Should Gay Marriage be Legal Nationwide?
This summer, New York became the latest state to legalize same-sex marriage. As of July 24, six states and the District of Columbia issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Across the country, the battles over same-sex couples marrying continues, as many states have passed laws restricting marriage to heterosexual couples. Gay marriage critics also continue to rally behind the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law signed by President Bill Clinton that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. Recently, Attorney General Eric Holder declared that some elements of that law are unconstitutional and that the Department of Justice would no longer defend it. Nevertheless, gay and lesbian activists insist the federal government should do more to make same sex marriage legal nationwide, and not just state by state. Meanwhile House lawmakers, led by Speaker John Boehner looked into how Congress could use the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group to defend DOMA. Here is Debate Club’s take on legalizing same sex marriage nationwide:
The Arguments
Yes — Defense of Marriage Act divides married Americans into two classes
EVAN WOLFSON, Founder and President of Freedom to Marry Comment (4)
Yes — Ending marriage discrimination will help build stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger America
REA CAREY, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Comment (8)
Yes — Centralized power, constitutional interpretation could give justices right to rule
ROBERT F. NAGEL, Professor at Colorado Law School Comment (5)
No — Only the traditional union of a man and a woman truly serves society
PETER SPRIGG, Fellow at Family Research Council Comment (28)
No — If Congress legalizes gay marriage, it will do so at the cost of traditional marriage
BRIAN BROWN, President of the National Organization for Marriage Comment (77)
