Marriage and the State
Should our democracy permit same-sex couples
(gay and lesbian) to marry?
In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same sex (homosexual) marriage. Prior to that law, only couples consisting of a man and a woman could marry. Today, seven countries and five U.S. states recognize same-sex marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The Dutch marriage law and others like it have sparked controversy. Many opponents of same-sex marriage insist that it will lead to destruction of the institution of marriage. These opponents question the limits of democratic decision-making in overturning long-standing social customs and institutions.
Lessons
Resources
Articles and Papers
- "Albanian Gays Welcome PM's Same-Sex Marriage Plan," Reuters (2009)
- American Psychological Association, APA Policy Statement: Sexual Orientation, Parents and Children
- Child Welfare League of America, Position Statement on Parenting of Children by Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adults
- Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie. Global View of Gay Marriage, CBS News, 4 March 2004
- Eskridge, William N. and Darren R. Spedale. Gay Marriage: For Better or Worse? What We’ve Learned from the Evidence (Cambridge, UK: Oxford University Press, 2007)
- Gays denied right to adopt, Prague Post, 8 July 2009
- Green, Jennifer. Spain Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, Washington Post, July 1, 2005
- Hull, Katherine E. Same-sex Marriage: The Cultural Politics of Love and Law, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006)
- Mexico City Embraces Gay Unions, BBC News, 17 March 2007
- National Family Policy Concept, adopted by SEIMAS (Lithuanian Parliament), 2008
- Russian Civil Code
- Slovenia to legalize soon same-sex marriage: minister, Agence France Presse,
July 2, 2009
Activities and Websites
- 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights
- Interactive Map: Gay Marriage Chronology (USA), Los Angeles Times
- International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) of Europe
- The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: Issues: Gay Marriage
Special Resources for Teachers
- Homophobia Quiz from Teaching Tolerance (lesson plan and activity)
- Lipkin, Arthur. Raising Gay/Lesbian Issues in the Classroom, GLSEN (1999)
- Marriage Equality: Different Strategies for Attaining Equal Rights (lesson and activity)
