Illinois action blog

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Legal Marriage Rights for Same-Sex Couples in Near Future?

As we continue to plow through the holiday season a new year quickly approaches. People have begun to set presents under the tree and set New Year resolutions. A new year is always exciting, because you never know what the future will hold.

However it is always nice to remember where we have been and where we are in life to bring hope for a greater future. Sometimes we forget we didn’t always have equal rights. Civil rights movements for African-Americans and Women’s Rights are not that far in the past, which the 2012 election reminded us all.

With the holidays in mind we thought it would be fun to look at a current civil rights movement that the LGBTQ community has fought for years. The LGBTQ community is finally getting the opportunity to voice the legality of same sex marriage to the Supreme Court. Let’s take a look at the Ghost of LGBTQ Past, the Ghost of LGBTQ Present, and the Ghost of LGBTQ Yet to Come.

The Ghost of LGBTQ Past shows us that the LGBTQ community had endured many trying times that they have slowly but surely overcome. Many people don’t know that LGBTQ men and women were sent to concentration camps during the holocaust. During the liberation of concentration camps LGBTQ men and women were not freed and were forced to stay and complete sentencing.

In most countries it was a crime to be LGBTQ. It wasn’t until the 60’s through the 90’s that countries began to decriminalize homosexuality. Homosexuality was a clinical disorder until 1973, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

The past brought many positive changes especially for the United States. States began to gain political officials from the LGBTQ community, Civil Unions were legalized in four states, and same-sex marriages were legalized in nine states and the District of Columbia.

The Ghost of LGBTQ Present brings us to the current situation the LGBTQ community is facing, which was brought on earlier this year when a federal appeals court declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional. This decision is one that many countries have already endured and overcome the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. Two cases are going to be reviewed in front of the Supreme Court. The court could decide to leave it in the hands of the state and only allow equal marriage rights in states that allow same-sex marriage or continue to follow the Defense of Marriage Act that allows each state to define marriage. The decision and fate of the LGBTQ community will not be disclosed until next summer.

The Ghost of LGBTQ Yet to Come could hold a very bright future. The future may show a life, where the LGBTQ community will have equal marriage rights. This could mean the federal rights granted to heterosexual couples could be granted to same-sex couples!

Here at Planned Parenthood Illinois Action we plan and hope for a brighter future, that’s why we can’t forget all the services Planned Parenthood of Illinois provides for both men and women, regardless of sexual orientation.
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This post was created by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA). PPIA is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL).

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