For thousands of years, most cultures around the world have recognized marriage as a union between a man and woman. In the majority of modern nations, including almost all of the United States, same sex or gay couples cannot be legally married. Several gay couples have unsuccessfully filed lawsuits in the past century against almost all states for not letting them marry. The most infamous case was in Hawaii. However, same-sex marriages were never considered possible in the United States until three same-sex couples challenged Hawaii's marriage law on the grounds that it discriminated against them based on their sex. (Eskridge 137-138)
             My topic is gay and lesbian marriages. The importance of this topic is more significant than most people think. It is important to us all, because everyone will be affected if same-sex marriages are legalized. Also in September of 1996, in anticipation of a same-sex marriage lawsuit going on in Hawaii, congress passed and Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Act defines marriage for federal purposes as "a legal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife," therefore denying same-sex spouses any federal benefits that are automatically given to opposite-sex spouses. The act also gives states the option not to recognize same-sex marriage performed in other states. (Tuller, Lockhad) The loophole was that if same sex marriage was to be legalized in other states and the couple married there and moved to California, they would have the same rights as all other heterosexual married couples. They would be able to adopt and have children using artificial insemination.
             In the following paragraphs I will inform you of all the problems that we face with the legalization of same-sex marriages, and I will suggest my solutions. This not just a problem, it gets down to the roots of social morals in society and influences children's outlook on life greatly.
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