Ever
since the breaking of the American colonies from Britain to form it's
own nation, there have always been differences in opinion on what
rights are entitled and to whom. In the writing of the Declaration of
Independence, Thomas Jefferson included the following: “We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.” This phrase was, at the time, meant to only include the
white male population in these “unalienable rights,” but as the
country has developed, it has come to include men and women of all
races and classes. Analysis of these rights have aided in gaining
suffrage for non-whites and women, ending slavery, and the most
recent concentration in civil rights battles, marriage equality. The
connotative definition of “marriage” is still evolving in America
and will continue to evolve as long as there are citizens being
denied their “pursuit of happiness.”
The
first facet of marriage equality to be confronted in America is that
of interracial marriages. Dating as far back as 1664, there were laws
passed against interracial marriages, some going as far as to say
that white women who married black men were to be enslaved. There
were even three attempts at a Constitutional amendment to ban
interracial marriages (Head). During the late 19th
and early 20th
centuries, Asian immigration to the U.S. was a problem to many
people. Many states banned marriages between whites and nonwhites,
and some federal laws even revoked the citizenship of American women
who married Asian men specifically (Sueyoshi). Through a series of
Supreme Court cases over the years, state governments finally began
accepting and recognizing interracial marriages, although the last
state, Alabama, did not legalize them until 2007. Even though
interracial marriages are legalized now, studies show that
interracial marriages between blacks and majority group members face
“higher social sanctions” than other interracial marriages
(Yancey).
Many
of the concerns with the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages
are rooted in religion. Many opposing parties claim that
homosexuality goes against the Bible and threatens the “Holy
sanction of marriage.” Arguments against these claims include the
fact that there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State,
and also that the Bible was written long ago and the world has
evolved from the way it was back then. The history of homosexuality
is relatively short in the United States, although unions between
people of the same sex date back thousands of years. The development
of large gay communities in New York, L.A., and San Francisco can be
contributed to World War I. After the war, all gay and lesbian
military personnel were dishonorably discharged and dropped off in
port cities such as these. Since then, there have been countless
attempts for gays to obtain marriage licenses, all of which were
unsuccessful or later withdrawn (Ford).
The first same-sex couple to be legally married in the United States
was not married until 2004. Generally, the presence of homosexuality
has become a regular part of our culture, with television shows such
as Sex
and the City, Glee, and
Degrassi
not
only integrating but celebrating gay couples. There are still battles
being fought to legalize gay marriage, with only 17 out of 50 states
already legalized, but because it is such a hot social topic, there
are likely to be more victories for the LGBT community in the near
future (Infographic).
The
final topic to observe in analyzing the reach of marriage equality is
polygamy, the marriage of multiple partners. Polygamy has been
present throughout history, and has been criticized often in modern
culture, especially by Christians. Not all countries outlaw
polygamous relationships, but in America, it is illegal in all 50
states. Within polygamy, there are 3 different sects. First is
polygyny, in which one husband has many wives. Next is polyandry, in
which one wife takes on many husbands. Finally, there are group
marriages, in which one family unit has multiple husbands and wives
(Polygamy.com). Although it is common in the U.S. to frown upon
these unions, pop culture is becoming interested in the process and
those involved. A popular television show, Sister
Wives, follows
the lives of a family that practices polygyny, the Browns. Despite
the unlawfulness of their family union, the Browns claim that it is
legal because only the first marriage is official and the rest are
simply commitments. Many who oppose polygamy are seeking to prove
that these “commitments” can be identified as common law
marriages and prosecute the family. In light of all of this, though,
many people have grown to realize that they simply wish to lead their
own lives and aren't doing anything to harm others. Much of the “bad
name” for polygamy in America comes from the reputation of groups
like the FDLS. As is being documented in the upcoming television
series Breaking
the Faith, the
FDLS practices polygyny, some cases of which men will have upwards of
60 wives. These marriages are arranged as soon as the young women are
of “marrying age.” The FDLS community is also known for child
molestation and sexual assault, with it's former leader being
prosecuted and serving time in prison (Wikipedia). Despite these two
vastly opposing views on polygamy, it is undoubtable that in the
future, there will be pushes to legalize the practice in America.
There
are positives and negatives to all types of relationships; gay,
straight, interratial, polygamous, or even “traditional.” The
thought of something outside the perceived “norm” simply
heightens the negatives more than the positives. All types of
relationships have the possibility of abuse or sexual assault, but
since we see domestic violence on a fairly regular basis in the news,
it highlights the drama if there is the added factor of
interraciality, polygamy, or homosexuality in the relationship. Yet
as time has passed, interracial marriage is now completely legal in
the United States, and gay marriage is on it's way to a national
legalization. Eventually more and more cases about polygamy will
appear in courts, and it is very possible that in the future, there
will finally be a true sense of “marriage equality” in the United
States.
Works
Cited
- Yancey, George. "Experiencing Racism: Differences In The Experiences Of Whites Married To Blacks And Non-Black Racial Minorities." Journal Of Comparative Family Studies 38.2 (2007): 197-213. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
- SUEYOSHI, AMY. "Intimate Inequalities: Interracial Affection ∣ And Same-Sex Love In The "Heterosexual" Life Of Yone Noguchi, 1897-1909." Journal Of American Ethnic History 29.4 (2010): 22-44. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
- Head, Tom. "Interracial Marriage Laws: A Short Timeline History." About.com. N.p.. Web. 23 Nov 2013. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/raceequalopportunity/tp/Interracial- Marriage-Laws-History-Timeline.htm>.
- Ford, Milt. "A Brief History of Homosexuality in America."Grand Valley State University. N.p., 14 May 2013. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://www.gvsu.edu/allies/a-brief-history-of- homosexuality-in-america-30.htm>.
- History Of Gay Marriage In The United States (INFOGRAPHIC). 2013. Infographic. Huffington PostWeb. 25 Nov 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/15/history-of-gay- marriage_n_3599110.html>.
- "What is Polygamy?." Polygamy.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://www.polygamy.com/>.
- "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." Wikipedia. N.p.. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter- Day_Saints>.
This is really amazing. Learned something new! (:
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! It was definitely a learning experience for my as well. As a strong advocate for equality, it was difficult for me to remove my bias from my writing, but I feel that I achieved my purpose fairly well.
Delete