Courtney

Strong
Professor Daniel Poole
Sociology 1020
November 13, 2014
Batting for the Other Team
Gay Marriage in America

Global chatter surrounding same-sex marriage is a popular topic amongst

U.S. society. Hype regarding this issue continually increases due to State laws
legalizing marriage between homosexuals. In fact, 33 States have given same-sex
couples the freedom to marry lawfully. The Stonewall riots occurring in New York
during 1969, incited retaliation against New York police for discrimination and
routine raids on gay bars. Quickly losing control, Police were obligated to succumb.
Gay residents organized activist groups concentrating efforts to establish places for
gays and lesbians to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being
arrested. The Stonewall riots are widely considered a pivotal event yielding the Gay
liberation movement and the modern fight for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and
transgender rights in the United States. As gay culture became increasingly
accepted, a drive for legalizing gay marriage was brought under scrutiny from
posing arguments claiming The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996,
allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed under the laws
of other states is an infringement of Constitutional rights. Is this the case? This
paper will carefully examine equal rights, the definition of marriage, and compare

heterosexual vs. homosexual marriages; exposing the underlying agenda to radically

reform the institution of marriage in order to legalize gay marriage.

Civil rights are defined as a broad range of privileges guaranteed by the

United States Constitution and subsequent amendments and laws that guarantee
fundamental freedoms to all individuals. The United States Constitution is the
foundation our country was built upon ensuring protection from repression and
discrimination for its citizens. As stated by congress in Act H.R. 3396, Definition of
Marriage and Spouse:
No state, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be
required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any
other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between
persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such
State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right claim arising from such
relationship.
In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress or of any ruling,
regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and
agencies of the United States. The word marriage means only a legal union
between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and word spouse
refers only to a person of opposite sex who is a husband or wife.
(Constitution, 2014)
If marriage is a legally sanctioned contract between a man and a woman, then
labeling a committed homosexual relationship, friendship, cohabiting relationship,
or polygamist union as marriage, is inaccurate.

Historically marriage displays characteristics strengthening society as a

whole. Studies reveal greater success outcomes in child rearing households having
two married parents. According to Ryan Anderson, founder of Heritage Foundation
points to adverse effects of children raised by single parents, cohabiting partners, or
within divorce. He states, When marriages fall apart we see welfare state growth,
increased crime, prison population rises, and social mobility decreases (Anderson,
186). Parties supporting same-sex marriage find these statistics only strengthen
their stance. Denying marital rights only perpetuates the epidemic. Anderson
suggests, Government isnt in the business of marriage because of romance or
sexual preference. Government is in the business of marriage because it can create
new life. Upholding the institution of marriage is the least restrictive, least coercive
way to make sure children are nurtured by both a mother and father (Anderson,
198). Children are the future of our nation. It becomes critical in maintaining and
supporting laws enforcing healthy positive environments for generations to come.

Differences between homosexual and heterosexual marriages are vast. Gay

activists often point to high divorce rates and claim that married couples fare little
better than homosexuals with regard to the duration of their relationships. The
research, however, indicates that male homosexual relationships last only a fraction
of the length of most marriages. In fact, a 2001 National Center for Health Statistics
study on marriage and divorce statistics reported that 66 percent of first marriages
last ten years or longer, with fifty percent lasting twenty years or longer.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, A 2002 U.S. Census Bureau study reported similar results,
with 70.7 percent of women married between 1970 and 1974 reaching their tenth
anniversary and 57.7 percent staying married for twenty years or longer (NCHS,
2001). On the other hand, Current Population Reports: U.S. Census Bureau relays
that
The 2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census surveyed the lifestyles
of 7,862 homosexuals. Of those involved in a "current relationship," only 15
percent describe their current relationship as having lasted twelve years or
longer, with five percent lasting more than twenty years. While this
"snapshot in time" is not an absolute predictor of the length of homosexual
relationships, it does indicate that few homosexual relationships achieve the
longevity common in marriages. (GLCC, 2002)

A nationally representative survey of 884 men and 1,288 women published

in the Journal of Sex Research found that 77 percent of married men and 88 percent
of married women had remained faithful to their marriage vows. A survey
conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the
respondents said they had had more than one hundred sexual partners in their
lifetime. The magazine noted that several respondents suggested including a
category of those who had more than one thousand sexual partners. This is not
healthy and could be potentially dangerous. Even in those homosexual relationships
in which the partners consider themselves to be in a committed relationship, the
meaning of "committed" or "monogamous" typically means something radically
different than in heterosexual marriage.

In attempts to accommodate individuals sexual preference, we drastically

overlook the hazardous effects in amending our Constitution. Legally building laws
protecting socially constructed norms, such as marriage, and what that entails, give
structure and accountability to the Nation. Recognizing Same-sex relationships as

marriage redefines and cheapens nuptials. Keeping marriages intact is challenging

enough as is. With divorce rates swelling, focus should be redirected toward
cultivating harmonious lasting marriages, rather than reinventing sanctions.
Acknowledging immense polarity between homosexual and heterosexual
relationships only clarifies the endangerment of the social issue.