The Effects of Gay Marriage on Families

The Effects of Gay Marriage on Families

"Marriage is really important and what we build families on, which is why gay marriage is really

important"­Margaret Cho. Gay marriage is one of the most controversial topics out there. Everyone has

their own opinion on it, whether it's good or bad. The legalization of gay marriage has various positive

effects on families such as divorce rates, children, and the economy.

Gay Marriage is a pretty straightforward concept, however many people are unaware of the

long journey those affected by it have gone through and just how controversial it really is. "The

movement to obtain marriage rights and benefits for same­sex couples in the United States began in the

early 1970's," (Haider­Markel 1). 34 years ago marks the beginning of a long and emotional journey to

try and make gay marriage accepted in our society. It has been a very emotional ride for those involved

and affected by the laws relating to gay marriage, but things are just getting better and progress towards

equality is being made. "In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

DOMA excluded same­sex marriage from federal government recognition. It defined marriage as 'a

legal union between one mad and one woman as husband and wife'," (Haider­Markel 1). DOMA

basically took away all of gay couples' rights and made it look like gay marriage was terrible and

wrong. This was a terrible blow to gays and their families. However, time was all that the world really

needed to reevaluate its thoughts and beliefs on gay marriage and slowly, things started to change.

Over the years, different states and countries one by one have begun to legalize gay marriage.

According to the table, same sex marriage is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Portugal,

Denmark, Brazil,