Gay Marriage
...cted the Defense of Marriage Acts (No state, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other state, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship) that ban same-sex marriage (Holmes, par.2). Another six states have similar legislation pending. During March 2002, 61% of California voters supported Proposition 22(Holmes, par 2). It addresses a host emotional issues and details of everyday life facing gay couples regardless of their sexual orientation. It allows bereavement leave for city employees, visitation rights in city-run facilities, tenancy succession rights and permits partners to be buried together in a city-owned cemetery (Ulrich, par.3). Proposition 22 defined marriages as being restricted to between one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage is not now legal in any jurisdiction in the United States, but it's closer to becoming a reality than ever before. Many cities and states have enacted "domestic partner" laws, which, while not conferring the official status of marriage on a same-sex couple, provide them with a few of the same benefits. The Vermont Supreme Court recently declared that the state is constitutionally required to extend to same-sex couples the common benefits and protections that flow from marriage under Vermont law (Mead, par.4). This landmark case will compel state legislators to provide same-sex couples wishing to unite under the law with all of the benefits of marriage, if not the actual title of marriage. Under the Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution, a same-sex couple "certified" in Vermont might challenge the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which gives states the right to ignore such unions licensed elsewhere (Vilanch, par.7). The values that gay couples have in their daily lives are often indistinguishable from those of their straight neighbors. They are loyal to their mates, are monogamous, and devoted partners...