Future Plans

It is unclear what the future holds for the rights and freedoms of homosexuals. All we can do is keep trying and continue to push for same-sex marriages to be viewed as heterosexual marriages. It should not matter who you love as long as that person brings you happiness. Even though a man and a man or a woman and a woman cannot procreate, they can adopt and be wonderful parents. In fact, by adopting they are doing a great thing and changing the life of a child for the better.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where people have difficulty looking past what's on the surface and we immediately put people into categories, 'gay', 'straight', 'man', 'woman', 'black', 'white'. Though it's human nature, it slows down the process of human advancement. Even though African Americans have the same rights and freedoms, they are not always treated equally and are often times discriminated against. The same goes for homosexuals. It is terrible to think that gay people feel as though they have to hide who they are from someone or else they may not get as far in life, or are treated differently, or cheated like the 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy of our military. If a gay man or woman is willing to fight for our country then they are just as much of a hero to me as anyone else in the armed forces!

Some of these laws are petty and ridiculous. The largest community that has a problem with same-sex marriage is the church and America was based on religious freedoms and separation from the church and state. So until more states and other countries begin to legalize gay marriage, and actually call it a marriage, the homosexual community will remain in its fight. I believe that one day however, hopefully sooner rather than later, we will be able to live in a time where you are not judged for who you love and all love is created equally.

Political Cartoons

When all else fails, we make light of a situation by joking about it. Once you joke about it, it can't hurt you anymore. Political cartoons have always gone far in America, so it was no surprise that so many are available online regarding gay rights. Some of them are edgy, some are funny and some cross the line. They are often times an exaggeration of the truth but do a wonderful job in getting the point across in a humorous way.

Celebrities Support Gay Rights

Celebrity advocates are a very important part of any political or economical campaign. It makes people feel as though there is someone 'important' out there that is willing to fight for their struggles. It is also raises awareness of a topic because if you are a fan of a celebrity, you will most likely keep up with what they are involved in.

For example, Lady Gaga above. Though she may not be the most eloquent speaker, she certainly does a wonderful job connecting to her crowd and getting them excited, especially when she screams [to Obama] "are you listening?" It had a very big impact and you could hear the struggle and passion in the crowds cheering. An important part of Lady Gaga's advocacy is that she is very consistent. She is always involved in the gay community and many of her song lyrics coincide with her views. She is not just a celebrity that simply speaks, her actions carry out her views making her a great role model and friend to the gay community.

Some celebrities have also helped out in other ways. Ellen Degeneres publicly came out in 1997 during a time where she had a booming career. For the first time, the lead role of a show (Ellen), was a homosexual. Around this time a few other celebrities came out, embracing the truth and hoping to inspire people around the world to feel as though they could come out and and feel safe and secure. Other actresses include Wanda Sykes and Rosie O'Donnell who are still successful today. Though there was the potential for these brave women to lose their careers or fans, they set a wonderful example for people that were too afraid to come out by showing that it is okay and the people that love you will continue to and you can be as successful as ever!

Woman Speaks Out For Her Gay Son

Although same-sex marriage is legal in Iowa, there is still some lack of respect for homosexuals in these communities. You can hear the distress in her voice as she explains some of the hardships her son and family has endured. It is very strong of her to admit that she was not always so open minded about her sons life and when he first told them, she was upset. But for her to speak out like this has clearly shown her change of heart and that her son is still her son whether he is married to a man or a woman and she is right when she says you never know what the future will bring for your child. This goes back to Prop 8 opposers because although some people may never be able to accept homosexuality, others may have a change of heart when it comes to someone they love.

Prop 8

Focused beyond marriage

Prop. 8 supporters shrewdly warned of implications for schools, churches and children, analysts say.

November 06, 2008|Dan Morain and Jessica Garrison | Dan Morain and Jessica Garrison are Times staff writers.

LOS ANGELES--"The measure on the ballot was only 14 words long -- a simple statement that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

But supporters of Proposition 8, in what political analysts said was an extremely effective strategy, made the race about much more than that.

They were able to focus the debate on their assertion that without the ban, public school children would be indoctrinated into accepting gay marriage against their parents' wishes, churches would be sanctioned for not performing same-sex weddings and the institution of marriage would be irreparably harmed.

Supporters of gay marriage, along with political leaders including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) and the state's superintendent of public instruction, denounced those messages as scare tactics, but they were not able to sway voters. Preliminary returns showed Proposition 8 passing 52% to 48%.

"It was masterful of the campaign to raise the implications of what it could mean in terms of the school system," said Republican political consultant Wayne Johnson. He said voters may have started out "thinking that as long as it doesn't affect me, do what you want" but the supporters shifted the focus to children.

In the wake of the vote, gay couples and their supporters mourned, held rallies, including one in West Hollywood on Wednesday night, filed legal challenges and, in some cases, rushed to the county recorder's office to tie the knot before the state stopped allowing it. The Los Angeles County registrar-recorder stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses Wednesday afternoon.

At the West Hollywood rally, which drew thousands to San Vicente and Santa Monica boulevards Wednesday night, demonstrators vented their frustrations and cheered when passing cars honked in support. While officers were shutting down streets for the rally, a deputy was accidentally struck by a pickup and suffered minor injuries.

For many demonstrators who had backed Barack Obama for president, Tuesday's elections brought mixed emotions.

"I felt happy and then I felt crushed," said Chris Thurman, 24. He and another friend, 29-year-old T.J. Prokop, carried signs depicting separate straight drinking fountains and gay drinking fountains, a reference to the racially segregated South in the pre-Civil Rights era.

Demonstrator Chris Moll, 35, who was married in October and was carrying his 18-month-old daughter, Ella, in his arms, said the election did not alter his feelings about his marriage."

Opposers 'played dirty' when they brought children into the argument. Parents began to worry that the new laws would be added into the school curriculum meaning that their children would essentially learn to accept gay marriage (a step in the right direction) even though it may go against their personal and religious beliefs. Personally, I think this is ridiculous because there is supposed to be a separation between the church and state. A family or individual does not have to agree with same-sex marriages, but they should be informed and because homosexuality is not a choice, you can never be too sure what your child's future holds. That would be like saying you want your child to grow up racist because that's what you're family believes in. I also found it sad that couples felt they had to rush to get married just incase their rights were revoked. It is wrong to me that they were given the right and then it was taken away! It was an enormous feat when gay Californians were able to legitimize their marriages and a few months later, it was taken away because people were afraid of the change and the "what-ifs." In order to continue moving forward, we must continue to make changes.

It Takes One 'Yes'

Gay Marriage in Massachusetts
Massachusetts became the first state to permit gay marriage after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled by a 4-3 opinion that a ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution. The case in question was Goodridge v. Mass. Department of Public Health 440 Mass. 309.

On November 18, 2003 the Supreme Judicial Court issued its opinion that banning gay marriage arbitrarily infringed on the personal freedoms of the individual, reversing a lower court's decision to uphold the ban. Determining no rational basis for the ban, the majority said:

"[Prohibiting same-sex marriage] barred access to the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage, a person who enters into an intimate, exclusive union with another of the same sex is arbitrarily deprived of membership in one of our community's most rewarding and cherished institutions. That exclusion is incompatible with the constitutional principles of respect for individual autonomy and equality under law."

Massachusetts began issuing marriage licenses on May 17, 2004. In July of 2008 the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill recognizing same-sex marriages that were legal in other jurisdictions which was signed by Governor Deval Patrick.

Massachusetts should be celebrated for being the first state to say that enough is enough and that love between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is just as real as love between a man and a woman. As with most things, it takes just one 'yes' before others will fall in line. After Massachusetts permitted legal gay marriage, four more states were on board as well. However, as great as it is that there are five states that have 'legalized love' it is still not good enough. Even though it may not be a federal law, more states should be taking action to allow same-sex marriages in their state. Out of all fifty states, only five allow same-sex marriage; a measly ten percent. Gay rights has been an issue for so long now that I am appalled at how little progress America has made when we pride ourselves on equality. More states need to take action!

The Beginning

For years, homosexuals have struggled through a battle of inequality. In the eyes of legal courts, their love is seen as illegitimate love and they are deprived of the basic rights that heterosexual marriages entail. Since the beginning of time, people that are not the majority in the United States have been fighting for their rights. Before the early sixties, interracial marriages were not recognized by the church or state. Just a few years later efforts to legalize same-sex marriages were put into motion. As of today, April 2011, same-sex marriage is only legal in five states including Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, Massachusetts being the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. And for a few months in 2008, gay marriage was also legal in California until Proposition 8 passed 52% to 48% putting an end to this right. There are also a few other states that recognize same-sex marriage if it is preformed in a different state or ones that recognize gay marriage but do not grant a marriage license such as Rhode Island and New York. The hope for homosexuals and supporters alike is that one day, all states will realize that love is blind and gay or straight, we're all the same and deserve to be treated with the same rights and respect.