Changes

In May 2012, voters in [[North Carolina]] banned both same-sex "marriage" and homosexual unions.  North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an [[amendment]] against same-sex "marriage", by a huge 61-39% margin.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY</ref>  [[Barack Obama]]—heavily dependent on donations from homosexuals for his reelection—rushed to prop up the homosexual agenda by endorsing same-sex "marriage" after its stunning defeat in this [[swing state]].

In May 2012, voters in [[North Carolina]] banned both same-sex "marriage" and homosexual unions.  North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an [[amendment]] against same-sex "marriage", by a huge 61-39% margin.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY</ref>  [[Barack Obama]]—heavily dependent on donations from homosexuals for his reelection—rushed to prop up the homosexual agenda by endorsing same-sex "marriage" after its stunning defeat in this [[swing state]].

Some studies and polls about same-sex "marriage" conducted in a few countries generally claim support for same-sex "marriage" increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations due to propaganda campaigns targeting the younger generation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights|url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/08/generations-at-odds/|publisher=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage|url=http://www.pewforum.org/PublicationPage.aspx?id=647|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Poirier|first=Justine|title=Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change|url=http://www.montrealites.ca/justice/same-sex-marriage-lets-make-a-change.html|publisher=Montréalités Justice|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Chart-Support-for-Legal/64683/|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=16 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> Polls show the most religious people regardless of age are more likely to oppose it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldman|first=Steven|title=A Common Missed Conception|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2003/11/a_common_missed_conception.html|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)]]|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine voters reject gay-marriage law|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8789627|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=Associated Press via [[The Guardian]]|date=4 November 2009}}</ref> However, In 2012, [[Maine]], [[Washington]] and [[Maryland]] voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, [[Rhode Island]] became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311</ref> Additionally, recent polls from liberal poll organizations claim to indicate that more than half of Americans "support" same-sex "marriage", approximately 53%.<ref name=Gallup2011>{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx|publisher=[[The Gallup Organization|Gallup]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=ABC2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1137a2GayMarriage.pdf |title=ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=CNN2012>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/06/06/rel5e.pdf |title=CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref>

Some studies and polls about same-sex "marriage" conducted in a few countries generally claim support for same-sex "marriage" increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations due to propaganda campaigns targeting the younger generation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights|url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/08/generations-at-odds/|publisher=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage|url=http://www.pewforum.org/PublicationPage.aspx?id=647|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Poirier|first=Justine|title=Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change|url=http://www.montrealites.ca/justice/same-sex-marriage-lets-make-a-change.html|publisher=Montréalités Justice|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Chart-Support-for-Legal/64683/|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=16 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> Polls show the most religious people regardless of age are more likely to oppose it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldman|first=Steven|title=A Common Missed Conception|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2003/11/a_common_missed_conception.html|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)]]|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine voters reject gay-marriage law|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8789627|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=Associated Press via [[The Guardian]]|date=4 November 2009}}</ref> However, In 2012, [[Maine]], [[Washington]] and [[Maryland]] voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, [[Rhode Island]] became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311</ref> Additionally, recent polls from liberal poll organizations claim to indicate that more than half of Americans "support" same-sex "marriage", approximately 53%.<ref name=Gallup2011>{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage|url=https://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx|publisher=[[The Gallup Organization|Gallup]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=ABC2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1137a2GayMarriage.pdf |title=ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=CNN2012>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/06/06/rel5e.pdf |title=CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref>

Campaigns advocating same-sex "marriage" were at the forefront of the [[Homosexual rights advocacy|homosexual rights movement]]'s attempt to elevate [[homosexuality]] to the same moral plane as [[heterosexuality]], overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of same-sex "marriage", the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society.  Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex "marriage" are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include homosexual partners, and the same tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.

Campaigns advocating same-sex "marriage" were at the forefront of the [[Homosexual rights advocacy|homosexual rights movement]]'s attempt to elevate [[homosexuality]] to the same moral plane as [[heterosexuality]], overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of same-sex "marriage", the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society.  Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex "marriage" are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include homosexual partners, and the same tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.

== Background ==

== Background ==

Public opinion about same-sex "marriage" has shifted rapidly.  In the United States, the period between 2012 and 2015 marked a rapid shift in the public debate on this issue.  While religious teachers continue to discuss this important topic, the matter has not received much public discussion since 2015.  Indeed, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it was not a major issue raised by the candidates. Of the responses in a May 2016 Gallop Poll, 61% favored same-sex "marriage" and 37% opposed it.<ref>http://www.gallup.com/poll/117328/Marriage.aspx Retrieved March 3, 2017</ref>  Responses in a 2016 Pew Forum poll found that only 27% of white evangelical Protestants and 39% of black Protestants favor same-sex "marriage" while it is supported by a majority of other religious groups and 80% of the nonaffiliated category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2016/05/12/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/|date=May 12, 2016|title=Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

Public opinion about same-sex "marriage" has shifted rapidly.  In the United States, the period between 2012 and 2015 marked a rapid shift in the public debate on this issue.  While religious teachers continue to discuss this important topic, the matter has not received much public discussion since 2015.  Indeed, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it was not a major issue raised by the candidates. Of the responses in a May 2016 Gallop Poll, 61% favored same-sex "marriage" and 37% opposed it.<ref>https://www.gallup.com/poll/117328/Marriage.aspx Retrieved March 3, 2017</ref>  Responses in a 2016 Pew Forum poll found that only 27% of white evangelical Protestants and 39% of black Protestants favor same-sex "marriage" while it is supported by a majority of other religious groups and 80% of the nonaffiliated category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2016/05/12/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/|date=May 12, 2016|title=Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and 37, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[Maryland]], [[Maine]], [[Washington]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Iowa]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Minnesota]], [[New Jersey]], [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[Arizona]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Florida]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Alaska]] and [[New Mexico]], plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]], currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were illegally forced to do so by activist federal courts acting outside of their mandate. Only in [[Maine]], [[Maryland]], and [[Washington]] has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. [[Minnesota]] was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in [[Alabama]] for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the June 2015 ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.  

In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and 37, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[Maryland]], [[Maine]], [[Washington]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Iowa]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Minnesota]], [[New Jersey]], [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[Arizona]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Florida]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Alaska]] and [[New Mexico]], plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]], currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were illegally forced to do so by activist federal courts acting outside of their mandate. Only in [[Maine]], [[Maryland]], and [[Washington]] has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. [[Minnesota]] was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in [[Alabama]] for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the June 2015 ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.  

Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex "marriage". [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref>  The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex "marriage" <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html "New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> The state began issuing same-sex "marriage" licenses in January, 2010.

Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex "marriage". [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref>  The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex "marriage" <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html "New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> The state began issuing same-sex "marriage" licenses in January, 2010.

In the fall of 2009, a same-sex "marriage" bill was introduced to the [[Washington, D.C.]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly homosexual). After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses,<ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html ''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'']</ref> the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html "DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> it passed and became law in 2010.

In the fall of 2009, a same-sex "marriage" bill was introduced to the [[Washington, D.C.]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly homosexual). After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses,<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html ''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'']</ref> the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html "DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> it passed and became law in 2010.

Five years after ''Hernandez v. Robles'', a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex "marriage" on June 24, 2011.<ref>https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york</ref>

Five years after ''Hernandez v. Robles'', a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex "marriage" on June 24, 2011.<ref>https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york</ref>