Gay Marriage
The Development of American Law
Dr. Judit BEKE-MARTOS
Essay Goda Gutauskaitė
Same – sex marriage: pros and cons
Legal aspects
"It is legitimate and necessary to ask oneself if this is not perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man." Pope John Paul II, referring to same-sex marriage[1].
According to the general opinion of the society and penultimate pope John Paul II, whose standpoint, as well as the notion of the other Roman Catholic Church hierarchs, still remains significant to the congregation, throughout the ages marriage consistently and generally was and certainly still is considered to be a legal and religious commitment, necessarily only between a man and a woman, therefore there could be no possibilities to alter the conception of marriage, especially to legalize homosexual relationships and allow the homosexual part of the society to get married. This is one of the main reasons, why legal marriage for same – sex couples has become an extremely controversial issue all around the world. Since the number of religious people has been constantly decreasing in past decades[2] and certain parts of the society are becoming more and more tolerant for gay people, some countries started to legally recognize same – sex couples marriages. The first country in the world was the Netherlands, which Senate voted to extend full, legal marriage for same-sex couples on December 19, 2000. The legislation took effect in April, 2001[3]. Massachusetts became the 1st state of USA, which offered legal marriage to same sex couples in 2004 via a court suit.
The case Goodridge v. Department of Public Health unquestionably must be acknowledged as one of the most significant and eminent lawsuits in American legal history. In this case seven Massachusetts gay couples, who have been in committed long-term relationships, sued for legal marriage on April 11, 2001.
Dr. Judit BEKE-MARTOS
Essay Goda Gutauskaitė
Same – sex marriage: pros and cons
Legal aspects
"It is legitimate and necessary to ask oneself if this is not perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man." Pope John Paul II, referring to same-sex marriage[1].
According to the general opinion of the society and penultimate pope John Paul II, whose standpoint, as well as the notion of the other Roman Catholic Church hierarchs, still remains significant to the congregation, throughout the ages marriage consistently and generally was and certainly still is considered to be a legal and religious commitment, necessarily only between a man and a woman, therefore there could be no possibilities to alter the conception of marriage, especially to legalize homosexual relationships and allow the homosexual part of the society to get married. This is one of the main reasons, why legal marriage for same – sex couples has become an extremely controversial issue all around the world. Since the number of religious people has been constantly decreasing in past decades[2] and certain parts of the society are becoming more and more tolerant for gay people, some countries started to legally recognize same – sex couples marriages. The first country in the world was the Netherlands, which Senate voted to extend full, legal marriage for same-sex couples on December 19, 2000. The legislation took effect in April, 2001[3]. Massachusetts became the 1st state of USA, which offered legal marriage to same sex couples in 2004 via a court suit.
The case Goodridge v. Department of Public Health unquestionably must be acknowledged as one of the most significant and eminent lawsuits in American legal history. In this case seven Massachusetts gay couples, who have been in committed long-term relationships, sued for legal marriage on April 11, 2001.