Same Sex Marriages (Editing Sample)

Same-sex Marriages
Name
Institution
Same-sex Marriages
Introduction
According to the article by Miriam smith on same-sex marriage, the issue of same-sex marriage is one that has been drawing a lot of discussion in the country as well as the world at large. This is owing to the fact that there has been an increase in the number of gay and lesbian couples that only seems to be growing by the day. The need to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage has become more pertinent owing to the fact that Canada’s neighbor, the United States, has been able to legalize same-sex marriage in most of its states, and same-sex marriages have become widespread throughout the United States. In Canada, however, same-sex marriage is an issue that is relatively new because it is only until recently that it became a topic of discussion after certain court rulings in the largest provinces in the country passed judgment that were ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. This was perceived as a wakeup call as there was suddenly the need for federal legislation to think about regulations that would govern same-sex marriages in the country.[Smith, M. (2007). Framing same-sex marriage in Canada and the United States: Goodridge, Halpern and the national boundaries of political discourse. Social & Legal Studies, 16(1), 5-7.]
The author has also recognized that there are many differences that exist between same-sex marriages in Canada and the United States, but there are many other issues that may or may not be related to this that may, however, cause differences between the two countries. One of this issues is the recognition of other types of couples that are not married, but are of the same-sex, and the rights that they have in regards to parenting, whether to their own biological child, or an adopted child.. The country is also yet to put into practice any penalty that should come to pass on any individual that openly or otherwise, discriminates against people in a same-sex relationship or marriage.
According to the article, one of the things that are affecting public opinion regarding same-sex marriage in the United States, especially in the states that are yet to come to terms with the existence of same-sex relationships, is the overbearing presence of religious institutions that aggressively defy the notion of same-sex relationships. These institutions unequivocally agree on the issue of not legalizing same-sex relationships and have become an instrumental force behind the fight against the legalization and recognition of gay and lesbian marriages. The author backs these claims by stating that during the 2004 elections in the United States of America; republicans were more vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage as a result of the fact that most of their political leaders and other public figures that were affiliated with the Republican Party were also quite vocal about the issue during their campaigns. In fact most of their campaign was pegged on the rejection of gay and lesbians in the community.[Ibid, 8-9.]
The conclusions that the author has made regarding her article are in line with the topics that the author has discussed and the evidence that the author has presented to support her claims. Contrary opinions regarding the issue have not been well addressed by the author; this is due to the fact that most of the article is only leaning in one direction, and that is, in favor of same sex relationships and further goes ahead to claim that gay and lesbian marriages have already been accepted in Canada while the people in the united states of America are still struggling with coming to terms with the legalization of same-sex relationships. This, however, may not be the real situation on the ground, owing to the fact that in the United States of America, there are several states that have already accepted and legalized the existence of same-sex relationships and marriages.
Although there may still be stigmatization of the group in certain areas of the country, the general mood is a little more welcoming and accepting than the author paints it out to be. For instance, the author mentions that during the 2004 elections in the United States, the republicans were able to change the opinions of their followers in favor of the party’s stand which was to reject any and all forms of same-sex relationships. Their opinion was that it was wrong and went as far as using this notion as a tool to make sure that their democratic counterparts did not win due to the fact that they were in support of same-sex marriages. The truth, however, is that during this period, there were varied opinions regarding the issue of same-sex relationships and marriages. The one thing that the author is accurate about is the fact that same-sex marriages were a major issue during that particular election period. However, the republicans were not successful in changing the mind of the people reading the decisions they had made about it.
Comparison with other articles;
Bala, N. (2003). Controversy over couples in Canada: The evolution of marriage and other adult interdependent relationships. Queen's LJ, 29, 41.
The article suggests that the existence of same-sex marriage is not an issue that has just recently come to light, but rather can be traced it back to the historical times. During those times, as it currently is, same-sex couples yearned for affection and intimacy with one another, and acceptance from the society as is the case in today’s society. The issue is only now coming to light owing to the fact that the number of same-sex couples has considerably increased, and also that they are more open about their status and are willing to fight for recognition in the society. The article recognizes the fact that in Canada, the people, as well as the system is still trying to cope with the presence of same-sex marriages. Their recognition is still a bit far off. This is despite the fact that there are certain laws that have already been put in place to make sure that this group of people is able to receive equal treatment regardless of their sexual preference. The author recognizes that the law states that any court that will deliver a ruling that denies same-sex couples the same privileges as any other ordinary couples, will be breaking the law.[Bala, N. (2003). Controversy over couples in Canada: The evolution of marriage and other adult interdependent relationships. Queen's LJ, 29, 41.]
Young, C., & Boyd, S. (2006). Losing the feminist voice? Debates on the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships in Canada. Feminist Legal Studies, 14(2), 213-240.
According to this article, the issue of same-sex was first brought to light in the political scene in the year 2005 when a court in Canada declared gay marriage legal, sparking a series of marriage ceremonies in cities and counties in the state. This sparked different reactions from various types of groups around the nation. Religious groups were of the opinion that same-sex marriage to be re-declared illegal while lobby groups in other states began to fight for gay recognition. The issue eventually found favor in the eyes of the president resulting to the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages. The article analyses the changes in trends of opinions of civil unions and other groups in relation to same-sex marriages. This article is directly related to the previous one as it continues to outline the journey on the issue of same-sex marriage from being almost nonexistent to one that people have begun to give some attention to. The article is meant for a broader audience because of the diversity of issues that it addresses.[Young, C., & Boyd, S. (2006). Losing the feminist voice? Debates on the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships in Canada. Feminist Legal Studies, 14(2), 213-240.]
Discussion
According to the three articles listed and discussed above, it is easy to understand the fact that rules and laws have the ability to change with time, if the need for this kind of action arises. For instance, the issue of same-sex marriage in the United States was one that could hardly receive positive feedback twenty years ago. In fact, the number of people who were in this kind of relationship, or those who so much so even spoke about it was in limited numbers. Currently, although the issue is still not accepted universally, there are some parts of the country that have embraced it and even allowed for gay and lesbian couples to conduct public displays of weddings. Most of these couples are even now allowed to adopt children when they prefer to.
In Canada, the same trend has been seen; the country was able to absorb the issue of same-sex marriage in 2005 when it was finally made legal. This is much sooner than even most of the states in the united sates
These articles have been used to give the above facts even more credibility regarding the issues discussed on gay and lesbian relationships.
Sáez, Macarena. "Same-sex marriage." General Reports of the XVIIIth Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law/Rapports Généraux du XVIIIème Congrès de l’Académie Internationale de Droit Comparé. Springer Netherlands, 2012.
According to this article, there was no country in the world that had legalized same-sex marriage forty years ago. To date, same-sex marriages still remain banned in most countries. The phenomenon has however begun to gain audience in the world after a few countries started to accept and legalize it. The article puts the percentage of countries that have legalized same-sex marriage at 20% of the world. Despite the fact that there are still some countries that demonize people who are involved in same-sex relationships, the phenomenon has continued to take shape in the world as the countries ...