Changes

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling in the case of ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'', illegally claimed that same-sex "marriage" was "legal" in all 50 states, despite not having the power or authority to make such a ruling. As a result, local, state and federal laws (as well as state constitutional provisions) that distinguish between heterosexual marriage and same-sex "marriage" are claimed by same-sex "marriage" supporters to be  "unconstitutional" under the Fourteenth Amendment, even though, in fact, no such "right" to same-sex "marriage" exists in the Fourteenth Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution.

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling in the case of ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'', illegally claimed that same-sex "marriage" was "legal" in all 50 states, despite not having the power or authority to make such a ruling. As a result, local, state and federal laws (as well as state constitutional provisions) that distinguish between heterosexual marriage and same-sex "marriage" are claimed by same-sex "marriage" supporters to be  "unconstitutional" under the Fourteenth Amendment, even though, in fact, no such "right" to same-sex "marriage" exists in the Fourteenth Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution.

Same-sex "marriage" is legal in twenty-one countries: the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Portugal]], [[Iceland]], [[Argentina]], [[Denmark]], [[Uruguay]], [[Finland]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Ireland]], [[New Zealand]],<ref>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200</ref> [[France]], the [[United States]], and the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in [[Mexico]], same-sex "marriage" is legal in the states of [[Quintana Roo]], [[Chihuahua]], [[Guerrero]] and [[Coahuila]], as well as in [[Mexico City]], a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as [[Germany]], [[Colombia]] and [[Chile]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-05/tasmania-to-back-gay-marriage-intensifying-pressure-on-gillard]</ref>

Same-sex "marriage" is legal in twenty-two countries: the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Portugal]], [[Iceland]], [[Argentina]], [[Denmark]], [[Uruguay]], [[Finland]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Ireland]], [[New Zealand]],<ref>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200</ref> [[France]], the [[United States]], [[Germany]]<ref>http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41460032</ref> and the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in [[Mexico]], same-sex "marriage" is legal in the states of [[Quintana Roo]], [[Chihuahua]], [[Guerrero]] and [[Coahuila]], as well as in [[Mexico City]], a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as [[Colombia]] and [[Chile]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-05/tasmania-to-back-gay-marriage-intensifying-pressure-on-gillard]</ref>

In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the adoption of same-sex "marriage" has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples.  In [[Massachusetts]], the legalization of same-sex "marriage" led to a decline in property values.<ref>Florida, Richard, and Charlotta Mellander. "Journal of Economic Geography." There Goes the Metro: How and Why Bohemians, Artists and Gays Affect Regional Housing Values. Oxford University Press, 8 July 2009. Web. 30 June 2015. <http://joeg.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/2/167>.</ref> Also in response to the introduction of same-sex "marriage" the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.

In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the adoption of same-sex "marriage" has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples.  In [[Massachusetts]], the legalization of same-sex "marriage" led to a decline in property values.<ref>Florida, Richard, and Charlotta Mellander. "Journal of Economic Geography." There Goes the Metro: How and Why Bohemians, Artists and Gays Affect Regional Housing Values. Oxford University Press, 8 July 2009. Web. 30 June 2015. <http://joeg.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/2/167>.</ref> Also in response to the introduction of same-sex "marriage" the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.