The recent discussion by the Supreme Court has made marriage legal in the United States. This reflects changing attitudes toward same sex marriage in recent decades. In 2013 about 46% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, but in the last year that number has declined. In fact, according to 2015 data Americans (57%) support same sex marriage and only about 39% oppose it. Prepare for this discussion by first reviewing current attitude trends on this issue provided by the and take a look at an outline of the current issues on this topic that can be found in . Now to explore more personal experiences lets take a look at the positions argued in the following personal essays: ● A personal essay outlining the position of some people who who oppose gay marriage can be found in . ● A personal essay discussing the position of those who support gay marriage is provided by activist Scott Bidstrup in . Despite the changing legal landscape with regard to marriage, same-sex couples still face inequality. Based on the information you are provided above and additional academic resources consider the following questions: ● Explore the positions of both those who support same-sex marriage and those who oppose it. ● What are the justifications for each of the positions? What arguments do you find most compelling? Why? ● Based on your analysis, why do you think members of the LGBT community still face inequality in the US? ● Finally, consider the impact of the Supreme Court ruling to legalize same sex marriage, what social institutions have been most impacted? Explain? (you might consider the economy, family, gender roles, the law etc…) ● Benokraitis; Chapter 7: Sexuality and Sexual Expression throughout Life.
