Argumentative Essay On Gay Rights

Alyssa Beck

Mrs. Carter

English 1 Period 3

5 Feb. 2015

“Most historians agree that there is evidence of homosexual and same sex love. Whether these relationships were accepted or persecuted has not been determined.” - History of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Social Movements, Bonnie J. Morris. In order to decide whether or not the issue of gay marriage is still something that American society is working on, one must understand the history of the treatment of gays, the impact of the Defense of Marriage Act, the difference Prop 8 made, the marriage laws that were passed, and where society is today. In U.S. few attempts were made to create groups supporting gay and lesbian relationships until after World War II. In the 1950s more awareness

Gays had little to no rights. They were denied the right to marry due to the Defense of Marriage Act. They were also denied the right to be together publically, or they faced charges. Prop 8 eliminated the right of same sex couples to marry in California. It was a statewide ballot, and on November 4, 2008, voters approved the proposition and made gay marriage illegal. In August of 2010, a gay couple in California sued the state claiming that Prop 8 violated their civil rights. The judged agreed with the couple, and on February 7, 2012, they deemed Prop 8 unconstitutional. During the fight against the proposition, gay rights activists started the NOH8 Campaign. The campaign is a charitable organization in the U.S. whose mission is to promote marriage, gender, and human equality. The NOH8 Campaign, Defense of Marriage Act. civil union, Proposition 8, and the civil rights act are the most important aspects in the fight for gay rights and understanding the

According to this, in some ways society is still the same but has also evolved greatly. Many states have only recently legalized gay marriage. The most recent being Florida on January 6, 2015. Most states legalized it in 2014 and along with California, in 2013. Alabama and South Dakota’s gay marriage bans have been overturned but appeals are still in progress. “On January 25, 2015, a lesbian couple filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s ban on same sex marriage and it became the supreme courts mission to figure out whether all 50 states should allow homosexuals to marry. As of January 29, 2015, republican legislature in several states are proposing bills that would prevent issuing marriage licenses to gays,” - Recent articles from New York Times. Even though conflict on gay marriage has been going on since very early in society, there is still many arguments and different point of views on whether or not it should be