Gays & Marriage   Term Paper ID:27575 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Critique of the movement to redefine the institution of marriage to include gay couples.... More...

3 Pages / 675 Words 3 sources, 3 Citations, MLA Format $12.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Critique of the movement to redefine the institution of marriage to include gay couples. Paper Introduction: The issue of gay marriage has emerged seemingly from nowhere in this election year as a major issue. One reason for this is the fact that the legislature in the state of Hawaii has been considering a bill that would make same-sex marriages legal, creating fears in the rest of the country that other states might be forced against their will to accept such marriages in Hawaii as legal elsewhere. Much of the argument over this issue is a discussion of definitions and the meaning of marriage as well as the meaning of legal. Legislators in Washington have to date worked to assure that if any states decide to allow same-sex marriage, other states will not have to recognize these unions in law. What they should be doing is finding a way to accommodate the needs of the millions of people seeking fairness and equity in such things as insurance and the right to hospital visitation, wheth Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The injustice faced by gay couples derives from the fact thatpartners are denied certain legal rights and privileges. What they should be doingis finding a way to accommodate the needs of the millions of people seekingfairness and equity in such things as insurance and the right to hospitalvisitation, whether the means for accomplishing this is called marriage ornot. Legislatures in 39 states haverecently considered whether or not to pass legislation that would restrictmarriage to a man and a woman. She also states that the Definition ofMarriage Acts offered in Congress and in different state legislatures hasthe power to cut off debate while giving support to discrimination againstlesbian, gay, and bisexual people, even to the point of condoning anti-gayviolence (Ketzenberger 1). They have not been given these rights, however. Much of the argument over thisissue is a discussion of definitions and the meaning of marriage as well asthe meaning of legal. . The Reverend Ann Tyndall, co-minister of a Unitarian Universalist Association church in Evanston,Illinois, states that the definition of marriage must change or societywill never accept homosexuals. Works CitedAmiel, Barbara. into a more equal, fluid and optionalrelationship whose permanence depends on the mutual wishes of the partners"(Pollitt 9). Such measures have been rejected in 17states, approved in 1 , and are still being considered in another 12.Federal legislation has been passed by Congress that would deny federalbenefits to partners in same-sex relationships and that would allow statesto ignore gay unions granted elsewhere. Heterosexualcouples who do not marry are denied these same rights. The issue has been raised not only in Hawaii and in several states inthe United States but in Canada as well, where the Ontario government maygive homosexual couples the same recognition as heterosexual marriages.Barbara Amiel says that if this passes, "it will cross a new frontier. . Same-sex couples deserve protection and anexpansion of their rights. This would make the Unitarians and their 1, 4 congregations thefirst religious denomination to take a position in favor of same-sexmarriage. Legislators in Washington have to date worked toassure that if any states decide to allow same-sex marriage, other stateswill not have to recognize these unions in law. One reason for this is the fact that thelegislature in the state of Hawaii has been considering a bill that wouldmake same-sex marriages legal, creating fears in the rest of the countrythat other states might be forced against their will to accept suchmarriages in Hawaii as legal elsewhere. Both could be givenlimited rights to insurance, inheritance, and so on without having tomarry. Recently, the Unitarian Universalist Association, a group with morethan 2 5, members, determined to pass a resolution endorsing same-sexmarriage. The issue of gay marriage has emerged seemingly from nowhere in thiselection year as a major issue. "Unitarians May Become First Large Denomination to Support Same-Sex Marriage," Gannett News Service (June 24, 1996).Pollitt, Katha. She sees same-sexmarriage as a furtherance of her feminist point of view in that it would bepart of "the modern transformation of marriage from a hierarchical, gender-polarized relationship. . "Gay Marriage? "Ontario and Gays: A New Frontier?" Maclean's (June 6, 1994), 9.Ketzenberger, John. .[and] would redefine human relationships as we have known them since thebeginning of recorded history" (Amiel 9). Don't Say I Didn't Warn You." The Nation (April 29, 1996), 9. Conservative religious groups have opposed such a resolution andhave called for opposing legislation. What she is saying is that when marriage no longer hasmeaning, only those who really want to be married will be. President Clinton supports thislegislation and has stated his opposition to same sex marriage(Ketzenberger 1). Previously, the Metropolitan Community Church, founded byhomosexuals, and a few liberal clergy groups had taken this same position.If adopted as law, such a resolution would allow same-sex partners to getinsurance benefits and tax breaks routinely accorded heterosexual marriedcouples. Katha Pollitt seesit as hypocrisy not to be for same-sex marriage, and she also points to theargument against it offered by conservatives that it would be anti-familyand argues that this depends on what you mean by family. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.