Gay and Equal By Professor Ferrara Gwrit 102 102025569 In this new century, times are changing and some people are beginning to open their eyes and accept others for their own personal preferences and personal relations. This is in contrast to our country's traditional very narrow-minded view regarding sex and marriage. Many other countries are much more open minded regarding individuals personal sexual preference. The United States, a country primarily controlled and influenced by Christian and Catholic views, is having a hard time granting rights to homosexuals. One reason for this is that in the Christian bible, homosexuality is looked upon as unacceptable and intolerable. However, these beliefs were established in a "prehistoric"� time, and they do not fit today's society. In the past few years, many of our nation's beliefs and laws have dramatically been modified to fit today's society In 1994, Hawaii, Alaska, Utah, and South Dakota drafted laws that outlawed same-sex marriage.
United States
United States
English: Map of same-sex marriage rights in New En...Two years later Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which withholds federal marriage benefits from gay married couples and declares that no state must recognize another state's gay marriages. However, since then, times, mindsets, and laws have changed. In 1999, Vermont and Hawaii ratified earlier proposed bills and passed newly created laws, acknowledging and allowing same-sex marriage. Hawaii and Vermont, as well, granted same-sex marriages the same rights as heterosexual marriages. The 1999 Supreme Court ruling of Baker vs. the State of Vermont affirmed, "That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community, and not for the particular emolument or advantage 102025569 of any single person, family, or set of persons, who are a part only of that community."� There is no way around this--the states are bound to recognize each other's...