The Fight for Marriage Equality Gay marriage, the act of two same-sex partners making an eternal bond

to stay faithful to one another and receive federal benefits, is a highly controversial topic in todays society. There are numerous sides to this issue, but the most polarized sides argue whether or not gay marriage should be a federally sanctioned act. This issue was brought to the forefront of the publics attention and is said to have originated from The Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots were demonstrations held by the gay community against a violent police raid that took place in June of 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Andrew Dolkart of the U.S. Department of the Interior stated, Stonewall marked the first time that gays and lesbians as a group forcefully and vocally asserted their rights to equality under the law. The events of Stonewall opened the door for millions of gay and lesbian Americans to begin pressing for full and equal civil rights (Dolkart). In 1982, Wisconsin became the first state in the United States to pass a gay civil rights law which was the first step in promoting decriminalization of homosexual intercourse. This prompted more states to follow with issuing civil rights laws, and the fight for marriage equality became more prominent. In more contemporary times, the real fight for marriage equality began with the legalization of civil unions of same-sex couples in the state of Vermont in the year 2000. Following this decision, people on both sides of the issue began vying for a larger say in the legislative processes involved with sanctioning gay marriage. Since then, 17 states have extended all marriage rights to gay and straight couples alike. Arguments in favor of gay marriage include things such as federal benefits and their rights to liberty and equality, physical and psychological benefits with de-stigmatization of gay marriage, and even the economic benefits of allowing same-sex marriage. By denying a minority the same rights and protections that the majority enjoys, people alienate that minority and enforce a false and harmful perception of superiority.

Marriage should be a federally protected right extended to everyone, for opposite-sex couples have enjoyed its benefits since the inception of the concept of legal binding. Same-sex couples within the United States (apart from 17 states where gay marriage is legal) are denied 1,138 federal rights according to an official brief from Dayna Shah of the United States General Accounting Office to Bill Frist who was the Majority Leader of the Senate. This extensive list contains areas which include Social Security Benefits, retirement savings, veterans benefits, health insurance, family leave, Medicaid, hospital visitation, estate taxes, pensions, and immigration law. Heterosexual couples are given these rights on the provision of marriage. Homosexuals can be legally denied visitation rights for their partners in hospitals, taxation and inheritance rights for partners of the deceased or with children, access to health coverage, dual adoption rights for children in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered (LGBT) familial situations, and even alimony negotiations. An article published by The New York Times even made the argument that gay couples have to pay between $41,196 and $467,562 more that heterosexual couples within their lifetimes as a result of paying the excess taxes, etc. that heterosexual couples are exempt from upon marriage. By denying a portion of a population the same rights that a majority enjoys, gay marriage opponents are discriminating against them. Since homosexual couples are unable to receive the federal benefits of marriage, they are denied the right to equality as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration states, All are equal before the law and are entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law (United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 7). Not only is there a moral obligation to uphold these ideals for the sake of enforcing acceptance and equality, there is a legal obligation to fulfill the promises made to all U.S. citizens in regards to equality.

Gay couples are one of the most scrutinized and stigmatized demographics in the United States today. By denying them the right to marriage, Americans put a mental strain on them which has been shown to be a leading factor in the increased development of various psychological disorders. In a case study and poll conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it was shown that the criminalization and bans of same-sex marriage that occurred in 2004 and 2005 (the Defense of Marriage Act is one example) took a heavy psychological toll on gay and lesbian people. Just before the bans, the NIH conducted a survey which elicited detailed information about 43,093 American respondents mental health. Furthermore, the NIH study was validated by psychiatric samples. Soon after these bans took place, the NIH managed to reach 34,653 original respondents who took the same survey. As reported in this study by the NIH in an article by esteemed columnist Shankar Vedantam: Mark Hatzenbuehler, a psychologist at Columbia University who studies the health effects of social policies, analyzed the data gathered before and after the bans to determine how the mental health of people who identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual had changed in those states. [And he concluded that] Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals who lived in the states that banned samesex marriage experienced a significant increase in psychiatric disorders. There was a 37 percent increase in mood disorders, a 42 percent increase in alcoholuse disorders, and a 248 percent increase in generalized anxiety disorders. (Shankar Vedantam) This psychological strain is not conducive to maintaining a high quality of life, and should, therefore, be eliminated because of its detrimental effects. These effects can lead to higher instances of suicide, and pose problems for people related to those who are affected. In a study

conducted by doctors of pediatric and adolescent medicine, Gary Remafedi (MD), James A. Farrow (MD), and Robert Deisher (MD) concluded, 40 percent of homosexual men and women seriously considered or attempted suicide (Remafedi). Also, this study makes reference to another study conducted by Ronald Kourany (MD) which asserts that 66% of adolescent psychiatrists considered homosexual and bisexual adolescents to be at a higher risk for suicide and that their suicidal gestures were more severe than heterosexual children (Kourany). With these statistics in mind, it is important to examine how hetero-centric culture and antihomosexual attitudes and actions affect young LGBT people. By alienating and criminalizing a large portion of our society, we are creating an unhealthy bias that is detrimental to the minority. We have an obligation to support the marriage of LGBT couples for the sake of their health, as well as for the preservation of their mental integrity and stability. If society took more measures towards equality, LGBT individuals would be scrutinized and victimized less, and would, therefore, have a decrease in psychological disorders and suicide attempts. The LGBT community suffers discrimination and abuse which results in a variety of psychological disorders that can drive young men and women to commit suicide because they fell in love with the wrong person. Most people do not realize that there also are massive economic benefits for allowing gay marriage. The revenue obtained from gay marriage would come from marriage licenses, higher income taxes, and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. Marriage licenses issued by the states cost money to obtain. If a state issued more marriage licenses, the increase of licenses would increase the revenue made in the state. Also, journalist and economist Kathryn Perry explains, Income taxes are generally higher for married couples than they are for single filers because many married couples have two incomes, which drives them into a higher tax bracket

and incurs a marriage penalty. This is true for same-sex couples, who are more likely to have two incomes (Perry). According to a study conducted by William Thompson, a New York City (NYC) Comptroller, in states like New York with over 50,000 same-sex couples, marriage equality would add $142 million to [NYCs] economy following legislative approval . [and] $182 million in spending to the states economy (Thompson). Since the average wedding costs approximately $32,000 according to Thompson (which includes businesses and state affairs), legalizing gay marriage to increase spending on weddings would benefit both the public and private sectors. In 2006 alone, about 130,000 couples got married in the state of New York, and they spent roughly $4 billion in the process (Thompson). Legalizing gay marriage is a fiscally responsible decision that will ultimately benefit all economies up to the international level. The economic impact of allowing gay marriage per state a year is immense, and its benefits would stimulate economic growth. Gay marriage is one of the most controversial issues of this generation. Much like the civil rights movement that lead to equality for African Americans, the civil rights movement for marriage equality is steadily gaining supporters. A Gallup poll taken this year states that roughly 58% percent of Americans support homosexual marriage. Supporters are fast becoming a super majority. Today, almost everybody reflects upon the civil rights movement for African Americans with the mindset of How could we ever have been so backwards? The thought of racial inequality stirs in us a sense of injustice because we realize now that opponents of racial equality were unjustified in their beliefs that racial equality would shake the foundations of America. Many people find the plight and mistreatment of blacks during their movement as disgusting, and refuse to make the parallel to this hot-button issue. In both cases, the groups were denied equal rights and civil liberties. Blacks were denied voting rights, property rights, and

rights for equal treatments under law. LGBT people are denied marriage rights, and the 1,138 federal rights that come with them. Today, we deem ourselves as being on the right side of history. We see ourselves as fighters of injustice, and advocates for equality. Sadly though, many people dont advocate marriage equality with the same fervor and refuse to fight for the same justice for the LGBT community. Thus, lesbians, bisexuals, gays, and transgendered remain subjugated by these unjust laws. In 50 years, with the rate of acceptance for LGBT people skyrocketing, the practice of gay marriage will largely be accepted, and proponents of it will find themselves thinking these same thoughts against the aggressors of gay people. With all of these factors to consider, will you find yourself thinking you were on the right side of history?

Works Cited

Bernard, Tara. "The High Price of Being a Gay Couple." The New York Times. The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. Dolkart, Andrew. "Stonewall Inn, A National Landmark." U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. Kourany, Robert F. Suicide among homosexual adolescents. Journal of Homosexuality 13.4 (1987): 111-117. Abstract. Pubmed.gov. Web. 21 Dec. 2013. Perry, Kathryn. "The Cost of Gay Marriage in Dollars and Cents." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. Remadedi, Gary, et al. Risk Factors For Attempted Suicide in Gay and Bisexual Youth. PEDIATRICS American Academy of Pediatrics 87.6 (1991): 869-875.Web. 21 Dec. 2013. "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights." UN News Center. UN, 1998. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. Thompson, William. "Would Gay Marriage Help the State Economy?" Would Gay Marriage Help the State Economy? New York Times, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2013 Vedantam, Shankar. "Bans Of Same-Sex Marriage Can Take A Psychological Toll." NPR. NPR, 20 May 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.