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Lesbian News, Gay News, Bisexual News, Transgender News, Intersex News, LGBTI News
The Republic of Ireland held a referendum on same-sex marriage on May 23, 2015.
Dublin crowds celebrated the referendum result on 24 May 2015
The electorate voted to amend the constitution to permit same sex marriage.
The final result was:
Yes – 1,201,607 (62.1%)
No – 734,300 – (37.9%)
The turnout was 60.5%.
First same-sex marriage officially approved in Bolivia
For the first time in Bolivian history, a gay marriage was officially recognized.
48-year-old economist David Aruquipa and 46-year-old lawyer Guido Montano came out of the civil registry office, where they had returned empty-handed many times, this time with official marriage certificates.
Aruquipa “Of course we are happy to be the first and to pave the way. But also this brings a lot of responsibility. “What we have achieved is only a first step towards the day when the diversity of Bolivia can fully reveal itself,” he said.
For 3 Years Legal Struggle
The couple, who met in the capital La Paz in 2008 and have lived together since then, first officially applied to get married in 2018. However, the authorities rejected their applications, citing Article 68 of the Constitution, which states that marriage can only be made between heterosexual couples.
However, the couple appealed to the Constitutional Court of Bolivia against this decision. The Constitutional Court reversed the rejection of the couple’s marriage application last week. As a result, the civil registry office officially registered the marriage in compliance with the Constitutional Court’s decision, and thus, for the first time in Bolivia’s history, a same-sex marriage was officially recognized.
The Netherlands became the first country where the marriage of same-sex couples was officially accepted with the enactment of the law that accepted same-sex marriages in the Parliament in 2000, and Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen had married four same-sex couples on April 1, 2001, when the law came into effect.
“Same-sex marriage has not created problems for religious institutions; religious institutions have created problems for same-sex marriage.”
(DaShanne Stokes)
“For the hundreds of thousands of Californians in gay and lesbian households who are managing their day-to-day lives, this decision affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves.” (Arnold Schwarzenegger – movie star and ex Governor of California)
“Gay people getting married is not a threat to the institution of marriage. You know what’s a threat to the institution of marriage?
Infidelity is! Hate is! Unforgiveness is! Apathy is! Coldheartedness is! Fear is!
And you know what’s a threat to the kids?
It’s not having gay parents!
Most gay kids have straight parents!
And plenty of gay parents raise respectable, straight kids!
The threat to children isn’t their parents being gay;
the threat to children is their parents not loving one another!
Not caring for one another!
Not being crazy about each other!
Domestic violence is a threat to children.
Stupidity is a threat to children.
A swimming pool in the backyard with no supervision is a threat to children!”
(C. JoyBell C.
Gay marriage will be universally accepted in time. But if I may be so bold as to say to gays and lesbians, don’t wait for that time to arrive.
Just as my father and his generation did not ‘wait’ for their civil rights, nor should you. The toothpaste ain’t going back in the tube. The tide has turned. John Ridley)
I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us. (Kinky Friedman
People should be allowed to marry, and gay marriage should be out there. If a man or a woman has a good partner and they love each other with their heart and soul, let them marry. I am very much for gay marriage. (Pierce Brosnan (actor)
“New Rule: Gay marriage won’t lead to dog marriage. It is not a slippery slope to rampant inter-species coupling.
When women got the right to vote, it didn’t lead to hamsters voting.
No court has extended the equal protection clause to salmon. And for the record, all marriages are “same sex” marriages. You get married, and every night, it’s the same sex.”
Paula, 2018, stories4hotbloodedlesbians.com
Look it up in the dictionary, seriously: it’s “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law” or “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage” or even simply put an “intimate or close union.”
You won’t find any inherent ‘Christian’ origin to the word. In fact, according to the Merriam-Webster, the word was first used in the 14th century. Think about the origins of God’s Word, and you can surmise that the actual English word of ‘marriage’ wasn’t obviously used! It’s a translation.
So…. That being said, why are people still arguing like little children over a ‘word?’
You have your traditionals, mostly religious, taking ownership of the institute itself, and same-sex couples wanting the right to use the word as well. The fact is this: a marriage is a marriage, regardless of same sex or traditional man and wife. What you call it doesn’t matter. Look at the dictionary again.
For Lord’s sake, we’re not going to call them ‘unions’ or anything, or else we’ll have to change a bunch of other things: holy matrimony to legal union, getting married to getting ‘unioned,’ marriage vows to union promises (because you know the religious rite would be all over the word ‘vow,’ too).
Get off the high horse with the ‘marriage is from God’ stuff and let it go. Homosexuals have every right to get ‘married’ as anyone else, right? Let’s not twist and confuse the system anymore by injecting more lingo into something that should be simple (after all, marriage is a lot of things but simple!).
A socially or legally recognized union of two people of the same social gender or biological sex is called a gay marriage. Countries have legally formalized marriages of same-sex couples. Recognizing such marriages has become a political, moral, civil rights, religious, and social issue in many countries. Many conflicts have arisen over allowing these couples to marry, whether the term marriage or civil union be used, or be granted limited rights or equal rights.
An argument supporting marriages of the same sex says that denying legal access to benefits and marriage discriminates based on their sexual orientation. Another supporting argument is that physical, psychological, and financial well being are all enhanced by being married. Also the children of these couples will benefit if raised by both parents in a recognized legal union that is supported by society. Court documents state if gay women and men are singled out as being ineligible to marry it stigmatizes them and invites discrimination of the public against them. Other arguments state that there are social consequences of gay marriages, parenting concerns, tradition, and religious grounds.
Gay marriages are legal in Belgium, Argentina, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. Mexico City, USA and more.. performs gay marriages but has to have recognition of all the Mexican states. Attitudes towards gay marriages range from praise, to indifference, toleration, and prohibition. Some opposers argue that religious freedoms will be eroded, and while good for a couple, the rights of children are undermined. Some supporters think the government should not regulate personal relationships.
Gay marriages, often also referred to as same-sex marriages, have been a contentious issue all over the world, especially in countries, where both the debate and debaters are to interact at a very public forum. Over the years, many arguments have been put forward in support of and against the legalization of gay marriages, each based upon by a volley of opinions coming from different schools of thought.
When examining the nature of debate over the question of legality regarding gay marriages, there are three main generic divisions within which the arguments regulate – biological, social and religious. If we consider the biological debate, the arguments from each side are not unexpectedly novel or unique. Those opposed to gay marriage argue that homosexuality is against the natural norms of procreation. The male and female species are anatomically designed to interact physically in harmony to lead to the creation of human off-springs. In that sense, the sexual interaction between the same sexes is against the laws of nature, and thus unacceptable in the social context of a healthy living community. On the other hand, gay activists propose that for those people who do not consider the lack of ability to procreate a set-back in any way, a homosexual relationship and its legal acceptance should not be an issue. While there are multiple sub-clauses to these arguments as well, the gist of the divergence lies in the question of procreation.
The social and religious facets of this debate concerning same-sex marriages are largely so interlinked. People of the Catholic religious tradition belief that homosexuality is against the tenets of the Bible. Thus, those involved in gay relationships are in complete violation of the Christian religious ideology.
l. Therefore, homosexuality and its legal sanction is not in any way a rejection or violation of any religious sensibilities. Either way, since there is no way in which to come upon an interpretation of the Bible that shall be acceptable to both the anti-gay and pro-gay sects of the agenda, it is hard to reach any nature of conclusion on this aspect of debate.
The social aspect of the debate on homosexuality is somewhat linked with both the biological and religious debate. Those who are not in favor of legalizing of gay marriage argue that since homosexuality is ‘unnatural’ and ‘a desecration of Christian Dictates’, legalizing same-sex unions shall lead to the spread of this socio-sexual anomaly in society. Providing legal sanction to same-sex marriages shall cause more and more people to believe that homosexuality is not a deviation from what is healthy and desirable, thus leading to the degradation of society. Those in support of the legalizing gay marriage argue that sexual orientation may be either an inherent preference or a personal life-style choice. Either way, any free individual should be at liberty to indulge in a relationship of homosexual nature, just as people can free have heterosexual relationships. Since gay people are not in any way less human than heterosexuals, and nor do their relationships have lesser or more sanctity than those of the latter, there is no reason why their marital union should not be illegal.
While there is no end to the debate on homosexuality and its legal sanction. While the judicial response has been varied in different regions, there is a general trend of homosexuality gaining more acceptances over the past decade.
1. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages.
2. Belgium followed suit in 2003 and granted equal rights to same-sex married couples.
3. Canada, In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
4. Spain, Also in 2005, a closely divided Spanish parliament agreed to do the same.
5. After South Africa‘s highest court ruled the country’s marriage laws violated the constitution’s guarantee of equal rights, parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2006.
6. In 1993 Norway allowed gay couples to enter civil unions, but it took until 2008 for a Norway to pass a gender-neutral marriage law.
7. In 2009, Sweden voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
8. Iceland‘s parliament voted unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010.
9. Portugal has also allowed same-sex marriage since 2010, after legislation was originally challenged by the country’s president.
10. In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage.
11. Denmark‘s legalization came in 2012 after Queen Margrethe II gave her royal assent to the proposed legislation.
12. Uruguay passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage in 2013.
13. In 2013, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific to legislate for same-sex marriage.
14. President Francois Hollande signed a measure legalizing marriage equality in France in 2013.
15. Brazil’s National Council of Justice ruled that same-sex couples should not be denied marriage licenses in 2013, allowing same-sex marriages to begin across the country.
16. England and Wales became the first countries in the UK to pass marriage equality in 2014.
17. Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favor of of legalizing same-sex marriage later in 2014.
18. Luxembourg overwhelmingly approved legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed and to adopt children that went into effect in 2015.
19. Finland approved a marriage equality bill in 2014.
20. Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote in 2015.
21. Greenland, the world’s biggest island, passed same-sex legislation in 2015.
22. The United States Supreme Court made marriage equality federal law in 2015.
23. Colombia became the fourth Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2016.
24. In 2017, Germany became the 15th European country to allow same-sex couples to wed.
25. In 2017, nearly all of Malta‘s parliament voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
26. Australia legalized same-sex marriage in 2017 after lawmakers enacted the will of the majority of citizens who overwhelmingly voted for the measure by postal vote.
27. Taiwan made history on May 24, 2019, becoming the first place in Asia to pass laws on marriage equality.
28. Ecuador‘s highest court approved same-sex marriage in a 5-4 ruling.
29. Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage on May 26, 2020.
The column contains personal comments.
Gay marriage has always been a hot topic in the past and will continue to be as more and more people finally come out and reveal themselves. Even more celebrity figures have been more brave and have racked up the courage to come out in front of a national audience.
But what about the people, you know; the average straight people that exist in the world, how do they feel about gay marriages and homosexuality in general?
Some people believe it’s a sickness, some believe that it conflicts with the same religions.
How do you feel about gay marriages?
There are countries that allow and support it, why not the others? It will take some time for other states to catch on to the fact of “equality”. Discrimination is always brought up with the topic of gay marriages and couples. Homosexuality is a very emotional topic for most people and we do not mean to offend anyone who comes to our site and reads the information we have.
Throughout this site you will find more topics about gay marriage and factual data that is currently going on within the world and United States. Be sure to bookmark this site to follow up with us as we continue to grow.
The app, called Queers, allows gay men to connect to a network of over 4000 lesbians in order to enter into a ‘co-operative marriage’.
The agreement which is referred to as a ‘xinghun’ in China, operates much like the Western notion of a beard, whereby a person may date someone in order to conceal their sexuality.
Users of the app have explained a xinghun allows them to continue with the appearance of heterosexuality and conceal their sexuality from oftentimes conservative parents.
Although China decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, many of the nation’s older generation still view being lesbian or gay as a mental illness (China removed the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 2001).
Founder of Queers, Liao Zhuoying said since the app launched two weeks ago, he has had over 10,000 users sign up.
Liao said Queers was a by-product of his company’s dating and meet-up apps, Gaypark and Lespark. He told the South China Post he had noticed a section of gay men were searching for lesbian wives whilst on his sites so he conducted a survey to canvas the needs of his community and Queers was born…
It used to be men and ladies. Presently, society considers a third sex which we generally allude to as gays. Throughout the years, gay individuals are battling for acknowledgment in the general public and also enabling them to wed whoever they pick in view of one’s established certification of balance. While a few preservationists contradict to this thought, there are numerous libertarians who are going down this support, regardless of the possibility that it takes conveying this up to Congress or the Highest Court of the Land.
Definition of Gay Marital Union
Otherwise called same sex marriage, gay person union is a marriage between two people of the same organic sex or sex personality. At the end of the day, it is the union amongst man and man or lady and lady as indicated by their own particular individual freedom and individual inclination.
Marriage among gay can be performed either through a common function or religious setting as there are different religious gatherings that help gay person marriage and permit same sex wedding services.
Same Facts about Homosexual Marriage
Marriage should be a union amongst man and lady. In any case, that is not the situation here. Throughout the years, more nations are gradually perceiving and authorizing a similar sex conjugal unions and notwithstanding giving advantages and equivalent get to like relational unions amongst man and lady. The accompanying demonstrates the distinctive gay marriage facts:
Acknowledgment of same sexual orientation marriage as a common right has turned into a political, good, social and religious issue among a great deal of nations. That is the reason the main laws permitting same sexual orientation unions were just authorized amid mid 2000.
Netherlands was the main nation to permit gay person marriage when same sex conjugal union bill was passed and turned into a law on April 1, 2001 with 3.6% of the aggregate number of relational unions ascribed to gay couples. In any case, the quantity of strange marriage dropped throughout the years with just 1,100 couples getting hitched on 2005.
As of April 2013, there were just twelve nations that legitimately perceive and permit same sex couples to wed – Argentina, Belgium, Uruguay, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, Iceland, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Norway.
Albeit a few nations on the planet don’t permit execution of marriage among same sex couples, there are other legitimately perceived unions permitted, for example, common organization, common union or residential association. In spite of the fact that there is as yet a different status, this sort of union offers benefits and lawful outcomes of marriage in spite of the non-execution of the function.
By the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association, the budgetary, physical and mental prosperity of couples of a similar sex are upgraded by marriage, in this manner making it helpful for kids to be raised by gay accomplices. Additionally considers even demonstrate that gay guardians are fit and competent as hetero guardians wherein the youngsters raised will be mentally solid and composed. The Roman Catholic Church is among the greatest religious division who contradicts and pledges unequivocally against same sex marriage.
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Are Christians against gays?
Gay marriages have hardly ever received religious sanction, especially never so in the realms of Christian Catholicism. The Catholic Church has time and again, raised serious protests against the legalization and public acceptance of same-sex marital unions, across several regions of the world. Such religious condemnation is one of the main impediments in the battle being fought by the gay community across the world.
The Catholic Church believes that homosexual relations are against the dictates of the Bible. God created the male and female anatomy such that they are physically complimentary to one another so that they can reproduce and procreate, producing human offspring for the progression of the species. However, same-sex relationships are not conducive to the idea of procreation, and are believed to have been condemned in some interpretations of Biblical texts. In that sense, gay unions are against the biological norms of nature and staunch Catholics consider them to be a violation of God’s establishment of a harmonious society. This is the basic argument put forward by the higher Catholic authorities as well as some followers of the religion as well.
The Catholic opposition to gay marriage also drives strength from the fact that their conduct of religion is centered upon a very high view of marriage and human sexuality. Christian Scriptures are cited to reiterate the importance and significance of marital relations and human sexuality. The Book of Genesis is known to reflect that marriage and sexuality were designed such by God to be sacred gifts to mankind.
“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18).
“A man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).”
The above mentioned sections are often quoted to explain the religious sanctity of marriage as God had ordained. Male and female sexuality were to compliment one another so that they could unite in the Holy union of marriage. And since marriage for Catholics, is a Holy vocation, they hold it in reverence and thus try to defend it against “harm”, be it in terms of homosexuality or otherwise.
The Catholic Church also believes that gay marriages are a detriment to society. In their argument and protect against the acceptance of same-sex marital unions, they interweave their religious and social concerns to put forward a stronger case. Since gay unions cannot facilitate procreation, they do not play any biological function is society which is supposed to be an important element of the entire marital institution. In consequence to this, the Church believes that the sanctity of a marriage between homosexuals is thus little, if not inconsequential.
While the Catholic Church in its entirety is seen as an opposing force to gay marital union, there is a large body of Catholic Christians that does not react to the idea of same-sex marriages in the same manner. Some also argue that the Biblical references that are given to justify a Holy rejection of same-sex relations may not have been related to the question of homosexuality at all. This takes the religious debate into the arena of interpretation and reinterpretation of the Bible. However, since there is no way to judge upon the correctness of any Biblical interpretation, this debate is not expected to reach any concrete conclusion.
This is however, not to say that Catholicism represents a complete an absolute boycott of the homosexual population of the world. Yes, the Catholic Church is not a proponent of homosexuality and same-sex marriages. However, a complete rejection of gay people and their lifestyle is not what the Catholic Church stands for either. The bottom line here is that Catholicism has been an opposing voice in the debate over gay marriages and their legalization. It cites religious as well as social factors as the basis for such a stance. But its view on gay marriages is not a complete reflection of the Catholic treatment of homosexuality. While the debate goes on and on, one can only wonder whether there shall ever be an effective conclusion to it, and if so, which voice shall emerge victorious.
gaymarriagesupport.com/christians-against-gays-gay-marriage – 2012
In contemporary times, the gay community across the world has got a larger space for expression in society. However, this does not in any way, reflect upon the genuine attitude that a large section of the population harbor for homosexuals. In fact, in most of the less developed parts of the world, as well as more broad-minded societies, people face discrimination and social seclusion based upon their sexual orientation. Often, the fear of facing rejection and silent condemnation from their peers, family or the general populace at large, leads homosexuals to suppress their homoerotic impulses or else get involved in clandestine relationships that rely upon secrecy to be successful. Either way, living such a life is not healthy for there is a constant sense of inadequacy in this nature of existence. It is thus advised by psychologists as well as gay activists that homosexuals should not hesitate to come out of the closet and express their sexual preference without any qualms.
For homosexuals to be as unguarded about their sexual orientation as heterosexuals, they shall need the comfort of knowing that they will get part of, if not similar degree of acceptance as the latter. What gay people often do not realize is that keeping their homosexuality within wraps, they themselves are also conforming to the sexual stereotypes which they think society is burdening them with. If they are at peace with the reality of their sexual preference, the societal response should become a secondary concern. In fact, as more and more homosexuals have gone ahead and been candid about their orientation, the general public response has also undergone a change. As the active gay community becomes larger and stronger, they garner more respect and acceptance due to the very fact of being part of a more vast section of the population and not an extremely small minority.
While a large number of gay people keep their homosexuality a secret due to societal pressures and insecurities, more often than not, it is also because they are comfortable with their own reality. However, they must realize that the root cause of such discomfort also goes back to the general conditioning that one receives in regard with sexuality and preferences from their very birth. What they need t realize is that it is better to come out and face reality rather than live a lie. Studies and statistics support the fact that most homosexuals have found themselves to feel happier and more secure once they have come out of the closet and declared their orientation with no hint of embarrassment or regret.
It is important to realize that if a homosexual is fighting with their sexual impulses or keeping their orientation a secret, they are not at peace and are not probably living a very satisfactory life in that sense. It is often believed by the more vocal members of the gay community that they are better off risking undesirable societal reaction rather than living in a state of unhappiness, often even depression. The idea is that it is a fairer deal to risk unhappiness and be true to oneself, rather than be unhappy and live in denial or concealment.
Moreover, as the gay community has become more vocal and active in fighting for its rights (pro gay marriage), a large part of the formerly indifferent or disdainful population has broadened their outlook, being more aware about the reality of homosexuality and sexual preference. As the world community gets more aware about this issue, they simultaneously become more sensitized towards the idea of accepting them as one of their own.
It is therefore, a fair conclusion that homosexuals shall fare better if they are open about their sexual orientation. It shall not only help lighten their own mental burden but also contribute to the larger cause of gay activism that aims at changing the discriminatory attitude that society may harbor in regard with homosexuals. And in coming out of the closet, a gay person makes a decisive attempt to control their own life, which reflects personal growth and strength of character. For all the gay people in the world, go ahead and express yourselves, embrace your sexuality and let other’s notions of right and wrong affect your life.
gaymarriagesupport.com/coming-out-in-the-open – 2012
Diversity means difference or unlikeness or the opposite of same. Men and women are perfect examples of diversity. In fact, men and women are called opposites. Sexism and racism are examples of zero gender or zero race diversity, respectively.
The US constitution codifies a requirement for equal treatment (equality) of certain classes of people. Men and women are two such classes of people. Diversity of classes must exist for there to be equal treatment of those classes (equality). Equality, in this context, does not mean without any differences. Equality means treating diverse kinds (classes) without partiality when there is no purpose for partiality.
Homosexuality is the opposite of diversity. ‘Gay marriage‘ is called same-sex. Same (i.e. homo) is the opposite of diverse. In fact, homosexuality is diversity-intolerant, by definition. The opposite sex is always rejected by a homosexual person, when it comes to ‘love’, without regard to the individual merit of that person, just because they are of a different gender! Homosexuality is genetic gender-bias or preference. Since there is zero gender diversity in any same-sex union, same-sex unions also contain zero gender equality. As a result genders are sex-segregated into male and female dominated institutions. “Separate is seldom, if ever, equal”.
On the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, that outlawed race-segregation, sex-segregation was instituted via same-sex marriage by the Massachusetts SJC!
Even though gay folks might be nice people, they are twisting the meaning of diversity beyond recognition apparently because it makes society feel more accepting of homosexuality. The ‘Goodridge’ same-sex couple seem like nice people, but they unabashedly say on public television: we do not need a man. Imagine two white people saying: we do not need blacks! There would be an unimaginable uproar in society.
same-sex-gay-marriage.com/diversity/diversity.html – 2004
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