Activists Target Mormons for Gay-Marriage Ban's Success in California

Title: Activists Target Mormons for Gay-Marriage Ban's Success in California

Summary:
This article posted on Fox News.Com on December 01, 2008, teaches us that many people blame the Mormon church called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the passing of prop. 8. Many, many groups of people showed strong support for the prejudice based proposition but it seems that nobody bothers them about it. The article brings to light that the church in question was the main foundation of pro prop. 8 thinking. They provided more than half of the money to the cause, making them an easy target.


Reflection:
As I read this article I wasn't really surprised by the actions of people against the church in question. When something doesn't go your way you automatically look for someone to blame and in this case it's all that churches fault becuase they are the easiest target. Human nature is Human nature, it's too bad marriage can't be marriage.

Evidence:

* "There have been no other reports of backlash against other groups that supported Prop 8, notably African-Americans and other churches and religious denominations that turned out in heavy numbers to push through the ban."
* "Even the state of California itself has announced that it is investigating the church's involvement in Proposition 8, which was approved by a vote of 52 percent to 48 percent and, barring a Supreme Court overturn, will ban gay marriage in the state."
* ""Many gays and lesbians have been hurt by the church and they see the Mormons as a way of taking out that aggression, not only on the Prop 8 position, but on their life in general," he told FOXNews.com."

Questions:

* Why is it that even though many other groups supported prop 8, only the Mormon church is having backlash?


Source:
"Activists Target Mormons for Gay-Marriage Ban's Success in California ". Fox News. 3 Feb. 2010 .

The Difference Between Marriage and Civil Unions

Title:The Difference Between Marriage and Civil Unions

Summary:
This article is precise and straight to the point. It explains the differences of civil unions and civil marriages, along with the pros and the cons of both. It makes it clear that things just aren't the same for you when you are gay or lesbian. Life is harder and more unfair for you yet you have to push through life and try to get what you want.

Reflection:
I thought it was interesting yet sad and almost horrible to read about the differences and challenges gay and lesbian couples face every single day. Often times people take far too many things in the country of the United States of America and I realize now that even I take advantage of things that these people don't even have access to.


Evidence:

*"First of all, What is Marriage? When people marry, they tend to do so for reasons of love and commitment. But marriage is also a legal status, which comes with rights and responsibilities. Marriage establishes a legal kinship between you and your spouse. It is a relationship that is recognized across cultures, countries and religions. "
*""A United States citizen who is married can sponsor his or her non-American spouse for immigration into this country. Those with Civil Unions have no such privilege."
*The General Accounting Office in 1997 released a list of 1,049 benefits and protections available to heterosexual married couples. These benefits range from federal benefits, such as survivor benefits through Social Security, sick leave to care for ailing partner, tax breaks, veterans benefits and insurance breaks. They also include things like family discounts, obtaining family insurance through your employer, visiting your spouse in the hospital and making medical decisions if your partner is unable to. Civil Unions protect some of these rights, but not all of them."


Questions:

* What makes all of these unfair things right?



Source:
Belge, Kathy. "The Difference Between Marriage and Civil Unions". About.Com. 3 Feb, 2010 .

The Global View Of Gay Marriage

Title: The Global View Of Gay Marriage

Summary:
This article written by Bootie Cosgrove-Mather and published on March 4, 2004 on the CBS News website, explains the views on same sex marriage throughout much of the world. In some countries there aren't any same sex couples becuase it's illegal, and in others there aren't same sex marriages becuase they believe that love is love and marriage is marriage. Nowadays more and more countries are allowing same sex couples and same sex marriages, realizing that it isn't all that big of a deal, for example, In Denmark same sex marriages have been legal since 1989 and Nordic countries since the 1990's.


Reflection:
I thought it was very interesting to learn that the world seems so split on the idea of same sex couples. There were many surprising statistics littered throughout the peice, it taught me quite a bit. Although it was published in 2004 and some of the information was most likely outdated, it was helpful to me.


Evidence:

*"In Denmark, civil unions with the same rights as marriage have been around since 1989, and other Nordic countries followed suit in the 1990s."
*"In Japan, homosexuality is no longer considered a mental illness, but many gays still feel pressure to go through a sham heterosexual marriage. Japan is more progressive than most of Asia."
*"In contrast to Amsterdam's boisterous gay clubs and the spring rite of the Gay Pride parade through its famed canals, Faasen and Thus, the Dutch lesbian couple, live a quiet middle-class life in a neat apartment on the city's outskirts. They hardly seem like revolutionaries, or even trendsetters."


Questions:

* What makes certain countries so open to the ideas, and others so very opposed?



Source:
Cosgrove-Mather , Bootie. "The Global View Of Gay Marriage". CBS News. 2 Feb. 2010 .

Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles

Title: Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles

Summary:
This article, written by Maggie Jackson for The Boston Globe and published on March 26th, 2006, states that adopting a child isn't always easy but for same sex couples the difficulty can be multiplied. Often times adoption agencies and social workers are reluctant or even refuse to help gay and lesbian couples, forcing them to hide their relationship or have one parent make a solo adoption. If and when a same sex couple is able to adopt and bring home their child though, they aren't out of the woods of discrimination. They face the same challenges of raising children as heterosexual couples do with the pressure of constant comparison added on to their plate. A study proved that more often than not, these couples urn to friends for help with their children than their families becuase still many people believe that they are unable to parent their children as well as a couple made up of a man and a woman.


Reflection:
As I read this article I was honestly rather shocked by some of the facts I read. Quite a ew states don't recognize same sex couples as what I would consider 'real couples' and many states also don't allow same sex couples to adopt children. I've heard The United States of America called the Land of Equality and Freedom, but nothing about these issues sounds equal or free to me. I had trouble reading this article and ones like it becuase it truly hurt me to know that just becuase someone is different from the norm they can be penalized for it. I won't ever have to deal with any of these issues, and yet it hurts me; i hurts me just the same as a friend of mine who may never have the ability to officially be married or even adopt a child becuase he is different.


Evidence:

* "In Oklahoma, people stared when Emma called both Tanya and Sharon "Mom," and one adoption judge refused to consider their case."
*"Despite 30 years of studies showing that sexual orientation doesn't affect quality of parenting, close relatives often are skeptical, said Abbie Goldberg, an assistant professor of psychology at Clark University, who is studying same-sex couples' transitions to adoptive parenthood."
*""The reality is that families come in all shapes and sizes," said Beth Teper, executive director of Colage, a San Francisco-based advocacy group for children with gay and lesbian parents. "Our families are much more diverse than the 'one mom, one dad, 2.5 children' model.""

Questions:

* Other than religious beliefs, what cuases most people to be so against same sex marriage and same sex couples adopting children?


Source:
Jackson, Maggie. "Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles". The Boston Globe. 2 Feb. 2010 .

Gay Marriage Advocates Pushing For Church Bill

Title: Gay Marriage Advocates Pushing For Church Bill

Summary:
This article is about a new bill that would make it so same-sex is legal but under control of the churches. I would be up to the church to decide if they wanted to marry a same-sex couple in their place of worship. The couples would be allowed to be officially married, they would merely have to find a church willing to make it official.

Reflection:
I thought that this article was pretty informative about the bill itself. It didn't however say anything about how it could effect people on both sides of the bill. I learned that in the near future it would be possible for same-sex couples to be officially married in the state of California.


Evidence:

* "California churches would have increased legal protection under a new bill
being proposed by gay marriage advocates."

* "SB 906 guarantees that no clergy member would be forced to perform a marriage
that conflicts with their religious beliefs and failure to marry someone would
not affect a church's tax exempt status."


Questions:

* Who's idea was this bill?
* Would it improve anything?


Source:
Clark, Owen. "Gay Marriage Advocates Pushing For Church Bill". KhslTv.Com. 2 Feb. 2010 .

Children Speak for Same-Sex Marriage

Title: Children Speak for Same-Sex Marriage

Summary:
This article is about people affected by bans on same sex marriage all across the country, specifically children of same sex couples. It was published on January 20th, 2010 in the New York Times and written by Sarah Wildman. I read about many kids and what it feels like to know that their parents aren't allowed,l by the law, to get married. Many mentioned it feeling, wrong and hateful towards their parents. One child mentioned that he didn't feel ashamed to say his parents were gay, but instead felt ashamed that his parents were unmarried.


Reflection:
I felt sad for these kids who deserve to be equal as any other kid. It was hard for me to read that even in our world today we have to be ashamed of our parents who, without them, we wouldn't even be alive. This helped me to realize that differences are what make us so special but some people are punished for them. I am also reminded of why I believe the things that I do.


Evidence:

* "Nicholson-McFadden took the microphone. “It doesn’t bother me to tell kids my
parents are gay,” he said in a clear voice. “It does bother me to say they
aren’t married. It makes me feel that our family is less than their family.”"
* "In 2008 about 116,000 same-sex couples across the country were raising a total
of about 250,000 children under age 18, according to an analysis of Census data
by Gary J. Gates,"

* "Zach Wahls, a freshman at the University of Iowa whose mothers married this
summer in Iowa, one of the few states where same-sex marriage is legal, said in
a recent interview: “At the end of the day, it’s really about separate but
equal. This isn’t just about lesbian and gay, it’s about tolerance and
acceptance.”"

Questions:

* What makes others think that Same-Sex couples are incapable of raising children
properly?
* Why is it such a wrong thing?


Source:
Wildman, Sarah. "Children Speak for Same-Sex Marriage". New York Times. 1 Feb. 2010 .