Who legalizes same-sex marriage?

Answer 1

Yes, in fact gays do have the legal right to same-sex marriage in many places.

Further (if being literal), gays continue to have the legal right to heterosexual marriages globally.

They are already allowed to get married in civilized, tolerant countries. There are several such countries in Europe, for example.

I hope so because I'm gay and i � my boyfriend.

A:

Gay marriage is legal in many countries. Just be patient!

Answer 2

The key is communication and education.

ResearchFigure out why you are for gay marriage, and read articles and talk to people to get more reasons. Make sure to fact check things you are told, as it hurts your cause if you are found to be lying, even if the lying is unintentional. CommunitySpeak to other people in your community about the issue, and find out their reasons for and against gay marriage. Some people may be on one side, but do not know all their reasons or can not articulate their reasons. In such a case, you can either provide additional reasons for their beliefs, or provide counterarguments to them. Either way, you are arming your community with knowledge, which goes a long way. PoliticiansAt a legislative level, write to your representatives in office. Gay marriage is a state issue, and will probably not become a federal issue for many years due to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Contact your state politicians.

Organizing your community in shows of strength and unity can go a long way in convincing politicians to decide on this important issue.

Other MediaCreating other videos or posters to support your cause can go a long way if done properly. With the internet, you can get your message across to a large number of people with little cost.

Answer 3

In the United States, state legislatures can legalize same sex marriage as well as higher state courts in their decisions.

It can be (1) Legislature + Governor; (2) Legislature + Voters; (3) Judge(s).

Here's are brief details of each scenario:

(1) State legislature (both houses) approves a change to state marriage statutes and the Governor signs the bill into law. (This will not work if the state has a constitutional ban on gay marriage.)

(2) State legislature approves putting the matter on the ballot as a plebiscite (a referendum or ballot question), then the required majority of voters approve. (If the state has a constitution ban, then the plebiscite must be a constitutional amendment. Otherwise, it can just be a statute.)

(3) A state court orders the state to permit gay people to marry and either the governor and attorney general do not appeal the decision, or the matter goes to the highest court in the state and the decision is upheld. (This will not work if the state has a constitutional ban on gay marriage.)

Answer 4

Answers from other contrubutors:

• The hot debate over legalizing gay marriages is to do with religion; it's against everything that it says about marriage in The Bible 'Man shall not lay with man, nor woman with woman.' Therefore, it's the religious aspect that rules what some in society think about gay marriages. It is also an opinion by all individuals. It is a hot debate as many already know, but, there are far worse things happening in this world than to be worried about gay marriages. Personal opinion: We are all God's children; scientists feel they have discovered a gene that can determine whether a person is gay from birth and are working on it before their theory is approved and last but not least, we are not God and therefore we do not have the right to judge another. A quote from the Bible, 'Those who have not sinned cast the first stone.' The main debate is should a religious Minister, Priest, etc., marry a gay couple and go against what the Bible says. The solution to this problem would be for the gay community to have their own Ministers to perform legal marriages.

• if it has to do with religion than it should be allowed. Religion is not required for every person to have. Therefore, maybe some gays don't have a religion. They aren't doing anything wrong according to them. I think that gay marriage should be legal. I'm not gay, but if you're gay...whatever. That has nothing to do with me
• The solution, in my opinion, is for gay people to be accorded all the civil rights and social benefits heterosexual people enjoy, without regard for popular sentiment or other people's religious beliefs. The United States is not a majoritarian democracy, nor is it a theocracy. We are not legally bound by the tenets of Christianity, nor by pseudo-Christian dogma.

  The argument that the "gay community" should have "their own ministers" reminds me a lot of the old Southern attitude toward segregation, which was a moral travesty. No one is going to force any faith to perform marriages that violate their religious beliefs, so there's no need for a solution that encourages the so-called "gay community" to "stick to their own kind," as people used to say. Separatism is nothing more than a protective barrier erected by those who feel threatened or socially uncomfortable with inclusion. We need to stop catering to people who hold those fears, and let them grow up a little.

Answer 5

Generally, a gay couple files suit in court. Legislative action might follow.

CanadaAfter numerous court challenges, bills legalizing gay marriage were passed in most of the provinces, starting with Ontario. The federal government eventually passed a bill legalizing gay marriage federally. USThe passage of the DOMA act made marriage a state issue as opposed to a federal one. Judicial(Method used by the majority of states which have legalized gay marriage)

In most states, a gay couple challenged the states' implicit or explicit ban on gay marriage in court, filing suit. The district court would rule one way or another; either way, it would be appealed until it reached the Supreme Court of the state, who would then find that the law restricting gay marriage was unconstitutional. Henceforth, gay marriages would be considered legal.

Legislative(Much rarer)

Either the state House of Representatives or the state senate would file a bill to legalize gay marriage in one sort or another. This would pass in both the house and the senate, and then might be approved by the governor. If the governor vetoed the bill, the house and/or the senate would have to override the veto.

Note, even if the bill was approved by all 3 levels, this would not always guarantee enactment of the bill. Some states allow voters to stop the bill, (eg: Maine, the People's veto).

Answer 6

Same sex marriage CAN be legalized anywhere where the legislatures or courts take action to legalize it.

On a smaller, more local level, same sex marriages are recognized in many states and countries. See links.

Answer 7

Yes. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Denying gays and lesbians the right to marry the person of their choice is a violation of their basic civil rights. Opposition to same-sex marriage is not based upon sound legal arguments, but rather on personal opinions, religious dogma, resistance to change and even nostalgia.

Answer 8

As a Christian I do my best to live my life according to God's commands, one of which is "judge not lest ye be judged." I equate the biased and bigoted attitudes towards gays the same as those of racism - and those attitudes are wrong. Who gives anyone the right to look down on, or judge one, simply because of the color of their skin or their sexual orientation? Not God, that's for sure.

I realize that, as a Christian, my views on this surprises a lot of people, but I don't think "sin" comes in degrees. Yes, God says a man shall not lie with a man, but he also says to love thy neighbor. I take that to mean we are to love and accept all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, etc. So for anyone to not love and accept their gay neighbor, that's not adhering to the tenets of true Christianity, is it? I'm pretty sure the Bible does not say to "love only those whose values you share".

The Bible teaches us not to murder, yet murderers get married every day. It also teaches us not to steal, yet thieves get married every day. So, based on the argument against gay marriages being against Christian beliefs, there would be very few, if any, marriages if we allowed only those who never broke one of God's laws to marry.

Yes, the bible clearly states that adultery is a sin, it's even one of the Ten Commandments - Thou shalt not commit adultery - yet people cheat on their spouses every day, and even leave their spouse to marry their lover. So, based on the premise that they broke God's law, they shouldn't be allowed to be married, either. Otherwise, that's just a double standard, using, but not following, all of the Bible to support our own biased opinions. I think being opposed to gay marriages based on religion is cherry picking which parts of the Bible one chooses to adhere to, which is a double standard.

In most marriage ceremonies the ministers says "What God hath joined together let no man put asunder", but how do we know God joined the adulterous couple together in holy matrimony? We don't, but we accept it anyway because they aren't homosexual. Again, a double standard.

Gays and lesbians vote, go to college, serve in the military, put their lives on the line as police, firefighters, etc., to protect us, and they pay taxes, just as the rest of us do. So why shouldn't they be afforded the same civil rights the rest of us have?

The next time you are in line at the grocery store and see the person ahead of you paying for their groceries with food stamps, you need to realize that a lot of gay people worked and paid taxes so that less fortunate people could buy food, too, and have medical care through our Welfare system. They are good enough to help support, defend, and fight for our country, yet not good enough to be allowed to marry? That is wrong on so many levels.

Another thing to consider on this matter is the fact that the country is doing all it can to remove God from all public places, functions, etc. So to ban gay marriages based on the belief that it's a sin to be gay goes right back to the double standard as mentioned above.

This country has been so successful at banning prayer from public places and functions, that it's only fair and equal that we back down, shut our collective mouths about how being gay is a sin, saying they should not be allowed to marry, and let them get married.

Answer 9

As of 2015, same sex marriage is recognized in all 50 states of the USA.

Answer 10

Both courts and legislatures have determined that same sex marriages are legal.