EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

For more than a decade the question of whether same-sex couples should have the right to marry has divided Americans, setting off a sharp debate about the purpose of marriage and the claims of equality. Supporters of same-sex marriage say that gay and lesbian couples should be treated the same as heterosexual couples as a matter of fairness. Those who oppose same-sex unions say that giving gay couples the right to marry will weaken an institution that is essential to a stable society.

The debate over same-sex marriage has played out in the nation’s courts, state legislatures and the halls of Congress. In 1996 Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and stating that neither a state nor the federal government is required to recognize a same-sex marriage made legal

in another state. Similar laws have been passed in 41 states. More recently at least a dozen states, through legislation and court

ruling, have granted marriage rights to same-sex couples, or adopted domestic partnership laws that grant legal protection to gay and lesbian couples.

At issue is whether measures that define marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman are constitutional. Proponents say that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is a discriminatory practice that denies same-sex couples the equal protection of the law and the same benefits of marriage that opposite-sex couples enjoy. Opponents of same-sex marriage say that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman and that states have an interest in upholding

traditional marriages as the best way to bring up children in our society.

Now it’s your turn to answer the question:

Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?

NO

legitimately protect this fundamental social institution by distinguishing between heterosexual and homosexual unions.

legal contracts or civil unions, but the historical definition of marriage as between a man and a woman should be preserved.

of approval” on a relationship some people find immoral.

raising of children and should be limited to heterosexual couples.

“Marriage is one of our community’s most rewarding and cherished institutions.” —Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health (2003)

YES

equality and fairness embodied in the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

stigmatizes same-sex couples and creates an unconstitutional

unchecked majority will.

long commitment and should be available to both homosexual and heterosexual couples.

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”

EducationNATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

nN CENTER

look. learn. act.

“Should same-sexcouples have the

right to marry?”