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The Status of Same-sex Marriage in the United States

The American political landscape of the 21st century as it relates to social policy has been largely defined by the social conservative opposition to same-sex marriage. Some political pundits have even argued that ballot measures pushing to ban same-sex marriage in many states were the driving force behind the large social conservative electoral gains in the 2000 general and 2004 mid-term elections. Recent high court rulings in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and our own state of California in recent years have further pushed the issue of same-sex marriage to the forefront of the American political debate. This paper is intended to look beyond the visceral and emotional reaction that debate over same-sex marriage engenders, to peel back the vale of popular definition and look at the issue of same-sex marriage from a factual perspective. First, I will define the three main arguments in the same-sex marriage debate. The argument by social conservatives and traditionalists against government sanctioned same-sex marriage, the argument by various progressive and gay rights groups for government sanctioned same sex-marriages and finally the often ignored arguments against same-sex marriage – and government sanctioned marriage at all – by elements of the homosexual community. Finally I will conclude with a brief overview of how these three groups and how their positions are playing out in the current debate over government sanctioned same-sex marriage both in the US and abroad.

The Socio-religious Argument Against Government Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage
Ardent religious conservatives agruge that