Gay Marriages

Gay Marriages

For as long as the institution of marriage has been around, so too has the belief that it
represents the union of one man and one woman. Now gay men and lesbians are challenging that
institution. They believe that their relationships mean the same in their sphere as heterosexual
marriages do in our sphere. Homosexuals would like to see their marriages legalized.
In 1991 three gay couples filed a lawsuit, in Hawaii, for denying them marriage licenses.
They claim that the refusal amounts to gender discrimination, which violates the Equal Rights
Amendment. Judge Kevin Chang ruled, in 1996, that same-sex couples have the right to legally
marry. This ruling makes Hawaii the first state to recognize that gay and lesbian couples are
entitled, by law, to the same privileges as heterosexual married couples (CNN). Under the Full
Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution, this also forces all states to recognize these marriages
as far as federal benefits are concerned. Congress has approved a bill, the Defense of Marriage
Act, that will allow states to decide whether to recognize homosexual marriages. The second part
of the bill would define "for federal purposes" as the union of a man and a woman. Under such a
definition gay and lesbians, even if they win the right to marry in Hawaii or elsewhere, would not
be able to file joint federal tax returns, claim federal pension, or survivor's benefits, or be allowed
to file for green card status (Gallagher 21).
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Gay Marriages

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