America Needs Same-sex Marriage - 2825 Words

On May 7, 2011, a young man named Tom Bridegroom fell to his death from a rooftop, leaving behind his devastated partner of six years, Shane Bitney Crone. Tom’s family had never accepted his relationship with Shane; in fact, members of Tom’s family attacked and threatened him when he told them he was gay. Because Shane and Tom could not legally marry, Shane was not entitled to any information regarding Tom’s death, memorial service, or burial arrangements (Crone). Tom’s family was able to move Tom’s body without notifying Shane, to keep Shane away from the memorial service, and to remove from Tom and Shane’s shared home any personal belongings that Tom’s family determined had belonged to Tom. Despite building a life together over the†¦show more content†¦A heterosexual unmarried couple, on the other hand, often has more leeway in such situations. While the unmarried heterosexual partner of an incapacitated person may not be ab le to make healthcare decisions on the incapacitated person’s behalf, he or she is more likely to be granted access to the incapacitated individual by hospital staff. The heterosexual partner is usually given information about the treatment and prognosis of the incapacitated individual, whereas the homosexual partner is often left in the dark. Without same-sex marriage, a homosexual couple would have to hire a lawyer to draft multiple estate planning documents in order to protect themselves These documents include wills, living trusts, living wills, durable powers of attorney for healthcare decisions, and durable powers of attorney for financial decisions. Although not legally binding, a directive regarding final arrangements, such as burial, cremation, and embalming, is also recommended (Hannibal, â€Å"Six Estate Planning Issues for Gay and Lesbian Couples†). The cost of hiring an estate planning attorney can be financially prohibitive, and even with all of these documents properly drafted and executed, a same-sex couple may not be as protected as a legally married couple. The protection is even more unlikely in a state that doesn’t recognize same sex marriage. Even for same-sex couples with all the right estate planning documents, lack of planning for worst-caseShow MoreRelatedAmerica Needs Same-Sex Marr iage and Families Essay1193 Words   |  5 Pagesstate of Massachusetts, same sex marriage has been legal since 2004 and thousands of people  have had the right to marry their partners. Although it was a long and difficult process, gay and lesbian couples no longer have to face marriage discrimination in Massachusetts due to their sexual orientation. However, many couples are still barred from this process through other individual state amendments. While it has been difficult to research the exact side effects of same sex marriage, a predominant resultRead More Let Gays Marry and Leave Marriage Alone Essay1278 Words   |  6 Pagespoints from the essay, Let Gays Marry, by Andrew Sullivan, and the essay, Leave Marriage Alone, by William Bennett. Some of these main points are taken from mutual beliefs of both authors and others are derived from the opposing opinions of the two. The first summary of Andrew Sullivan’s essay is a reflection of Andrew Sullivan’s stance of the issue. The original essay was in favor of allowing same sex marriage in America. My summary will dictate some of the arguments that I found to be the mostRead MoreEssay about Gay Marriage Does NOT Destroy Traditional Marriage1703 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is marriage? Marriage is defined as the legal union of a man and a woman. According to Psychology Today, marriage is the process by which two people who love each other make their relationship public, official, and permanent. While given the definition of marriage and most of society making same sex marriage nearly impossible; Psychology Today recognizes that â€Å"any† two people who love each other can come together and be united. In 1970, in Minnesota, the first gay couple to apply for a marriageRead MoreThe Issue Of Same Sex Marriage1434 Words   |  6 Pagesare a variety of important public issues being disc ussed publicly today, same sex marriage seems to be one of the most trending of them all. Part of this is due largely to fact that a vast majority of minorities in the United States are dealing with it today. This issue, however, sheds light on a few areas, primarily ethically, family values, morals, religious views and beliefs. What we need to consider is what same sex marriage consists of, the challenges and living as such, and finally the effectsRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal Essay1348 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage is a commitment between two people who love each other and have chosen to spend the rest of their lives together, this is a pretty standard view of marriage. How that commitment looks from culture to culture can be very different. In the United States, today, marriage is viewed as a commitment of love and loyalty. Legally it is a binding contract between two people giving them the benefits of marriage i.e. tax benefits and legal decision making benefits . The big controversy facing theRead MoreShould Gay Marriage Be Equal?1387 Words   |  6 PagesGay Marriage in America The United Stated of America consists of many different types of people, all who take pride in their freedom. Recently, we had seen the reality of our â€Å"freedom,† which some may not really have considered America the land of the free, homosexuals especially. Just like the â€Å"normal† citizen in America, homosexuals like the idea of the American dream as well. And most Americans believe in, or enjoy the idea of marriage. People get married all across the country; people of allRead MoreEssay about Same-Sex Marriage Equality1322 Words   |  6 PagesSame-Sex Marriage Equality There are over 105 million households in the United States today and out of those households, there are over 1.2 million gay people living with same-sex partners (â€Å"Census on Gays in America†). This makes the proposed legalization of same-sex marriage one of the most significant issues in contemporary America. It is presently one of the most discussed reforms in law reviews and the American court systems. If legalized, it could be one of the most revolutionary policy decisionsRead MoreThe Rights of Human Beings790 Words   |  3 PagesThe Rights of Human Beings The support, laws, and the definition of marriage itself are changing at this very moment, and will continue to change. Same-sex marriage is becoming a hot issue, with nearly everyone under the age of 30 supporting it, yet there are still many things that need to happen before it becomes legal. The battle is ongoing and still has years ahead of it, but more and more politicians are now starting to see just where the American peoples interests are. The big issue howeverRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Respected1123 Words   |  5 Pagessociety, same-sex marriage should be respected at the same level as traditional opposite-sex marriage. â€Å"Marriage is the ultimate affirmation of a sexual relationship. Marriage is the institution in which we not only tolerate people having sex and housing children, but we encourage it and celebrate it as a society† (Foust 3). Most states attempted to avoid the same-sex marriage issue by defining marriage between man and woman, but that soon became an unexpected controversial issue (â€Å"Same-Sex MarriageRead MoreGay Marriage Should Not Be Legal934 Words   |  4 PagesGay Marriage Should Not Be Legal It’s unfortunate that people have misunderstood the meaning of marriage. Marriage is not just a term to describe relationship that are precious to us, it’s more than just a union of heart and mind; it’s an institution between a man and a woman. Biblically, marriage is a lifetime union of a man and a woman, primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable environment for that family (1 Corinthian 7:2 16) According to Peter Sprigg, same sex marriage