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Argument for Same Sex Marriage

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Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996 was a United States federal law called The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Under section 3 of this law the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman and defines a spouse as a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Under section 2 of this law no state is required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship that is considered a marriage in another state. This law also prevents the federal government from recognizing the validity of same-sex marriages. Section 3 of DOMA was designed by people who have fear and/or hatred towards homosexuals and that makes it unconstitutional. DOMA violates the constitutional right of married same-sex couples to equal protection under the law and reverses the federal government's long history of allowing states to set their own marriage laws. From the very founding of our nation, the definition of marriage has been understood to be a state rather than a federal responsibility. Before 1996 if a couple was legally married under state law they were married for purposes of federal law. Most aspects of marriage are still up to the states such as whether common law marriage is recognized or the age of marriage without parental consent. States even have different rules on the requirements of terminating a marriage. Why are these issues still left up to the states and why are they trying only to determine whether your sex should matter if you want to marry someone? DOMA does not prohibit states from legalizing same-sex marriage but it refuses to recognize same-sex marriage for the purpose of federal benefits. Federally married couples are entitled to many benefits. For example, the spouse of a federal employee is entitled to medical coverage, the spouse of an individual covered by Social Security is eligible for

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