Assignment 3: Does Gay Marriage have an impact on Families
Stephanie. Craft Strayer University
ENG 215- English Composition
Dr.Hayes
July 29, 2014

Does Gay marriage impact Families?
Gay and lesbian marriage has become a controversial debate in contemporary society. There have been some heated debates for and against legalization of marriage between two couples of the same sex. This paper will explain the impact same sex marriages have on families. This paper points out different views and stand points. It explains factors that militate against the acceptance of gay marriage as an institution. Does gay marriage influence a child’s view of a man and woman role? Will children raised by gay parents have a more negative outcome? Will children raised by same sex parents have greater outcomes than traditional children? Will gay marriage confuse children view, will children have a negative outcome or will they have a better outcome than traditional children?
History: Gay Marriage
Gay marriage has a heated history in the U.S. It came to national attention in a 1993 Hawaii case, in which judges found that the states constitution required a compelling reason not to extend to gay’s equal marriage rights. The ruling prompted Congress to push through the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which federal law denied federal benefits to legally married same sex couples. Since then states have had different opinions about the issue. In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that gays had equal marriage rights. Twenty seven states have passed constitutional bans on gay marriage. There are 10 states that have granted rights to homosexual couples. In 2008 California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban.
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act ruled in 1996 which, prevents homosexual couples from receiving benefits traditionally conferred by marriage. Some argued that denying a person or benefits because of his or her sexual orientation was discrimination which, goes against the 14th Amendment. Its goal was to ensure all citizens born in the United States were given citizenship and were given full and equal benefits by law this law was also known as the Civil Rights Act 1866.Moving forward, a long 17 year debate has become a victory for the homosexuals; today in America history has been made. On Wednesday June 26, 2014 a divided Supreme Court strikes the Defense of Marriage Act. The court declined to rule on California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage between a man and a woman. Same sex couples in 12 states and the District of Columbia to collect federal benefits. The court declared that couples married of the same sex where gay marriage is legal must receive the same federal health, tax, social security and other benefits that heterosexual couples receive.
Same Sex Parent Families and Children “There are as many as 3 million gay fathers and 5 million lesbian mothers in the United States who are parents to an estimated 14 million children” (Sullivan, 1995).Researchers from the University of Melbourne have surveyed 500 children and 315 same sex parents to determine their physical health and wellbeing. Researchers have described this study as the biggest of its kind. “Children raised by same sex parents scored high in measurements of overall health and family cohesion” (Institution Business Times, 2014).The study explains that same sex