Same-sex marriage has been a controversial social issue in the U.S. for several decades, but public opinion on this topic seems to be evolving. For example, an annual poll by Gallup has been tracking the question of whether or not same-sex marriages should be legal since 1968, and the percentage of favorable responses has increased from 27 percent to 53 percent during this time frame. Although this certainly is not a huge majority, it does indicate that the support for same-sex marriage within the U.S. is likely to become increasingly widespread over the next couple of decades. However, there are still several religious and political groups who are opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage. This opposition is typically based on the belief that homosexuality is a sin, but the separation of church and state is supposed to make this viewpoint legally irrelevant.
The Current Status of Same-Sex Marriage
Same-sex marriage is legal in nine states, Washington, D.C. and two Native American tribes. There are also several other states that are considering making same-sex marriage legal, and Illinois is poised to become the next state to take this step. In addition to which, the U.S. Supreme Court is getting ready to hear arguments in a case that will determine whether or not California’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. President Barack Obama declared his support of same-sex marriage in May 2012, and some people believe that this has had a measurable impact on public opinion.
The Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage
Even with all of the social and legal changes that have occurred over the past few decades, there are still millions of people in the U.S. who are fervently opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage. Several members of the Republican Party have based part of their campaign strategy around making an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage nationwide. In fact, when a Republican Party member bucks this so-called traditional viewpoint, they often face great opposition from their contemporaries. In addition to the GOP, there is also a group called the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) that spends a lot of money and energy attempting to keep homosexuals from being able to get married. The leaders of NOM contend that legalizing same-sex marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage.
The Argument for Same-Sex Marriage
Even though naysayers claimed that legalizing same-sex marriage would hurt so-called traditional marriages, there has been no evidence that the nine states that allow same-sex marriage have seen any drop off in heterosexual marriages. In fact, the only measurable change that these states have experienced is a large economic boost. For example, same-sex marriage generated $259 million for the state of New York in just one year. In addition to the positive economic impact, the Declaration of Independence says that every American was created equally. According to a study that was conducted by the Williams Institute, there are at least nine million people in the U.S. who identify as gay, bisexual or transgender, and even though this puts them in the minority, the law is still supposed to provide them with equal rights.
Will Same-Sex Marriage Become Legal Everywhere?
Regardless of what the U.S. Supreme Court decides this year, the changing opinion of the public is likely to continue to grow in favor of same-sex marriage. Therefore, regardless of which side of the issue you stand on, it is almost a certainty that same-sex marriage will become legal nationwide at some point in the future.