Same Sex Marriages in the United States

The Supreme Court of the US ruled in favor of same sex marriages in June,
2015, hence now same sex marriages are legal throughout the United States.
So the 14 states that had banned same sex marriages will be in no position
to enforce their rule. According to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the plaintiffs had
demanded equal dignity in the eyes of law and this law will grant them the
right. This battle had been going on since ten years and this law brought it to
an end. According to President Obama, this ruling means Americas victory.
Moreover, he said that this law means more freedom when all the Americans
are treated equally (News).
However, many of us condemned the law and the decision.
Sara McLanahan and Gary Sandefur said in their book Growing Up with a
Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps that both parents are important for
children. They put forward the analogy that while designing a system we
would ensure that it has all proper working components. Similarly in case of
a family a child needs both biological parents in order to have a balanced
social and personal life. In case of parents, if they will know that the child has
a part of their biological self, they will feel more association towards him and
love him even more. They will be ready to sacrifice their money and time
equally then (Sara McLanahan).

Children from these marriages are usually produced with the help of IVF,
vitro fertilization, or with the help of surrogate mothers. When these children
are produced, they either lose their mother or father forever. A study was
conducted at the Yale Child Study Center by Kyle Pruett, a psychiatrist. The
study revealed that children who are a result of IVF usually ask their single or
lesbian mothers questions about the whereabouts of their fathers, such as
when he will come, what has happened to him, whether they can write to
him or questions about likeness and love for their fathers towards them.
Same sort of questions are asked by children whose parents go through
divorce, and such questions are usually asked for fathers because they
usually do not get the custody (Pruett).
As the same sex marriages will increase, many children will end up being
fatherless. And we are also aware of the importance of fathers in the lives of
both boys and girls. In case of boys they help in managing their antisocial
behavior and misconduct. In case of girls they help in managing their sexual
activities (Ellis).
It is interesting to know and understand the role of fathers in disciplining
their children. In a recent study it was found out that, girls who did not have
biological fathers living with them, they hit their puberty earlier and ended
up becoming teenage mothers when compared to those who were living in
complete families. According to David Popenoe, when a girl sees her father,
she eventually learns what a man should be like and what to look for in her

ideal man. Her father basically is like a role model for her. Similarly their
fathers roles also allow them to oppose any sort of sexual advances made
by their boyfriends (Popenoe).
As gay marriages will increase, so will be the number of male married
couples will increase and obviously they will also have and raise children.
Like the importance of father, importance of mother cannot be denied as
well. We all are aware that mothers are a source of emotional security to
children. Moreover, they are also aware of the infants emotional signals.
Moreover, they also counsel their daughters especially when they are hitting
puberty, or when they face social, emotional and physical challenges during
their adolescence (MacCoby).
According to different researches conducted by many leading professional
associations,

there

are

no

differences

between

children

raised

by

homosexual and heterosexual parents. However, sociologist Steven Nock

said that there have been many articles on this topic but not one was
conducted on the approved standards and principles of scientific research.
Hence these kinds of articles must not be used to pursue a crucial family
experiment (Rhoads) (Nock).
Many studies are an evidence of the fact that children on homosexual
parents experience sexual and gender disorders. According to Judith Stacey,
who is a sociologist and advocates same sex marriages, daughters of lesbian
mothers turn out to be more masculine and sons of lesbian mothers turn out

to be more feminine. Her research also included the fact that children from
homosexual partners end up having more homoerotic attractions, especially
those who live with lesbians, than those who are living with heterosexual
parents (Judith Stacey).
It has also been reported that same sex marriages pose major threat of
undermining the sexual loyalty between partners. Andrew Sullivan wrote in
his book that there is greater chance of extramarital outlets when the
marriage is between two men rather than in those marriages which have
men and women. According to a study conducted in Vermont, 79% of
married couples, men and women, and lesbians values sexual loyalty
however in case of gays only 50% valued it (David McWhirter).
If seen traditionally then marriage and human procreation are tightly coupled
together because both mother and father are important characters for a
child who is coming in the world. However these days marriages are only
considered in terms of emotional attachments. This has been taken so far
that now youngsters do not consider marriages and procreation as linked
together. It is no big surprise that countries that advocate same sex
marriages such as Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada have very low fertility
rates i.e. 1.6 per women which is well below 2.1 (CIA).
By looking at the divorce records of the past forty years, we see that couples
do not consider their children as a mean of staying together or avoiding
divorces. This has destabilized the institution of marriage. The same would

be the case if same sex marriages are legalized. This will stabilize in a way
that both men and women would think that their children do not need the
other parent. For instance, if men are married, they would think it is not
important for the child to have mother, and similar is the case with women
(Wilson).
However, relational unions normally flourish when life partners represent
considerable authority in sexual orientation run of the mill ways and are
mindful to the gendered needs and goals of their significant other or spouse.
For example, ladies are more satisfied when their better half wins the lion's
offer of the family unit pay. In like manner, couples are more averse to
separation when the spouse focuses on childrearing and the husband
focuses

on

breadwinning,

as

University

of

Virginia

therapist

Mavis

Hetherington concedes (E. Mavis Hetherington).

About 72% of people in general now think religion is losing impact in
American life. The Supreme Court controlling prior this year sanctioning
same-sex marriage across the country has kept on bringing up issues about
how the choice will influence religious gatherings particularly those that
stay contradicted to permitting gay and lesbian couples to marry. The court's
decision clarifies that ministry and religious associations are not obliged to
perform same-sex relational unions, but rather some gatherings have
communicated worries about their expense absolved status (Center, Public
Sees Religions Influence Waning).

A significant number of the biggest U.S. religious organizations have

remained solidly against permitting same-sex marriage, including the Roman
Catholic Church, the Orthodox Jewish development and the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also the Southern Baptist Convention and
other outreaching Protestant divisions. The country's biggest generally dark
church, the National Baptist Convention, and its greatest Pentecostal group,
the Assemblies of God, likewise forbid their pastorate from wedding samesex couples.
In the meantime, in the previous two decades, a few different religious
gatherings likewise have moved to permit same-sex couples to wed inside
their customs. This incorporates the Reform and Conservative Jewish
developments, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church
of Christ.
Furthermore, the rundown is developing: Clergy from the Episcopal Church
will have the capacity to perform same-sex wedding services after the
congregation's General Convention as of late endorsed another meaning of
marriage. Another mainline Protestant category, the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), voted to formally authorize same-sex marriage prior this year.
The United Methodist Church does not permit same-sex endowments or
relational unions. Be that as it may, the United Methodists additionally have
been seriously debating the issue, especially in the previous year or
thereabouts, after a congregation court attempted, defrocked and in the long

run reestablished the Rev. Plain Schaefer, a Methodist minister who had
performed a same-sex wedding function for his gay child. Schaefer's case
has part the congregation, with some pastorate spurning the guidelines and
wedding same-sex couples and other, more traditionalist individuals
undermining to leave if the congregation does not hold to its present
principles precluding gay marriage.
Generally speaking, a strong larger part of white mainline Protestants (62%)
now support permitting gays and lesbians to marry, with only 33%
contradicted, by 2015 Pew Research Center review. A comparable offer
(63%) say there is "no contention" between their religious convictions and
homosexuality (Center, Public Sees Religions Influence Waning).
Religions Allowing Same

Religions Prohibiting

No Stance

Sex Marriage
Episcopal Church

Same Sex Marriage

Assemblies of God

Hinduism

Reform Jewish Movement

Islam

Buddhism

Society of Friends

American Baptist Churches

United Church of Christ

National Baptist Convention

Conservative

Orthodox Jewish Movement

Movement
Unitarian

Jewish
Universalist

Southern Baptist Convention

Association of Churches
Presbyterian Church

United Methodist Church

Evangelical Lutheran Church

Lutheran

in America

Synod
Church of Jesus Christ of

Church-Missouri

Latter Day Saints

Roman Catholic Church

(DAVID MASCI)

In Pew Research Center surveying in 2001, Americans contradicted same-sex

marriage by an edge of 57% to 35% (Center).
From that point forward, backing for same-sex marriage has consistently
developed. In view of surveying in 2016, a larger part of Americans (55%)
bolster same-sex marriage, contrasted and 37% who contradict it. See the
most recent information on same-sex marriage (Center):

The expansion in the offer of grown-ups who support same-sex marriage is

expected to a limited extent to generational change. More youthful eras
express larger amounts of backing for same-sex marriage. Be that as it may,
more seasoned eras additionally have turned out to be stronger of same-sex
marriage in the previous decade (Center).

Among

individuals

who

religiously

are

unaffiliated, a strong
lion's share has upheld
same-sex

marriage

since

2001.

Approximately

six-in-

ten Catholics (58%) now bolster same-sex marriage, as do about 66% of

white mainline Protestants (64%). Support for same-sex marriage among
dark Protestants and white outreaching Protestants remains lower than it is
among different religious gatherings. Both gatherings, be that as it may,
have turned out to be to some degree all the more tolerating of same-sex
marriage in the course of the most recent decade (Center).

In 2001, about 33% of both

whites

and

communicated
same-sex

blacks
support

marriage.

for

Today,

57% of whites bolster samesex marriage, as do 42% of

blacks.
Support

for

same-sex

marriage

has

ascended

among both men and ladies as of late. Today, 58% of ladies and 52% of men
bolster same-sex marriage (Center).

Out of ten, seven Democrats support same-sex marriage; same is the case
with 61% of independents (Center).
A littler offer of Republicans support same-sex marriage (33%), in spite of the
fact that they likewise have turned out to be steadier following 2001
(Center).

As we see the above graphs, the data clearly shows how still many of the
population is still against homosexuality. There is still hope. Moreover, many
religious factors are also against homosexuality. The table in the text shows a
number of religions that are strictly prohibiting the same sex marriages due
to religious reasons.
In December 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
discharged startling new information that demonstrated HIV was all the while
tormenting the gay group. While new HIV contaminations had stayed

unfaltering in the overall population somewhere around 2008 and 2010,

diseases had ascended by an unfathomable 22 percent in youthful gay men.
Gay men spoke to 66% of new contaminations. What's more, almost 6,000
gay men were kicking the bucket of AIDS each year (Flock).
DOMA section 2 recognizes the relief of gay marriages in the United States of
America. However under DOMA section 3 the same sex marriages were
denied in all the federal states.

Bibliography
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2016.
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David McWhirter, Andrew Mattison. The Male Couple. Prentice Hall, 1984.
E. Mavis Hetherington, John Kelly. For Better or For Worse. W.W. Norton and Co.,
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Ellis, Bruce J., et al. "Does Father Absence Place Daughters at Special Risk for Early
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Flock, Elizabeth. Gay Community Won Battles on Marriage, But May Be Losing the
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12 05 2016.

Nock, Steven. "affidavit to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice regarding Hedy
Halpern et al." 2001.
Popenoe, David. Life Without Father. Boston: Harvard, 1999.
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