Approximately half of today’s adolescents who claim an LGBTQ+ identity report being
estranged from at least one family member, according to a study done in 2023 for Teen Vogue. This statistic is a reflection of the anti-queer rhetoric promoted by the US government, despite the fact that marriage equality was achieved in 2015 upon the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The significance of this ruling is that it granted same-sex couples the same recognition and protection under law as opposite-sex couples, most relevantly, the right to marry. Upon the basis of morality and analytical findings, it is made evident that same-sex marriage should remain legal in the United States. Although opponents of marriage equality may argue for the protection of religious virtues associated with the conventional union of a man and a woman, the legality of same-sex marriage is not only logical, but, in addition, has proven to positively impact relationship stability across the board while bolstering awareness of LGBTQ+ stories, putting current US policies under scrutiny in turn. Yet, despite the Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, anti-queer sentiment is still ominously prevalent.
Adversaries of marriage equality are generally most concerned about upholding the value of heterosexual marriages. In the article, “The Death of Marriage? The Effects of New Forms of Legal Recognition on Marriage Rates in the United States”, written in 2014, author Marcus Dillender explains right-wing panic that occurred leading up to Obergefell v. Hodges arose largely from fear that allowing same-sex couples to marry would “reduce the value” of opposite-sex marriages. However, the changes made to U.S. recognition laws in the 1990s and early 2000s did not reduce the marriage rate of opposite-sex couples. Essentially, the benefits of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples have no impact on the preservation of heteronormative wedding culture.
Even still, opposition to marriage equality generally stems from religious principles. In the article, “What’s Marriage (and Family) Got to Do with It? Support for Same-Sex Marriage, Legal Unions, and Gay and Lesbian Couples Raising Children”, written in 2012, author Amy Becker elaborates that the research on gay marriage being done during the period in which the legalization of gay marriage was left up to individual states, found that the argument was defined by the upholding of religious morals as opposed to an extension of civil rights. Now, given that the US government is secular, this argument quickly loses its bearing. Marriage equality in the US is an extension of the civil rights that were automatically given to opposite-sex couples. If the definition of civil rights is the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality, isn’t it only logical that straight and queer couples be protected by the law?
Aside from the general argument over the morals of gay marriage, legalizing same-sex marriage has had a substantially positive impact on the stability of same-sex relationships. From the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, authors Shuai Chen and Jan C. van Ours wrote an article about the effects of same-sex marriage legalization on partnership security: “partnerships that were transformed into marriage had a substantially lower separation rate.” Not only is this beneficial for the existing queer relationships themselves, but it is also arguably just as important for the families in which these relationships function. Because relationship stability increased significantly following Obergefell v. Hodges, children being raised by same-sex couples may also experience an increased sense of security within their homes.
Similarly, the memoir Dear America, written by Jose Antonio Vargas in 2018, is a testament to the impact that tangible support can have on queer communities. Throughout the memoir, Vargas illustrates his coming of age as the only openly gay student at his high school. Eventually, he decided to come out to his grandparents. For a fraught period of time, this created immense tension within the household, as Vargas recalled, “This is my house. Being gay is not allowed in my house.” Later in the book, Vargas reflects on how this reaction to his queerness was not entirely because his guardians questioned the morality of his identity, but rather, they did not have the emotional tools or language to support their grandchild. Vargasgrew up in a time when same-sex marriage had not yet been legalized, and correspondingly, there was a very limited awareness of what it meant to be queer.
In addition to the positive impacts the imposition of marriage equality had within intimate as well as community-oriented settings, it also challenged existing systems within the US government that had largely catered to opposite-sex couples. In an article titled, “Marriage in Old Age: What We Can Learn About Policy Impacts on Same-Sex Couples,” written in 2023, authors Leora Freidberg and Elliott Isaac evaluate the impacts of marriage equality on healthcare systems in the US. Strikingly, they write, “To the extent that women are typically the lower earners of and have lower assets within a couple, the impact of policy-based marriage incentives carries greater weight for them.” The implications of same-sex marriage place a fresh lens over the gender politics that are so deeply rooted in opposite-sex marriages. It was often, and even still is, the case that a woman could marry a man for access to a larger financial pool, namely, increased health benefits. It is important to note that this is not a reflection of a woman’s personal shortcomings, but rather, it is a startling indication that existing political issues, like the gender pay gap, historically set women up for failure. Legalizing same-sex marriage raises questions about how gender politics like these will play out in queer relationships, and how US government policies can and should continue to change in the interest of equality.
To preserve marriage equality is just beginning to unpack the institutionalized homophobia that is so deeply rooted in US legislation. This issue carries greater weight now, considering the rise of counterproductive Trump-era policies—most relevantly, the slew of recent attacks on federally protected gay marriage rights. The fight for equality can feel especially daunting while the legality of human rights is being challenged. This is one reason why it is crucial to stay educated in a system that values complacency over justice. Refusing marriage equality negates conventional patriotic values such as freedom and democracy; we are not all created equal until we are all granted the same liberties by our government. It is ever-important to analyze US policy-making with a critical eye. Ask yourself: How does current legislation bolster or destroy surrounding communities?
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