Gay Marriage Should Be Legal

In my closing arguments, I will remake my point that marriage is a religious practice and has nothing to do with equality. To solidify my point, here is what the law states: "Marriage statutes -- Sixteen states debated and five of those adopted -- statutory legislation this year that either prohibit same-sex marriage, strengthen pre-existing gay marriage bans and/or prohibit granting marriage-like benefits to same-sex couples in lieu of marriage such as those provided under Vermont's civil unions law. Those that toughened their marriage laws were New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia. " "Thirty-nine states already prohibit gay and lesbian couples from marrying with laws modeled after the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Passed by Congress in 1996, the federal DOMA bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to ignore gay marriages performed elsewhere. Four states (Maryland, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming) have laws or court rulings prohibiting same-sex marriage that predate the federal DOMA. " ALABAMA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law ALASKA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law ARIZONA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law ARKANSAS •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law CALIFORNIA •Current law: State law, passed by public referendum, bans same-sex marriage COLORADO •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law CONNECTICUT •Current law: State adoption statute refers to marriage as a union between a man and a woman. DELAWARE •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law FLORIDA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law GEORGIA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law HAWAII •Current law: Constitutional amendment giving the legislature the right to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. DOMA passed by the legislature and adopted as state law by public referendum. But Hawaii law provides limited state benefits to same-sex partners. IDAHO •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law ILLINOIS •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law KANSAS •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law KENTUCKY •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law INDIANA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law IOWA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law KANSAS •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law KENTUCKY •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law LOUISIANA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law MAINE •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law MARYLAND •Current law: The first state law defining marriage as a union between a man and woman was adopted by Maryland in 1973. MASSACHUSETTS •Current law: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ordered legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry by May 17, 2004. •Legislation: State constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages but establishing civil unions gained preliminary approval March 29 during the state Constitutional Convention. The measure must be approved in identical form during the next legislative session in 2005 before going to a state wide vote in 2006. Three bills introduced to permit same-sex couples to marry but are not likely to come to a vote (HB 3556, HB 3677, SB 935). A citizen initiated petition drive is under way to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions, but 2008 is the soonest it could come to a state wide vote. •Court action: Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders filed a lawsuit July 2004 challenging a 1913 law that prohibits out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts. On August 17, a trial court upheld the 1913 law but GLAD said it will appeal the ruling. MICHIGAN •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law MINNESOTA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law MISSISSIPPI•Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law MISSOURI •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law and written into constitution Aug. 3 MONTANA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law NEBRASKA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution NEVADA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution NEW HAMPSHIRE •Current law: State law bans same-sex marriage and pre-dates DOMA laws. NEW JERSEY •Current law: State law provides for a domestic partners' registry with marriage-like benefits for same-sex couples. NEW MEXICO No Law on File NEW YORK •Current law: No public policy NORTH CAROLINA•Current law: DOMA adopted as state law NORTH DAKOTA •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law OHIO •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law OKLAHOMA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law OREGON •Current Law: DOMA written into state constitution PENNSYLVANIA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law •Legislation: State constitutional amendment is expected to be introduced. RHODE ISLAND •Current law: No public policy SOUTH CAROLINA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law SOUTH DAKOTA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law TENNESSEE •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law TEXAS •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law UTAH •Current law: DOMA written into state constitution and state law VERMONT •Current law: State law defines marriage as union between man and woman, but civil unions created in 2000 to provide same-sex couples access to state-level marriage benefits. VIRGINIA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law WASHINGTON •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law WEST VIRGINIA •Current law: DOMA adopted as state law WISCONSIN •Current law:No DOMA, but state supreme court ruling and Attorney's General opinion held that only heterosexual marriages are legal. WYOMING •Current law: State law bans same-sex marriage and pre-dates DOMA laws. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why should Gay marriage not be legal? Because the issue has already been voted on by Americans. The resounding response has been:"NO! "