Same Sex Marriage

            In the first year of the century Vermont took a colossal step in creating an equal society for homosexual couples in this nation. In the last decade many sates have tried to fight for equal rights or equal human rights for homosexual couples and have dismally have failed. States have taken a number of different roads, one road that was taken was in the State of Maine was to prevent the approval of sexual orientation to be added to the affirmative action listing of reason one cannot be discriminated upon. In this last election year there was an amendment to add sexual orientation to the list in the State of Maine (Bangor Daily News reports that only 4000 votes separating the amendment this year separate those opposed and those in favor so the amendment does not pass). When the issue of should same sex couples be granted the same rights and legal standing that as heterosexual couples are granted under state law and tax codes. The Vermont Supreme Court attempted to answer this question response written by Jeffrey Amestoy stated the issue of same sex civil unions as "May the State of Vermont exclude same sex couples from the benefits and protections that its laws provide to opposite sex married couples? " This summarizes very well what faced the state of Vermont and what they had to go about-facing with facing the issue. In the following pages one will find an explanation of both sides those pushing for the equal rights and those against the leveling of the playing field. There is also an examination of what steps were used by Vermont to create the new statute along with an explanation of the statute as it currently stands. This is all in a process within the US to prove that marriage is a natural human right. One should be allowed to marry engage and proceed in their public life with out scrutiny of anyone. .
             In the State of Vermont Title Fifteen, "Domestic Relations," Chapter 23, "Civil Unions" this section of the state statues is what directs what is considered "marriage," common law marriages, and divorce statutes.