Known to some people as a lifetime commitment of devotion, to others a promise to reside with a stranger, and even to some people as a union arranged by their parents, marriage is a widely varying ritual practiced all over the world. In the United States, marriage is a freedom of choice and an act of love, supported with benefits and privileges from the government. It has traditionally been the union of a woman and a man, made with the expectation of permanence and the aim of producing and raising offspring. Tradition, however, is beginning to change. The divorce rate is growing, there is an increase of step-families and single-parent families, and more and more couples are opting not to have children. Along with the rise of women in the work force, the traditional view of marriage is broadening.
In 1967, the United States Supreme Court decided that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional. America decided to leave the choice of a marital partner to the individual, despite the objections from those who believed racial mixing was morally and religiously wrong. Once again our society is faced with the question of leaving the choice of a spouse to the individual. As did the interracial couples of the sixties, the gays and lesbians of America deserve to have the privilege of marriage extended to them.
The tangible benefits of a legal marriage are numerous. Concerning the government, there are joint income tax returns, Social Security benefits for spouses, estate taxes, and issues of jurisprudence and inheritance. Also, many employers offer health insurance, parental leave, and bereavement leave to their married employees. Says David Mixner in Time magazine, "The issue involves immigration, taxation, family leave, health care, adoption, Medicare, and numerous other benefits and rights. I don't know one American who would willingly surrender any of these rights"(p. 45).
Instead of legalizing homosexual marriage, many people are advocating a compromise --the domestic partnership.