Monday , March 18 2024
This is one of those wonderful moments, like the passing of the vote for women and the Civil Rights Act, that change everything for the better.

Supreme Court Decision for Marriage Equality a Victory for America

Google Images/Free to use
Google Images/Free to use
The Supreme Court ruled this week that refusing to allow gay people to marry violates their constitutional rights, thus making same-sex marriage legal everywhere in the country, including those states which have so far chosen to deny these rights to their gay citizens.

This is a major victory not only for those people who can now have all the legal rights and benefits of marriage they have been so long denied but for the human race as a whole. America becomes the 21st country to allow same-sex marriage, and others will surely pay attention. Every victory for love and acceptance over hate and prejudice brings us all closer to a world where people are free to be their authentic selves, so long as they harm no other person, and we all can live together in greater harmony.

For those people, like my friends who have been together for almost 21 years and now plan to marry on the 21st anniversary of the relationship, this is a great personal victory.  When one of these two loving women was seriously ill a few years ago, her partner was unable to have any say at all in her treatment. That will never happen again. Another couple I know had to make the decision to move hundreds of miles from their homes and jobs in Georgia so that they could marry and be assured that they would never lose the twin girls they had by artificial insemination and the help of a donor. Hopefully no other couple will have to face that sort of wrenching choice again.

As for those who say this somehow demeans the “institution of marriage,” the union of two people who want to declare their intention to share their lives and their property, and publicly be as one, and who have waited and fought for that right, can only enhance the concept, which has been tarnished by high divorce rates, high percentages of infidelity, and a general lack of regard for what it is supposed to mean.

This is one of those wonderful moments, like the passing of the vote for women and the Civil Rights Act, that change everything for the better. Hurray for love!

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About Rhetta Akamatsu

I am an author of non-fiction books and an online journalist. My books include Haunted Marietta, The Irish Slaves, T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: Blues Women Past and Present, Southern Crossroads: Georgia Bluesand Sex Sells: Women in Photography and Film.

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One comment

  1. Dr Joseph S Maresca

    “The Supreme Court ruled this week that refusing to allow gay people to marry violates their constitutional rights.” Essentially, the justices voted 5 – 4 in favor of recognizing gay, lesbian or transgender civil unions.

    When the Constitution itself is cited, the “pursuit of happiness” issues seem to guarantee a person’s right to pursue overall well being. The right to the pursuit of physical needs is another implied right, as long as, reasonable norms are followed.

    The most obvious religious doctrine is contained in the 10 Commandments.There is no specific “Thou shalt not …” prohibition against gay, lesbian or transgender unions. The reference in the 10 Commandments is to the act of “coveting”. The Biblical meaning of coveting is to crave on a purely physical level without the all-important ingredient of love or mutual sharing in the relationship.

    People in civil unions can and do adopt children who might otherwise spend their early life in an institution instead of a loving home. In addition, civil couples who remain faithful to each other by implication refrain from physical cravings with many sexual partners. This action alone should limit the transmission of hiv or at least provide an easier discovery of the hiv source with just one partner. Overall, the benefits of the Supreme Court’s decision are far reaching.

    In recent decades, modern psychology has been moving in the direction of broadening the range of the norm to include alternative lifestyles. The new emphasis is on psychological well being and “the whole person” as opposed to forcing people into modes of behavior that go against their natural or longstanding proclivities.