Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Same-Sex Marriage, Families, and Children:
Length: 457 words (1.7 pages)
Rating: Red (FREE)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gay Essays - Same-Sex Couples: Marriage, Families, and Children
In deciding who should be entitled to marry or have their marriages recognized, it is useful to consider current law regulating who may marry. Under California law:
Marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil contract between a man and a woman, to which the consent of the parties capable of making that contract is necessary....16
No particular form for the ceremony of marriage is required ... but the parties shall declare, in the presence of the person solemnizing the marriage and necessary witnesses, that they take each other as husband or wife.17
Thus, a man and a woman can legally marry if they receive a marriage license and go through a ceremony, presided over by a duly authorized official, at which each of them says that they take the other person to be their spouse. Nothing more is needed. The couple need not live together, sleep together, have children, or do anything jointly. Unless one of them takes an action to dissolve the marriage, or dies, they will remain husband and wife.
California law views marriage as a personal choice, belonging to the couple. The opportunity to marry is available to all people whom the state does not consider clearly unable to perform the functions that it is hoped that marriage will entail, even though it is recognized that many couples will not adequately perform these functions.
Thus, the only legal requirements for receiving a marriage license are that the applicants be a man and a woman, generally they must be over 18 years of age, they may not be closely related by blood, and they must not be already married.18 The age restrictions are designed to limit marriage to persons capable of understanding the obligations that are incurred by marrying. Rules barring marriage between closely related individuals reflect a desire to prevent abuses of power within family relationships; there is also a concern, perhaps not valid, that such unions place any offspring of the couple at high risk for genetically related health problems. Rules limiting people to one spouse reflect the concern that a person married to several people will not be able to adequately assume the economic obligations of marriage (including those that arise in the case of divorce) and that the potential for developing the kinds of intimacy and emotional growth that are seen as important elements of marriage are unlikely to be achieved in situations where a person has more than one spouse.
Since the state places so few restrictions on who can marry, voters need to consider why same-sex couples are treated differently. To aid in assessing this restriction, the next section looks at why the state has an interest in marriage.
Search for: [lewis carroll] [dont want] [strong sense] [tragic events]
|
Important Note: If you'd like to save a copy of the
paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word
processor. Please, follow these steps to do that in Windows:
1. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C. Azete.com (the "Web Site") is produced by the "Company". The contents of this Web Site, such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and all other material ("Material"), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Material or about the results to be obtained from using the Material. You expressly agree that any use of the Material is entirely at your own risk. Most of the Material on the Web Site is provided and maintained by third parties. This third party Material may not be screened by the Company prior to its inclusion on the Web Site. You expressly agree that the Company is not liable or responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other subscribers or third parties. The Materials are provided on an as-is basis without warranty express or implied. The Company and its suppliers and affiliates disclaim all warranties, including the warranty of non-infringement of proprietary or third party rights, and the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The Company and its suppliers make no warranties as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the material, services, text, graphics and links. For a complete statement of the Terms of Service, please see our website. By obtaining these materials you agree to abide by the terms herein, by our Terms of Service as posted on the website and any and all alterations, revisions and amendments thereto. |
t illustrates the horror of the Holocaust. I believe that this book helped me to better understand what really happened during the tragic event. This book is made up of many different real life accounts of the Holocaust. Survivors, friends and family of victims, and even the Nazi?s themselves all ha... following paragraphs will compare and contrast the two scenes. I really liked the Gibson version of the scene 5 because it was emotional. The ghost of Hamlet showed emotions like he seemed vulnerable, his voice was choppy, and he looked scared. Instead of demanding revenge, he asks ...ldren, I'm reaching the goal. Now, through my children, young and free, I realized the blessing deed to me. I couldn't read then. I couldn't write. I had nothing, back there in the night. Sometimes, the valley was filled with tears, But I kept trudging on through the lonely years. Sometimes,...oets express about the way old men treat young men in wartime? How do the poets? words help you to share these views? In ?Base Details? (?BD?) by Siegfried Sassoon(1886- 1967), the young soldier speaking assumes the position of a scarlet Major, mocking their attitudes to war and their ignor...