Arguments For Same Sex Marriage

A recent hot topic in the media and society is whether same-sex partners should be allowed to get married. Some people believe that it is a civil right protected by the United States Constitution for same-sex partners to marry as they are just like everyone else, not second class citizens, but others feel marriage is meant to be a union between a man and woman. Despite which side of the topic people take, it is interesting to look through past judicial cases and see the progression that has taken place brining us to our current situation today. Throughout the years it can be seen how certain cases built upon each other like stepping stones until the point was reached to determine if gay marriage was a constitutionally protected right.
In 1967, the Supreme Court ruled during the Loving v. Virginia case that laws prohibiting interracial marriages were unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause (Urofsky & Finkelman, 2008, p. 855). It is very clear that this was a victory for civil rights …show more content…
This caused the Vermont Supreme Court to impose an ultimatum upon the state, either gay marriage would become legal or an alternative would be provided that afforded same-sex couples the same benefits as married couples (Urofsky & Finkelman, 2008, p. 1094). Due to this ultimatum a bill regarding civil unions was created that closely mirrored the law regarding marriage (Urofsky & Finkelman, 2008, p. 1094). While this bill did not afford same-sex partners full marriage equality, it was a step in that direction. By allowing same-sex partners to enter a civil union being granted essentially the same rights as heterosexual marriages except for the use of the titles “spouse” and “marriage,” then why continue to deny them the right to legally marry? Slowly but surely the ability to deny gay marriage was losing its