Miami University Institutional Marriage Discussion $Only use the resources I provide$What does marriage mean to you?How do you perceive its present state i

Miami University Institutional Marriage Discussion $Only use the resources I provide$What does marriage mean to you?How do you perceive its present state in America when considering the marital and divorce rate and your own experiences and observations? Do you believe its value has changed in society; why or why not? As some research has shown about public opinion, do you think marriage is becoming obsolete as some assert … is it just a piece of paper and why?Next, think about the concept by Dr. Andrew Cherlin of “Deinstitutionalized Marriage” as addressed in chapter 7 and what it asserts… In what ways has the shift from the Institutional Marriage Premise to the Individualized Marriage Premise impacted marital stability; has it been for “better or worse” based on your reflections from reading the chapter and why? 7
MARRIAGE: FROM SOCIAL
INSTITUTION TO PRIVATE
RELATIONSHIP
Learning Objectives
MARITAL STATUS: THE CHANGING PICTURE
Fewer Heterosexual Married Couples
Legal Same-Sex Marriage
Facts About Families:Legal Same-Sex Marriage as a
Successful Social Movement
THE TIME-HONORED MARRIAGE PREMISE:
PERMANENCE AND SEXUAL EXCLUSIVITY
The Expectation of Permanence
The Expectation of Sexual Exclusivity
Issues for Thought:Three Very Different Subcultures
with Norms Contrary to Sexual Exclusivity
FROM “YOKE MATES” TO “SOUL MATES”:
A CHANGING MARRIAGE PREMISE
Weakened Kinship Authority
Finding One’s Own Marriage Partner
Marriage and Love
DEINSTITUTIONALIZED MARRIAGE
Institutional Marriage
Companionate Marriage
Individualized Marriage
Deinstitutionalized Marriage: Examining the Consequences
Marital Status, Poverty, and Child Outcomes:
Does Marriage Matter?
DEINSTITUTIONALIZED MARRIAGE:
THE POLICY DEBATE
Policies from the Family Decline Perspective
1
Analyze the value that Americans
place on marriage as attitudes
about it change.
2
Describe the marriage premise
and its components, including
permanence and expectations
of fidelity.
3
Explain why marriage has
historically been a public rather
than simply private ceremony.
4
Discuss same-sex marriage as legal
in the United States and elsewhere.
5
Describe the debate between
policy makers and scholars who
see marriage as “in decline”
versus those who see marriage
as “changing” but not necessarily
in decline.
6
Describe some research-established
benefits of marriage.
7
Contrast the selection hypothesis
with the experience hypothesis
regarding the benefits of marriage.
▲
J. McPhail/Shutterstock.com
A Closer Look at Diversity:African Americans and
“Jumping the Broom”
Policies from the Family Change Perspective
A Possible Truce in the War Over Family
HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, AND LIFE
SATISFACTION: HOW DOES MARRIAGE
MATTER?
Marital Satisfaction and Choices Throughout Life
163
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
164
CHAPTER 7
Marriage: From Social Institution to Private Relationship
W h y a p a r ty fo r a w e d d in g ? A w e d d in g m a r k s a c o u p le ’s
p u b lic a n n o u n c e m e n t th a t— a s o p p o se d to o th e r
o p tio n s— th e tw o h a v e c h o se n m a r ita l c o m m itm e n t to
d e fin e th e m se lv e s a n d th e ir r e la tio n sh ip . A lm o st tw o t h ir d s o f n e v e r -m a r r ie d A m e r ic a n s t e ll p o lls t e r s t h e y
w a n t to m a r r y ( C o h n e t a l. 2 0 1 1 ) . F o r d e c a d e s w e ’v e
w a t c h e d U .S . s a m e -s e x c o u p le s c a m p a ig n f o r t h e n a tio n a l r ig h t to m a r r y le g a lly. T h e y w o n th a t r ig h t Ju n e
2 6 , 2 0 1 5 , w ith th e U .S . S u p r e m e C o u r t d e c is io n in th e
c a s e O b e r g e fe ll v . H o d g e s . L a te r in th is c h a p te r, “ F a c ts
A b o u t F a m ilie s : L e g a l S a m e -S e x M a r r ia g e A s a S u c c e s s fu l S o c ia l M o v e m e n t” d e sc r ib e s th is str u g g le .
A m e r ic a n s sa y th a t th e to p th r e e “ v e r y im p o r ta n t”
r e a so n s to m a r r y a r e fo r lo v e , to m a k e a life lo n g c o m m itm e n t, a n d fo r c o m p a n io n s h ip . A la r g e m a jo r ity o f
A m e r ic a n s ( 7 7 p e r c e n t) sa y th a t, c o m p a r e d w ith o th e r
fa m ily fo r m s , it’s e a s ie r fo r m a r r ie d s to r a is e a fa m ily
( P e w R e se a r c h C e n te r 2 0 1 0 a ) . A ll e lse b e in g e q u a l, r e se a r c h sh o w s th e y ’r e r ig h t ( W ilc o x e t a l. 2 0 1 1 ; W ilc o x ,
M a r q u a r d t e t a l. 2 0 1 1 ) .
A c a d e m ic r e se a r c h a n d o p in io n p o lls o n h e te r o se x u a l m a r r ie d s c o n siste n tly sh o w th e m to b e h a p p ie r
a n d h e a lth ie r th a n u n m a r r ie d s a n d m o r e sa tisfie d
w ith fa m ily life th a n sin g le s, in c lu d in g c o h a b ito r s ( In stitu te fo r A m e r ic a n V a lu e s 2 0 1 5 ) . Y e t, ir o n ic a lly, 4 4
p e r c e n t o f A m e r ic a n a d u lts b e tw e e n a g e s 1 8 a n d 2 9
b e lie v e th a t “ m a r r ia g e is b e c o m in g o b s o le te .” N e a r ly
t w o -t h ir d s in t h is a g e g r o u p s a y t h a t m o r e p e o p le liv in g to g e th e r w ith o u t g e ttin g m a r r ie d m a k e s “ n o d iff e r e n c e .” M o r e t h a n o n e -t h ir d o f A m e r ic a n s 5 0 t o
6 4 y e a r s o ld se e m a r r ia g e a s b e c o m in g o b so le te ( P e w
R e se a r c h C e n te r 2 0 1 0 a ) .
W h y w o u ld p e o p le w h o w a n t to g e t m a r r ie d sa y th a t
m a r r ia g e is b e c o m in g o b so le te ? S o m e m u st fe e l th e y
d o n ’t re a lly n e e d to b e m a r r ie d . O th e r s b e lie v e th e y c a n ’t
a ffo r d it. N e v e r th e le ss, a lth o u g h th e situ a tio n is m u c h
le s s c le a r -c u t n o w t h a n s e v e r a l d e c a d e s a g o ( a n d m o r e
a p p a r e n t to d a y a m o n g th e h ig h ly e d u c a te d a n d w e a lth ie r ) , in th e U n ite d S ta te s m a r r ia g e r e m a in s th e m o st a c c e p t a b le g a t e w a y t o c o m m it t e d f a m ily lif e ( G ib s o n -D a v is
a n d R a c k in 2 0 1 4 ; In stitu te fo r A m e r ic a n V a lu e s 2 0 1 5 ) .
I n h is m a jo r ity o p in io n g r a n tin g le g a l m a r r ia g e to s a m e s e x c o u p le s n a tio n w id e , U .S . S u p r e m e C o u r t A s s o c ia te
Ju stic e A n th o n y K e n n e d y w r o te th a t m a r r ia g e is a “ k e y sto n e o f o u r so c ia l o r d e r ” ( L ip ta k 2 0 1 5 ) .
In th is c h a p te r, w e e x p lo r e m a r r ia g e a s a c h a n g in g
in stitu tio n . W e ’ll e x a m in e w h a t d istin g u ish e s it fr o m
o th e r c o u p le r e la tio n sh ip s a n d th e n lo o k a t th e c h a n g in g n a tu r e o f m a r r ia g e . W e ’ll fu r th e r lo o k a t r e se a r c h
o n th e b e n e fits o f m a r r ia g e fo r a d u lts a n d c h ild r e n
a n d e x a m in e g o v e r n m e n t in itia tiv e s to str e n g th e n m a r r ia g e . T h is c h a p te r e n d s w ith a n e x p lo r a tio n o f r e c e n tly
m a r r ie d c o u p le s’ r e la tio n sh ip s. W e w ill se e th a t g e ttin g m a r r ie d a n n o u n c e s a p e r so n a l life c o u r se d e c isio n
to o n e ’s r e la tiv e s , to th e c o m m u n ity , a n d , y e s , to th e
sta te . D e sp ite w id e v a r ia tio n s, m a r r ia g e s to d a y h a v e a n
im p o r ta n t e le m e n t in c o m m o n : th e c o m m itm e n t th a t
p a r tn e r s m a k e p u b lic ly to e a c h o th e r a n d to th e in stitu tio n o f m a r r ia g e itse lf ( B la n k e n h o r n e t a l. 2 0 1 5 ; G o o d e
2 0 0 7 [ 1 9 8 2 ] ) . P u t a n o th e r w a y, g e ttin g m a r r ie d — a s o p p o se d to c o h a b itin g , fo r in sta n c e — is n o t o n ly a p r iv a te
r e la tio n sh ip b u t a lso a p u b lic ly p r o c la im e d c o m m itm e n t. W e b e g in b y lo o k in g a t U .S . m a r ita l s ta tu s to d a y .
MARITAL STATUS:
THE CHANGING PICTURE
M a r r ia g e h a s c h a n g e d a n d c o n tin u e s to c h a n g e . O n th e o n e
h a n d , h is to r ic a lly fe w e r h e te r o s e x u a ls a r e m a r r ie d to d a y.
O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , s a m e -s e x c o u p le s h a v e s u c c e s s f u lly
c h a lle n g e d h e te r o n o r m a tiv ity — th e id e a th a t h e te r o s e x u a lity is th e o n ly n o r m a l, a c c e p ta b le , o r “ r e a l” o p tio n — b y
r e c e n t ly w in n in g t h e ir b a t t le t o le g a liz e s a m e -s e x m a r r ia g e .
W e ’ll lo o k a t b o th o f th e s e d e v e lo p m e n ts n o w .
Fewer Heterosexual
Married Couples
B e c a u se o f a h ig h d iv o r c e r a te , p o stp o n e m e n t o f m a r r ia g e u n til o ld e r a g e s, a n d in c r e a se d c o h a b ita tio n , th e
p r o p o r tio n o f A m e r ic a n s a g e s 1 8 a n d o ld e r w h o a r e
m a r r ie d h a s d e c lin e d sig n ific a n tly o v e r th e p a st fifty
y e a r s— fr o m 7 2 p e r c e n t in 1 9 6 0 to 4 9 p e r c e n t in 2 0 1 4
( U .S . C e n s u s B u r e a u 2 0 1 5 b , T a b le A 1 ) . S o m e o f th is
d e c lin e c a n b e a ttr ib u te d to o u r a g in g p o p u la tio n a n d
th e fa c t th a t o ld e r A m e r ic a n s a r e m o r e lik e ly to b e w id o w e d . H o w e v e r, th e p r o p o r tio n m a r r ie d h a s d e c lin e d
f o r A m e r ic a n s in a ll a g e g r o u p s . E ig h t y -t w o p e r c e n t o f
th o se a g e s 2 5 th r o u g h 3 4 w e r e m a r r ie d in 1 9 6 0 , c o m p a r e d w ith 4 3 p e r c e n t in 2 0 1 4 . S im ila r ly, 8 6 p e r c e n t o f
th o se b e tw e e n a g e s 3 5 a n d 4 4 w e r e m a r r ie d in 1 9 6 0 ,
c o m p a r e d w ith 6 2 p e r c e n t fifty y e a r s la te r ( C o h n e t a l.
2 0 1 1 ; U .S . C e n s u s B u r e a u 2 0 1 5 b , T a b le A 1 ) .
T h r o u g h o u t th e fir st h a lf o f th e tw e n tie th c e n tu r y,
th e tr e n d w a s fo r m o r e p e o p le to m a r r y a n d a t in c r e a sin g ly y o u n g e r a g e s. F o r m e n , m e d ia n a g e a t fir st m a r r ia g e in 1 8 9 0 — th e y e a r w h e n th e g o v e r n m e n t fir st
b e g a n to c a lc u la te a n d r e p o r t th is s ta tis tic — w a s 2 6 .1 .
F o r b o th w o m e n a n d m e n , m e d ia n a g e s a t fir st m a r r ia g e fe ll fr o m 1 8 9 0 u n til 1 9 6 0 , w h e n th e y b e g a n to r ise
a g a in . A s p o in te d o u t in C h a p te r s 1 a n d 6 , th e m e d ia n
a g e a t fir s t m a r r ia g e h a d in c r e a s e d to 2 7 .0 fo r w o m e n
a n d 2 9 .3 fo r m e n b y 2 0 1 4 — h ig h e r th a n a n y a g e s e v e r
r e c o r d e d ( U .S . C e n s u s B u r e a u 2 0 1 5 b , T a b le M S -2 ) .
A r o u n d 1 9 5 0 , fa m ily so c io lo g ists n o te d a sta n d a r d
p a tte r n o f m a r r ia g e a t a b o u t a g e 2 0 fo r w o m e n a n d 2 2
fo r m e n ( A ld o u s 1 9 7 8 ) . M o r e o v e r, a b o u t 8 0 p e r c e n t o f
e a r ly t w e n t ie t h -c e n t u r y u n io n s la s t e d u n t il t h e c h ild r e n
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Marital Status: The Changing Picture
165
Marmaduke St. John/Alamy Stock Photo
le ft h o m e ( S c a n z o n i 1 9 7 2 ) . In th e
1 9 6 0 s, th a t tr e n d r e v e r se d ; sin c e
th e n , th e te n d e n c y h a s b e e n fo r
sm a lle r a n d sm a lle r p r o p o r tio n s o f
A m e r ic a n s to b e m a r r ie d .
O n e im p o r ta n t r e a so n fo r th is
c h a n g e in m a r r ia g e r a te s is e c o n o m ic :
A m e r ic a n s w a n t to b e su r e th a t th e y
c a n a ffo r d to b e m a r r ie d b e fo r e th e y
“ tie th e k n o t,” a n d p o o r e r in d iv id u a ls
a r e fo r g o in g m a r r ia g e u n til th e y fe e l
th a t th e y c a n a ffo r d it ( L u n d q u ist
a n d X u 2 0 1 4 ; S m o c k a n d G r e e n la n d
2 0 1 0 ) . A s o n e in d ic a to r o f th is p o in t,
a m o n g a ll A m e r ic a n s a g e s 1 8 a n d
o ld e r, 6 4 p e r c e n t o f c o lle g e g r a d s a r e
m a r r ie d . T h is fig u r e c o m p a r e s w ith
fe w e r th a n h a lf ( 4 8 p e r c e n t) o f th o se
w ith a h ig h sc h o o l e d u c a tio n o r le ss
Having first emerged as a remote possibility in the 1970s, legal marriage
( P e w R e se a rc h C e n te r 2 0 1 0 a , p . 1 1 ) .
for same-sex couples became reality on June 26, 2015, with the U.S.
T h e d isp a r ity in m a r r ia g e r a te s
Supreme Court decision in the case Obergefell v. Hodges.
b e tw e e n th e p o o r a n d th o se w h o
a r e n o t p o o r h a s b e c o m e sig n ific a n t
e n o u g h th a t so c ia l sc ie n tists h a v e
c o in e d a te r m fo r th is situ a tio n — th e m a r r ia g e g a p .
b e c a m e t h e f ir s t U .S . s t a t e t o le g a liz e s a m e -s e x m a r S o m e sta tistic s in d ic a tin g a m a r r ia g e g a p in th e U n ite d
r ia g e . E le v e n y e a r s la te r, in Ju n e 2 0 1 5 , th e U n ite d S ta te s
S ta te s lo o k lik e th is: A m o n g a ll m a le s b e tw e e n 3 0 a n d
b e c a m e t h e t w e n t y -f ir s t n a t io n t o le g a liz e s a m e -s e x m a r 3 4 y e a r s o ld , 5 3 p e r c e n t a r e m a r r ie d . A m o n g th o se w ith
r ia g e . A s o n e o b se r v e r p u t it, w ith le g a l m a r r ia g e , sa m e e a r n in g s o f $ 5 ,0 0 0 a n n u a lly o r le s s , 2 7 p e r c e n t a r e m a r se x c o u p le s h a v e “ m o v e d fr o m ‘o u tla w ’ sta tu s ( w h e r e in
r ie d . O f th o s e e a r n in g b e tw e e n $ 1 5 ,0 0 0 a n d $ 2 4 ,0 0 0 ,
h o m o se x u a lity, o r ‘so d o m y ’ w a s c r im in a liz e d ) to ‘in 3 8 p e r c e n t a r e m a r r ie d . O f th o s e e a r n in g $ 7 5 ,0 0 0 to
la w ’ sta tu s” ( S h u lm a n , G o tta , a n d G r e e n 2 0 1 2 , p . 1 6 0 ) .
$ 9 9 ,0 0 0 , 6 6 p e r c e n t a r e m a r r ie d . A m o n g th o s e e a r n in g
B e f o r e s a m e -s e x c o u p le s c o u ld m a r r y le g a lly , m a n y
$ 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 a n d a b o v e , 7 3 p e r c e n t a r e m a r r ie d ( U .S . C e n id e n tifie d a s sp o u se s a n y w a y ( G a te s 2 0 0 9 ) . S o m e tim e s
su s B u r e a u 2 0 1 5 b , T a b le A 1 ) . In su m , fe w e r A m e r ic a n s
th e y p u b lic ly d e c la r e d th e ir c o m m itm e n t in c e r e m o n ie s
a r e m a r r ie d to d a y th a n in th e p a st, a n d th is tr e n d is
a m o n g fr ie n d s o r in so m e c o n g r e g a tio n s a n d c h u r c h e s
d r a m a tic a lly m o r e p r o n o u n c e d a m o n g th o se w ith le ss
su c h a s th e U n ita r ia n U n iv e r sa list A sso c ia tio n o r th e
e d u c a tio n a n d in c o m e . W e tu r n n o w to th e se c o n d d e M e tr o p o lita n C o m m u n ity C h u r c h , th e la tte r e x p r e ssly
v e lo p m e n t in m a r r ia g e ’s c h a n g in g p ic tu r e .
d e d ic a te d to se r v in g th e g a y c o m m u n ity. U n m a r r ie d
s a m e -s e x c o u p le s h a v e a ls o u s e d o t h e r c o m m it m e n t
m a r k e r s s u c h a s jo in t e s ta te p la n n in g , b u y in g a h o u s e
Legal Same-Sex Marriage
to g e th e r, w e a r in g r in g s, o r h y p h e n a tin g th e ir la st n a m e s
( P o r c h e a n d P u r v in 2 0 0 8 ; R e c z e k , E llio tt, a n d U m b e r A c c o r d in g to U .S . C e n s u s B u r e a u e s tim a te s , th e r e w e r e
so n 2 0 0 9 ; S u te r, D a a s, a n d B e rg e n 2 0 0 8 ) .
a p p r o x im a t e ly 7 8 3 ,1 0 0 s a m e -s e x h o u s e h o ld s in 2 0 1 4 .
D e m o g r a p h ic a lly , s a m e -s e x c o u p le s w h o id e n t if y a s
O f t h e s e , a b o u t o n e -q u a r t e r a r e m a r r ie d c o u p le s , w h o
sp o u se s ( e v e n if n o t le g a lly m a r r ie d ) a r e m u c h lik e h e tm a k e u p a b o u t o n e -h a lf o f o n e p e r c e n t o f a ll U .S .
e r o s e x u a l m a r r ie d s in s e v e r a l r e s p e c t s . S a m e -s e x c o u p le s
m a r r ie d c o u p le s ( C o h n 2 0 1 4 b ; S c h w a r z 2 0 1 4 ) . A b o u t
w h o id e n tify a s sp o u se s te n d to b e o ld e r, h a v e h ig h e r
1 7 p e r c e n t o f s a m e -s e x h o u s e h o ld s — 1 0 p e r c e n t o f m a le
a v e r a g e h o u se h o ld in c o m e s, a n d a r e m o r e lik e ly to
a n d 2 3 .7 p e r c e n t o f fe m a le — in c lu d e c h ild r e n ( U .S .
o w n t h e ir h o m e s t h a n o t h e r s a m e -s e x c o u p le s . M a r r ie d
C e n su s B u r e a u 2 0 1 5 b , T a b le 1 ) .
s a m e -s e x c o u p le s a r e m o r e lik e ly t h a n t h e ir u n m a r r ie d
In 2 0 0 0 , th e N e th e r la n d s b e c a m e th e fir st c o u n tr y to
c o u n te r p a r ts to b e r a isin g c h ild r e n . R a te s o f in te r r a c ia l
a llo w s a m e -s e x p a r t n e r s t o le g a lly m a r r y . T o d a y , a t le a s t
p a r t n e r s h ip s a m o n g s a m e -s e x a n d h e t e r o s e x u a l c o h a b itw e n ty o th e r c o u n tr ie s— in c lu d in g A r g e n tin a , C a n a d a ,
ta to r s a r e sim ila r — 1 3 a n d 1 2 p e r c e n t, r e sp e c tiv e ly ( G a te s
Ir e la n d , N o r w a y, P o r tu g a l, S o u th A fr ic a , a n d S p a in —
2 0 0 9 ) . A m o n g a ll c o u p le s, in te r r a c ia l r e la tio n sh ip s
a llo w le g a l s a m e -s e x m a r r ia g e ( P a r t n e r s T a s k F o r c e f o r
a r e m o r e n u m e r o u s a m o n g u n m a r r ie d s ( G a te s 2 0 0 9 ;
G a y a n d L e sb ia n C o u p le s 2 0 1 5 ) . In 2 0 0 4 , M a ssa c h u se tts
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Facts About Families
Legal Same-Sex Marriage as a Successful Social Movement
A
so c ia l m o v e m e n t is a c o n c e r te d
g r o u p a c tio n fo r so c ia l c h a n g e . T h e
s t r u g g le t o w in le g a l s a m e -s e x m a r r ia g e
h a s b e e n a su c c e ssfu l so c ia l m o v e m e n t
in th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d e lse w h e r e .
B e fo r e th e 2 0 1 5 U .S . S u p r e m e C o u r t
r u lin g t h a t le g a liz e d s a m e -s e x m a r r ia g e n a t io n a lly , a t le a s t t h ir t y -f iv e
sta te s h a d la w s o r sta te c o n stitu tio n a l
p r o v isio n s th a t d e fin e d m a r r ia g e a s b e tw e e n o n e m a n a n d o n e w o m a n . B u t
b e g in n in g in t h e la t e 1 9 9 0 s , s a m e -s e x
c o u p le s in se v e r a l sta te s file d la w su its
c la im in g th a t b a r r in g le sb ia n s a n d g a y s
fr o m le g a l m a r r ia g e w a s u n c o n stitu tio n a l b e c a u se it d isc r im in a te d a g a in st
th e m . S o m e b u t n o t a ll c o u r ts a g r e e d
a n d o r d e r e d th e ir sta te le g isla tu r e s
to p a ss n o n d isc r im in a to r y la w s. A s a
r e su lt, M a ssa c h u se tts in 2 0 0 4 b e c a m e
th e fir st sta te to a llo w g a y a n d le sb ia n
c o u p le s to m a r r y le g a lly. M a n y sta te s
fo llo w e d . A c tiv ist o r g a n iz a tio n s su c h
a s th e A m e r ic a n C iv il L ib e r tie s U n io n
a n d P a rtn e rs T a sk F o rc e fo r G a y a n d
L e sb ia n C o u p le s c o n tin u e d to a g ita te
fo r c h a n g e .
H a v in g fir st e m e r g e d a s a r e m o te
p o ssib ility in th e 1 9 7 0 s, le g a l m a r r ia g e
fo r g a y a n d le sb ia n c o u p le s “ b e c a m e
a fr o n tlin e issu e ” a fte r 1 9 9 1 w h e n g a y
a c tiv ists fo r m e d th e E q u a l R ig h ts M a r r ia g e F u n d ( S e id m a n 2 0 0 3 ; T a y lo r e t
a l. 2 0 0 9 ) . A m o n g o th e r a r g u m e n ts,
a c tiv ists a sse r te d th a t d e n y in g le sb ia n s
a n d g a y m e n th e r ig h t to m a r r y le g a lly
v io la te d th e U .S . C o n s titu tio n b e c a u s e
it d isc r im in a te d a g a in st a c a te g o r y o f
c itiz e n s ( S c h w a r tz 2 0 1 0 , 2 0 1 1 b ) . A s
o n e le sb ia n sp o u se , h a v in g b e e n le g a lly m a r r ie d in M a ssa c h u se tts, p u t
it: “ [ W ith o u t b e in g a b le to m a r r y le g a lly ,] I a lw a y s fe lt o p p r e s s e d a n d n o t
a p a r t o f A m e r ic a , n o t r e a lly. B u t th is
[ b e in g le g a lly m a r r ie d in M a ssa c h u se tts] se e m s lik e fin a lly th e r e is a lig h t
in th e d a r k , lik e fin a lly . . . th e g o v e r n m e n t is sa y in g th a t m y r e la tio n sh ip
c o u n ts a n d I c o u n t, to o ” ( L a n n u tti
2 0 0 7 , p . 1 4 1 ) .
H o w e v e r, fo r C h r istia n fu n d a m e n ta lists, Isla m ic a n d O r th o d o x Je w ish
c o n g r e g a tio n s, M o r m o n s ( L D S ) , so m e
C a th o lic d io c e se s, a n d o th e r c o n se r v a tiv e g r o u p s, th e m o v e to le g a liz e sa m e se x m a r r ia g e h a s b…
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