Legalization of Same Sex Marriages in the U.S.

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Legalization of Same Sex Marriages in the U.S.

According to the Supreme Court, refusal of granting marriage licenses to gay as well as lesbian couples violates the constitution. The landmark ruling of 25 June 2015, which legalized marriage between same sex couples greatly, altered the laws governing matrimony. The rule bases its ground on the fact that marital unions embodies the highest ideals of fidelity, devotion, family, sacrifice, and most importantly, love.

The civil rights campaign started in the 1970s, but it was not until 1993 when the issue became more prominent. By 2010, 60% of the public had approved the issue, with the rates trending upwards slowly in the years that followed. Some same sex marriage supporters claimed that the marriage extend a civil right to a minority group. Young adults caused the most shifts in balance among the supporters and the non-supporters because they are more open to gay rights than the presiding generations (Silver, 2012). However, a study revealed that 28 percent of supporters and 14 percent of all Americans stated they changed their minds in favor of the LGBT marriage.

A research by PEW stated that 70% of those born after 1980 favored same sex marriages. Millennial support for same sex marriages grew substantially between 2003 and 2013 from 51% in 2003 to 70% in 2013. However, millennial generation only contributed to9% of the total population as compared to a decade later with the number at 27%. Older generations also increased their support for same sex marriages over the past decade. 32% of those who changed their mind in favor stated that they changed because they knew homosexual family members and friends. The basic opinion among most supporters is that people should feel free to choose what brings happiness to them and that the government should interfere. The most significant improvement on the issue happened in 2003 when Massachusetts first legalized same sex marriages.

The ruling nullifies the decision made in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which stated that states needed to maintain the traditional definition of marriage. The ruling also forced republican political leaders and conservative Christians to decide whether they would acquiesce or continue opposing same sex marriages. Republican 2016 candidates disliked the decision voicing their concerns about the future of religious liberty (Ariane, 2015 ). In their defense, the court stated it only made its rule based on the majority polls.

While some religious groups and other people opposing same sex marriages state that same sex marriages go against the religious beliefs, others base their argument on parenting concerns. They stated that changing the tradition meaning of marriage would cause inclusion of incest and polygamy. The church opposed same sex marriage stating that children perform best when the parents are a mother and a father, and thus, legalizing same sex marriages would not be in the best interest of children. Today, most Americans accept same sex couples as parents and suggest that same sex couples are as good parents as are the heterosexual couples. In addition, 66% people think same sex couples must have equal legal rights as heterosexual couples.

In conclusion, the ruling gave same sex couples the right to have marriages and avoid a life of loneliness. The court made the ruling based on majority public opinion, and granted the same sex couples a chance to enjoy legal rights and benefits the same as heterosexual couples. As the country exploded with celebrations among the supporters, it was clear that U.S. is the land of the free, despite conflicting opinions from some Christian leaders and opposing supporters.

References

Ariane, V. (2015). Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same Sex Marriages Nationwide. CNN Politics

Janet, H. (2015). Support for Gay Marriage Hits All-Time High-WSJ/NBC News Poll. In the Wall Street Journal

Silver, N. (2012). Support for Gay Marriage outweighs Opposition in Polls. New York Times