️‍🌈 #Section377 pic.twitter.com/Xx8C13wEap — Anna Isaac (@anna_isaac) September 6, 2018 Opposition to moves to overturn Section 377 had rested predominately on religious and moral objections. In an interview earlier this year, lawmaker Subramanian Swamy, a prominent member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), described the legalization of gay sex as a "danger to national security" and "against Hindutva." Hinduism has traditionally maintained a flexible, non-prescriptive view of sexuality. However, in recent years hardline Hindu groups have taken a more conservative approach. In the run up to the judgment, the BJP refrained from taking a public stand, deferring instead to the court. Dehumanizing colonial law Out of the estimated 48 former British colonies that criminalize homosexuality, 30 still have laws based on the original colonial anti-LGBT legislation, according to Lucas Mendos, co-author of the 2017 International LGBTI Association "State-Sponsored Homophobia" report. In the case of India, the original British law had remained in place more or less unchanged since it was introduced by British colonizers in the 1860s. According to India's National Record Bureau, more than 2,100 cases were registered under the law in 2016. India did not maintain a separate database of prosecution under section 377 until 2014. Arif Jafar, one of the current group of petitioners whose case the Supreme Court ruled on, was arrested in 2001 under Section 377 and spent 49 days in jail. Supporters in Mumbai react to the Supreme Court ruling that gay sex is no longer a criminal offense. Supporters in Mumbai react to the Supreme Court ruling that gay sex is no longer a criminal offense. Supporters in Mumbai react to the Supreme Court ruling that gay sex is no longer a criminal offense. Jafar now runs an informal support group in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The group, named "Trust," provides counseling, support and sexual health services to gay and transgender persons. In his petition, Jafar described the experience as dehumanizing and a violation of his fundamental rights. He also alleged that he was beaten and humiliated every day because of his sexuality. Campaigners in India pointed out that the law didn't only trap members of the LGBT community in the closet, it also invited other forms of discrimination, providing a cover for blackmail and harassment. Members of India's LGBT community dance in celebration after the ruling was announced in Bangalore on Thursday. Members of India's LGBT community dance in celebration after the ruling was announced in Bangalore on Thursday. Members of India's LGBT community dance in celebration after the ruling was announced in Bangalore on Thursday. "The constant fear of 377 we have felt will not be there for the coming generation," said Yashwinder Singh, of Mumbai-based LGBT rights group The Humsafar Trust. "Laws getting passed is one thing but changing the society is a big challenge," said Singh of the court's decision, Thursday. "Our work has started multifold now. We have to go and talk to people and change their mindset so that they accept every human as one." We join the people of India & the LGBTQIA+ community in their victory over prejudice. We welcome the progressive & decisive verdict from the Supreme Court & hope this is the beginning of a more equal & inclusive society. #Section377 pic.twitter.com/Fh65vOn7h9 — Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2018 Following the announcement Thursday, the Congress Party, the country's main opposition, posted a message of congratulations on social media, welcoming the "progressive and decisive verdict" from the Supreme Court. As supporters celebrate the decision, activists will now be shifting focus to the broader issue of equality. People celebrate the decision in Bangalore on September 6. People celebrate the decision in Bangalore on September 6. People celebrate the decision in Bangalore on September 6. "The next step is to start looking at issues of rights. Right now, it is just decriminalizing," Anjali Gopalan, founder of the Naz Foundation, which has spearheaded the fight against Section 377, told CNN. "The right that every citizen of the country should have access to and should not be taken for granted. Like the right to marry, the right to adopt, the right to inherit. Things that no one questions and that are clearly denied to a certain section of citizens." CNN's Ben Westcott and Swati Gupta contributed to this report. * ____________________ * * * * * * ____________________ (Submit) 1. Home 1. World 1. U.S. 2. Africa 3. Americas 4. Asia 5. Australia 6. China 7. Europe 8. Middle East 9. UK 1. U.S. Politics 1. 45 2. Congress 3. Supreme Court 4. 2018 Election Results 1. Business 1. Markets 2. Tech 3. Media 4. Success 5. Perspectives 6. Video 1. [menu_entertainment.png] 1. Stars 2. Screen 3. Binge 4. Culture 5. Media 1. Tech 1. Innovate 2. Gadget 3. Mission: Ahead 4. Upstarts 5. Work Transformed 6. Innovative Cities 1. Sport 1. 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A man walks past a poster of a rainbow flag outside the Canadian embassy in Beijing on May 18, 2018.Greg Baker / AFP - Getty Images file Sep. 14, 2018, 3:30 PM GMT By Reuters BEIJING - Chinese activists are rallying in the thousands to renew a push for same-sex marriage, making use of a rare window of opportunity to suggest revisions to a draft piece of legislation to include legal protections for the gay community. After decades of Communist prudery about sex of all kinds, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Chinese have in recent years been openly tackling bureaucracy, legal uncertainty and entrenched social norms to assert their place in society. But unlike neighboring, democratic Taiwan, whose decision last year to give same-sex couples the right to marry gave a boost to the gay rights movement across Asia, China has not budged. Two years after a Chinese court rejected his application to be legally married, Sun Wenlin is trying to galvanize the LGBTQ community by asking people to propose amendments to a draft civil code en masse. The code, a piece of landmark legislation expected to be passed in 2020, was released last week by China’s parliament for two months of public comment. The code makes changes on issues including sexual harassment, divorce and family planning, but does not further the rights of the LGBTQ community, Sun told Reuters. Earlier this week, Sun posted on his WeChat account a guide for how to submit revisions to write the legalization for same-sex marriage into the code. Related NBC OUT Most Singaporeans still support law banning gay sex, survey finds Sun’s post went viral and started trending on the Twitter-like Weibo, with related hashtags being viewed 50 million times. Signatories to Sun’s campaign for same-sex marriage legalization, launched last year, jumped from around 5,000 to over 20,000 in a day, he said. “I did not want to be reconciled to watching this law sit there silently without anyone paying attention,” he said. “We don’t know how long we would have to wait for the next change to submit opinions on the civil code.” The chance that suggested revisions to dozens of provisions will be accepted is “close to zero,” Sun said, but he is hopeful that discussion can push forward legal recognition. The civil code drafting process can help protect LGBTQ rights in areas like childbirth and employment, according to Zhu Bao, a Beijing-based lawyer. “Discussion of the provisions that have an impact on the legitimate interests of the community will make lawmakers face up to the existence of gender minorities,” he said. Related NBC OUT India strikes down law that punished gay sex with 10 years in prison Reuters was unable to locate contact details for parliament’s Standing Committee, which is in charge of legislation. Individual legislators have occasionally in recent years proposed legislation during China’s annual meeting of parliament in March to legalize same-sex marriage, without success. Despite thriving gay scenes in many big cities and growing awareness of LGBTQ issues, the community has repeatedly had to face-off with China’s censors in recent months. There are no laws against same-sex relations in China. A ban — then reversal — of LGBTQ content by Weibo in April, followed by censoring of gay-themed content during the Eurovision Song Contest in May, have fueled fears of a growing intolerance. FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM * About * Contact * Careers * Privacy policy * Terms of Service * SiteMap * Advertise * AdChoices © 2019 NBC UNIVERSAL * * * Amnesty International UK Amnesty International UK Amnesty International UK Login Search Menu * Home * Campaigns * Get Involved * Join * Donate ____________________ Search Log in Register (Submit) Accessibility This site uses cookies to help improve your online experience. Find out more (Submit) * Amnesty International UK LGBTI rights Amnesty International UK Mapping anti-gay laws in Africa 31 May 2018, 02:48pm Click on the image to view a large version of the map Tightening laws and increasing punishments Legal rights are diminishing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people across the African continent. Uganda It's already illegal to be gay in Uganda. If you're found to have had a same-sex relationship, you can expect to spend seven years in prison. But Uganda's anti-gay laws have become even harsher. In December 2013, the notorious Anti-Homosexuality Bill was passed by Uganda's Parliament. It has lengthened sentences for consensual homosexual sex, and extended punishments to those 'promoting' homosexuality. Nigeria Nigeria already outlaws same-sex relationships. But the conditions of imprisonment have become wider, and the punishment much harsher, when Nigeria's President passed amendments to existing laws in January 2014. But there are some rays of light... Mozambique recently removed the Portuguese colonial-era laws that criminalised homosexual behavoir, removing a clause that outlawed 'vices against nature'. But that's only the first step in a long fight for full equality in the country. The organisation that successfully lobbied the authorities tomake the change, Lambda, is still not officially recognised as an NGO. Illegal or legal? Breaking it down by country Death penalty Mauritania, Sudan, Northern Nigeria, Southern Somalia Illegal Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe Legal Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, South Africa. 31 May 2018, 02:48pm Share Tags * LGBTI View all tags Related * Blog - A life sentence for saying 'I love you' Receive urgent actions to Your phone Text PROTEST + your full name to 70505 Join our email list ____________________ (Submit) Sign up We'll send you regular emails about our campaigns, fundraising appeals, events and the impact we have together. 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Registered office 17-25 New Inn Yard London EC2A 3EA. © Amnesty International UK 2017 #alternate alternate Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * CBBC * CBeebies * Food * Bitesize * Earth * Arts * Make It Digital * Taster * Local * Tomorrow's World * TV * Radio * Menu Search Search the BBC ____________________ (Submit) Search the BBC BBC News News Navigation Sections * Home * Video * World * UK * Business * Tech * Science * Stories * Entertainment & Arts * Health * World News TV * In Pictures * Reality Check * Newsbeat * Special Reports * Explainers * The Reporters * Have Your Say * (BUTTON) More More sections * Home * Video * World + World Home + Africa + Asia + Australia + Europe + Latin America + Middle East + US & Canada * UK + UK Home + England + N. Ireland + Scotland + Wales + Politics * Business + Business Home + Market Data + Global Trade + Companies + Entrepreneurship + Technology of Business + Connected World + Global Education + Economy * Tech * Science * Stories * Entertainment & Arts * Health * World News TV * In Pictures * Reality Check * Newsbeat * Special Reports * Explainers * The Reporters * Have Your Say LGBT rights in Africa Most recent Posted at 1:21 2 Jan The schools learning from transgender students Rainbow flag at Durban Pride Festival South African schools are learning about the challenges faced by transgender students, writes Mohammed Allie. Read more Posted at 21:22 28 Nov 2018 Detained gay rugby player granted bail Kenneth Macharia Kenneth Macharia said he was "very happy to be free" and thanked friends for their support. Read more Posted at 16:12 19 Nov 2018 Gay rugby player in persecution fear Kenneth Macharia, member of Bristol Bisons RFC Bristol Bisons's Kenneth Macharia says he will suffer violence if he is forced to return to Kenya. Read more Posted at 18:14 15 Nov 2018 Denmark halts aid to Tanzania amid gay row Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tornaes addresses the media in Dhaka, Bangladesh 31 October 2018. Planned payments of $9.8m will be withheld after anti-gay comments by a senior Tanzanian politician. Read more Posted at 17:07 7 Nov 2018 Arrests over Zanzibar 'gay wedding' A gay man with HIV stands in a clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2016 Amnesty International calls for the release of 10 men detained after an alleged gay celebration in Zanzibar. Read more Posted at 11:57 5 Nov 2018 Tanzania: Gay crackdown is not policy A gay man with HIV stands in a clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2016 The government distances itself from an official who wanted to create an anti-gay surveillance squad. Read more Posted at 16:13 2 Nov 2018 Growing up openly gay in Uganda A Ugandan activist describes her experience as a young lesbian LGBT+ rights campaigner Kasha Nabagesera grew up in Uganda being open about her attraction to other women. She says she faced disapproval and expulsion from sc hool, but no-one actually told her homosexuality was illegal. Image: Kasha Nabagesera Credit: Christine Dierenbach Posted at 16:47 31 Oct 2018 'Anti-gay' force launched in Tanzania A gay man with HIV stands in a clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2016 The team has been tasked with identifying and arresting gay people on social media. Read more Posted at 16:41 21 Sep 2018 Kenya briefly lifts ban on lesbian film Still from Rafiki film A judge temporarily allows the screening of a film about a lesbian love affair ahead of the Oscars. Read more Posted at 14:17 28 Aug 2018 Nigeria police arrests after 'gay party' Ishaq Khalid BBC Africa, Nigeria Men holding hands BBC Displays of same-sex affection are illegal in Nigeria Police in Nigeria say they arrested 57 men over the weekend on suspicion of being gay as displays of same-sex affection are banned in the West African country. The police raided a hotel in the main commercial city of Lagos where dozens of people - mostly men - were attending a party. Some fled during the mass arrests in the early hours of Sunday morning, but officers rounded up 57 people who they say are homosexual. Chike Godwin Oti, police spokesman in Lagos state, told the BBC that investigations were continuing and the suspects would be charged. Homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years in jail in Nigeria – such relationships were first outlawed under colonial rule in 1901. Laws were tightened in 2014 when gay marriage and displays of same-sex affection were also banned. Since then the authorities have cracked down on people suspected of homosexuality. However, arrests are infrequent as homosexual people live in hiding. Watch: Queer in Nigeria: 'People don't think we exist' (Submit) Show more updates Back to top News Navigation (BUTTON) SectionsSections * Home * Video * World + World Home + Africa + Asia + Australia + Europe + Latin America + Middle East + US & Canada * UK + UK Home + England + N. 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Read about our approach to external linking. logo for South Africa Travel Online SAA Mauritius Flights From R6,339* facebook icon. email icon twitter icon. ____________________________________ Search * Airline Reviews + Mango Flights + Kulula Flights + FlySafair Flights + Emirates Flights + Etihad Flights + SAA Flights + SA Express + British Airways * Flight Specials + Mango Airlines + Kulula specials + FlySafair specials + Emirates specials + Qatar specials + SAA specials + BA specials + Cheap Flights * Flight routes + Flights to Cape Town + Flights from Cape Town + Flights to Johannesburg + Flights from Johannesburg + Flights to Durban + Flights from Durban + Flights to Bloemfontein + Flights to East London + Flights to George + Flights to Kruger + Cape Town to London + Johannesburg to London * Cruises + Cruises from Durban + Cruises from Cape Town + NEW Cruises to Pomene + NEW MSC Orchestra Cruises + MSC Musica Cruises + MSC Cruises + Royal Caribbean + International Cruises + Mediterranean Cruises * Car Hire + Bloemfontein car hire + Cape Town car hire + Durban car hire + East London car hire + George car hire + Johannesburg car hire + Lanseria Airport car hire + Nelspruit car hire + PE car hire + Minibus Hire IFRAME: /booking-engine/_new/external-search/external-search.php?from=Cape%20To wn%20International%20Airport,%20CPT,%20Cape%20Town,%20South%20Africa&to =Bloemfontein,%20BFN,%20Bloemfontein,%20South Africa Why gay marriages should not have been legalised First religious gay marriage Quotes about gay marriage Gay marriage South Africa First gay marriage on TV First televised gay marriage First gay divorce [bush-gay-marriage.png] 1) Being gay is not natural. Real South Africans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning. 2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall. 3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract. 4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal. 5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears's 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed. 6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children. 7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children. 8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only have one religion in South Africa. 9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children. 10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars or cellphones. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. 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