Members of the Supreme Court will begin in November holding major rulings about gay marriage, affirmative action and voting rights. Some of the cases brought before court been approved for hearing. Along with gay marriage, racial preferences, fighting of terrorism and voting rights act will also be reviewed.
Out of the top pressing issues, gay marriage has been the forefront. In America, five states and D.C. allow same-sex couples to join in civil union. Three more states respect marriage of same-sex couples according to Huffington post.
With other states having legalized same-sex marriage, nine of those have provided civil unions, and domestic partnership. These states had also given some significant state-level relationships. A provision of 1996 Defense of Marriage Act denies certain rights of same-sex relationships. These restrictions include federal benefits, tax treatment, health benefits and among many other rights against, legally married same-sex couples.
Another appeal that was brought to attention was Proposition 8 or Prop 8, this appeal will fight to “eliminate the marital rights of same-sex couples therefore their marriage will be invalid”.
Although Prop 8 has not been brought to the Louisiana legislation it has become a pressing issue on GSU campus.
Freshman Bruno Johnson is for Prop 8. “Same-sex marriage goes against biblical terms.”
Other students feel that no one but you should have a choice in your relationship.
“I am against Prop. 8, and I feel people should be able to marry whoever they love no matter the gender,” said senior Gwendolyn Jones from Compton, Calif.
A separate appeal this election has come from within California’s ban on gay marriage, that has been ruled unconstitutional by federal courts.
Set in place for congressional approval is the marriage initiatives for Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. These states are key in the upcoming presidential elections, the appeal may go in favor especially for the electoral votes. If approved,many believe that this may move congress in efforts to approve same-sex marriage.
Even though four of the states are democratic in their own right. These states are not truly seen as a cross section of the country. With public approval slowly increasing on gay marriage it has still made the homosexual community a national issue and marriage a liberal cause.
With President Obama supporting the stance on same-sex marriage, many Americans feel that this political gamble will lower his support for a second term in office. In a new survey by NBC Latino/ IBOPE Zogby it says that six out of ten Latinos in the sample agree that same-sex couples have the right to marry.
“I am for gay marriage because I feel no one should have a say in marital union between genders,” said senior Danielle Copeland from Plano, Texas.
On the other hand, there are those that feel that same-sex marriage is an abomination and goes against the bible and that it argues nature versus nurture.
” I believe that a man and woman are made for each other, not a man and man or woman and woman, that’s a sin,” said Sophomore Patsy White from Louisiana.
Even though some students are religious they are still in support of same-sex marriage.
“I believe that we as individuals have the right and choice of love and no one should have the right to tell us who to and who not to get married whether it be on preference of gender or not,” said senior Laquisha Norwood from California.