The fight for equality of American citizens has been a long time running. As of recent, the fight for Gay rights has become a hot topic and a long fight. By the year of 2004, most states had made it illegal for any citizen to marry another citizen of the same sex. Any and all that have ever studied the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution would know that the Equal Protection Clause implements the idea that no state is permitted to deny any person within its jurisdiction “the equal protection of the laws” (LII 1992). Though this particular clause was created to ensure equal opportunities for all people, it does not provide equal outcomes.
The Equal Protection Clause (1968) is a part of the 14th amendment to the Constitution, and does not pertain to the federal government. The law suit of Loving v. Virginia of
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Evans and Jamie Washington, “Some of the powers and privileges heterosexuals general have that gay and lesbian, and in some cases bisexual and transgender, persons do not have include: The right to legalized marriage; The ability to purchase property as a couple; The option to file joint tax returns; The ability to adopt children as a couple; Health insurance for one’s life partner; The right to make health-related decisions on health-related issues as they relate to one’s life partner; The assumption that one is psychologically healthy” (Evans and Washington 1991).
How is it that Americans, citizens believed to have equal protection of rights, are subject to discrimination from their government, work place and society? Government and politics will always be a controversial subject, but under the Equal Protection Clause, everyone should have the same rights and options as their neighbor. Even that the allowance of homosexual marriage is being put to vote, goes against the Equal Protection Clause. No one should be given the option to vote on whether or not their neighbor is permitted to live as freely as