11/18/14 GAY MARRIAGE
Felicia and Kyle
BACKGROUND & HISTORY
The LGBT movement started in the 70’s with the Stonewall Riots.
Stonewall Riots led to the formation of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF)
which also opposed consumer culture, militarism, racism and sexism.
"We are a revolutionary group of men and women formed with the
realization that complete sexual liberation for all people cannot come
about unless existing social institutions are abolished. We reject
society's attempt to impose sexual roles and definitions of our nature.“ –
statement of purpose made by the GLF
GLF Ends in 1972 due to too many topics to focus on homosexuality
“issue”
**GLF was the first group in recorded history to use the word “Gay” in
their title.
1 11/18/14 STONEWALL RIOTS
•
On June 28, 1969 the Stonewall Inn (Greenwich
Village, NYC) was raided by police without
warrants, claiming the bar was serving alcohol
without correct licensing
•
A group of angry customers stood up for their
right to be in this private establishment, (public
displays of Homosexuality being illegal at the
time) which led to a riot that night and many
more to follow.
MORE BACKGROUND
1991 the Baehr lawsuit (Hawaii) was filed after about 20 years of
no legal progress in gay rights
1996 Hawaiian government rules not allowing same sex marriage
would be unconstitutional but the public voted against (69% to
31%)
In 1996 68% of American population opposed same sex
marriages, recent polls say 70% are okay with it
Massachusetts becomes the first state to allow gay marriage in
2004
2010 Congress repeals “don’t ask don’t tell”
2 11/18/14
The annual report from the Department of Health and Human
Services tallied 402,378 children in the foster care system as of
September 30, 2013, up from about 397,000 a year earlier
Since same sex couples cant have children, this number could
go down drastically if every state allowed same sex marriage
seeing as how it is easier to adopt children if you’re married (by
the way that’s only the US statistics….)
ARGUMENTS FOR
Marriage is a legally or formally recognized union of partners in a
relationship
Marriage entitles partners to each others property, credit, taxes,
and medical decisions.
Gay and straight partners are in relationships
Therefore both gay and straight should be allowed to legally or
formally marry and receive the proper entitlements from one
another
ARGUMENTS FOR
3 11/18/14
The U.S. Constitution was wrote by the U.S. founding fathers
The U.S. Constitution is the base of our legal system
The U.S. Constitution attempts to “[e]stablish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity”
Liberty is the freedom of choice and freedom from arbitrary
control
Defining marriage by sex of the couple would be arbitrary
Therefore denying someone the right to marry strictly on the
sex of the couple would go against the ideals and laws
expressed by U.S. Constitution and the founding fathers
ARGUMENTS FOR
ARGUMENTS FOR
33 states have freedom for both gay and
straight couples to marry
In a democracy majority rules
62 per cent of American's live in these states
Therefore Americans have let their will be
know, and both gay and straight couples
should be allowed to marry
4 11/18/14 http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/
In 2011 there were over 38,000
diagnoses of HIV in adolescent and
adult males; only about 10,000 in
children and women.
The graph on the right shows the
increase in rates of cases of Neisseria
gonorrhoeae in males having sex with
males. (From 1990-2012)-------!
Comes from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
statistics/basics/index.html
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
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Marriage is a religious rite
Religions have the right to decide what they believe
The U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of religion
Therefore if any religion deems gay marriage wrong the
government should not impose that religion to change its views
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Separation of the church and state is the one ideal of our country
Marriage is an idea of religion
Civil unions are a joining of two people by law
Marriage licenses are law and church working together
Therefore in order to keep church and state separate the state
should not offer marriage licenses to anyone only civil union
contracts
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
6 11/18/14
Do you agree with gay marriage?
Do you think the government should issue anyone marriage
licenses, or should all couples be issued civil union certificates?
Do you think of marriage as a religious act?
Do you think religions should feel pressure to change there
traditions?
Do you believe in the separation of church and state?
QUESTIONS?
SOURCES
http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/03/how-same-sex-marriagecame-to-be
http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2009/06/449-stonewall.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/gay_liberation_front.html
http://www.adoptuskids.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats12/figures/x.htm
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states
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