Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US Essay

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Between 1996 and 2015, the perception of gay marriage evolved from being a fringe concept with relatively little social acceptance and exposure to an idea that has become widely accepted and deemed as a fundamental right (Sepper 704). Initially, gay marriage was considered as being immoral, socially damaging, and against religious doctrine (Fish 32; Saad 1).

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In fact, social acceptance of gay marriage during the early 90s was so small that the decision of Bill Clinton (a long time supporter of gay rights) to support the Defense of Marriage Act was not surprising. His support of the act was considered to be a form of political pandering to religious and conservative groups who, at the time, held considerable sway among voters as well as Congress. However, from 1996 onwards, substantial changes have occurred in how the government and ordinary Americans viewed gay marriage (Schulman 24; Lewis 1202).

For example, Justice Anthony Kennedy stated that marriage is a fundamental right of a person and, as such, if the government were to take steps to prevent it, this would be a form of discrimination that would go against the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. This helps to explain the constitutional basis behind the legalization of gay marriage, but Justice Kennedy also stated that the power and endurance of the Constitution are based on its ability to evolve along with the consciousness of the nation. Justice Kennedy, in effect, acknowledges in this statement how society in general within the U.S. has changed from its initial negative attitude towards gay marriage to one that is more accepting.

Such changes are, in part, due to social activism, cases such as Obergefell versus Hodges, as well as the clearing up of misconceptions that gay marriage is socially damaging or that gay parents cannot raise kids properly. If the 1996 article “The Message From Hawaii” is any indication, the ability of gay men or women to raise children or contribute to society is not less than their heterosexual counterparts. It is due to this greater level of social acceptance as well as government support of gay marriage that Clinton changed his position in 2013 regarding his support of the Defense of Marriage Act by stating that it was done in error and was a low point in his career.

Works Cited

Fish, Eric. “The Road To Recognition.” Harvard International Review 27.2 (2005): 32.

Lewis, Nathaniel M. “Community Cleavages: Gay And Bisexual Men’S Perceptions Of Gay And Mainstream Community Acceptance In The Post-AIDS, Post-Rights Era.” Journal Of Homosexuality 62.9 (2015): 1201-1227. Print

Saad, Lydia. “Americans’ Acceptance Of Gay Relations Crosses 50% Threshold.” Gallup Poll Briefing (2010): 1. Print

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Schulman, Sam. “The Worst Thing About Gay Marriage.” Weekly Standard 14.35 (2009): 24. Print

Sepper, Elizabeth. “Doctoring Discrimination In The Same-Sex Marriage Debates.” Indiana Law Journal 89.2 (2014): 703-762. Print

Smith, Patricia, Adam Liptak, and Erik Eckholm. “Who Should Be Allowed To Marry?.” New York Times Upfront 146.11 (2014): 8. Print

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IvyPanda. (2020, August 30). Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gay-marriage-and-its-social-acceptance-in-the-us/

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"Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US." IvyPanda, 30 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/gay-marriage-and-its-social-acceptance-in-the-us/.

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IvyPanda. (2020) 'Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US'. 30 August.

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IvyPanda. 2020. "Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US." August 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gay-marriage-and-its-social-acceptance-in-the-us/.

1. IvyPanda. "Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US." August 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gay-marriage-and-its-social-acceptance-in-the-us/.


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IvyPanda. "Gay Marriage and Its Social Acceptance in the US." August 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gay-marriage-and-its-social-acceptance-in-the-us/.

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