Gays and lesbians have the right to marry just as much as anyone else. They deserve to be treated equally and they have the right to marry who they choose. They love each other and that is all that matters. No one can change that, no matter how hard they try. When they get married they should have the same rights as us: obligations to children, inheritance rights, and even end of life decision making. “The sheer thought that they are given less status than pets should give us pause.” was said by a Mr. Powell in an interview. This statement really made me think about my Aunt Amanda and her partner Annie. They are the reason why I am so passionate about this subject. Why would you deny them the right when the census Bereau’s definition of a family is: “A group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together.” In 1993, Hawaii’s supreme court ruled that denying the right to marry is discrimination, but yet the Hawaiian constitution bans same-sex marriage. Hawaii sets a bad example for others to follow. As of February 2011 Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington D.C. (our nation’s capital allows same-sex marriage but our nation as a whole does not) and the Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon are the only areas that allow same-sex marriages.

Even though they are married in these states the federal government doesn’t recognize them, which is unfortunate because there are many benefits to legalizing same-sex marriages. Such as states that allow same-sex marriages have seen their divorce rates go down. States that ban