Upcoming Proposition 8 Case
For years President Barack Obama has irritated the gay community for the lack of support he has given, but recently Obama has shown his support on trying to make same sex marriage legal. In the president’s inauguration speech in Jan., he states, “Our journey isn’t complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”
The Obama Administration is making history as the first president to achieve the right for gay and lesbian couples to marry. Obama is trying to put a stop on Proposition 8 that was established in 2008, which states that marriage is defined by a relationship between one man and one woman. Another important case that is being covered includes “The Federal Defense of Marriage Act” that also states gay and lesbian couples that are legally married in states that allow their union do not have the access of many crucial life benefits like federal tax, social security, and pension. The Proposition 8 case will be held in March, and an appeal for the “Federal Defense of Marriage Act” will be covered in the upcoming months.
This case is sweeping the entire nation and even bringing out many unlikely high profile Republicans who are in support of gay marriage. Former presidential candidate and Republican Jon Huntsman stated, “There is nothing conservative about denying other Americans the ability to forge that same relationship with the person they love.”
Today, thirty-nine states have laws that restrict marriage to same sex couples and as of right now nine states allow the union between gay ad lesbian couples. If Obama’s proposal is accepted, same sex marriage would be legalized in New Jersey, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, and Rhode Island. This decision is not just significant to those who are directly involved but to our nation as a whole.
