Staying up to date on national news can be difficult while trying to manage every other aspect of collegiette life. You may or may not have read a headline about the Supreme Court and same-sex marriage here and there in the past month or so. For all of you out there wondering what exactly is going on, HC Drexel has the answers.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case on whether or not same-sex marriage should be a right protected under federal law, which would essentially end the states’ abilities to forbid or prohibit the marriage. Same-sex marriage is currently honored in the state of Pennsylvania, if a couple moves to Ohio, they would not be recognized as a couple in the eyes of the law in that particular state.
The question on many people’s minds is: aside from social equality, what are gay rights activists hoping to achieve?
Same-sex couples want to have the same legal rights that heterosexual married couples have always had. From social security benefits to filing taxes, LGBT couples have extra hoops to jump through and are often denied the rights that other married couples have. Same-sex couples are subject to higher taxes and less benefits from the government and are also unable to issue their spouses’ final wishes in end-of-life situations.
Imagine a couple living together, growing old and then one spouse passes away from illness. The widow or widower built their life with this person, and all of a sudden they have lost a loved one. Despite the significance of their life together, he or she has no say in the final wishes of his or her partner. Same-sex couples are not entitled to a transfer of estate in the absence of a will, any social security pay out, or any legal entitlement in many states across the U.S.
These are just a few of the rights same-sex couples are fighting for and they all boil down to equal treatment in the eyes of the law. In states that do not recognize same-sex marriages, couples must fight for these privileges that are automatically given to traditional marriages every day.
Many people still stand against same-sex marriage on the grounds that it is an attack against “moral code” and that the inability to bear children goes against the government’s interests. Others discount such allegations because of the tens of thousands of same-sex couples who have raised children across the U.S. in the last few years alone. Both sides seem to have arguments with footing, making it difficult for the Supreme Court to overrule states’ rights. This case may very well come down to two points as laid out in the Washington Post:
“The justices are considering two simple-sounding questions: whether the Constitution requires states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and, if not, whether states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states where they are legal.”- Washington Post
While people say that same-sex marriage goes against their religious beliefs or their moral code, there is still a discussion of equal rights and the separation of church and state. In a society that preaches equality, many same-sex couples are all too often overlooked.
Keeping up with national news as well as collegiette life can be time consuming, but keeping an eye on the news can help you become a more informed individual. Same-sex marriage is making waves in the Supreme Court; we could have a ruling in the next few months!