History Behind Gay Marriage
Civil union is the term that is used to describe a legal partnership between two persons, which is also referred to as a marriage. Today, there are quite a number of persons in gay relationships that are requesting to have civil union legalized for persons with the gay communities; on the other hand, there are persons that are opposing any legalization of same sex marriage. The legalization of gay marriage affords those in gay relationships the same rights as married heterosexual couples; this is inclusive of being able to make medical decisions for a partner that is sick, and being able to add partners to medical insurance.
gay relationships
Denmark is actually the first county to legalize gay marriage, and this was done in 1989. Ever since, there have been several other countries, and some of the states in the United States that have allowed persons in gay relationships to marry, or have allowed them to generate an agreement that is treated like a marriage, which both the country and the state authorizes and recognizes.
Some of the countries that support same sex marriage are inclusive of Mexico, Israel, the United Kingdom, Iceland, France, Finland, Sweden and Norway, and also some of the states in the United States. Vermont is known as the first ever state in the U.S. to legalize same sex marriage, after which some other states followed suit. This is also inclusive of California and Oregon’s laws relating to domestic partnership.
However, not all laws relating to gay marriage have equal standing. For example, in Denmark, persons involved in gay marriage are not allowed to adopt children; even though, one of the partners is allowed to adopt children belonging to their first spouse. Another big difference in a majority of the laws relating to same sex marriage is the fact that the union may not be recognized outside of the country or the state in which the couple got married. For instance, heterosexual married couples living in Texas will have the same rights even if they travel to New Jersey; however, this does not apply to persons in gay relationships.
same sex marriage
Therefore, if a gay couple got married in a state that legalizes gay marriage and traveled to a state that does not legally recognize gay relationships, then that state will not see them as a married couple. Actually, the United States Federal Government does not recognize same sex marriage as being portable or legal; as such, there are several gay activists that are fighting for gay relationships to be recognized as marriage, instead of domestic partnerships.
gay marriage