"Who am I to judge?"

"U.S." To Recognize Same-Sex Marriage in 6 New Sates"
By: Huffington Post
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/25/same-sex-marriage-six-states_n_6046892.html

Gay marriage has become legal in six more states, also extending federal benefits to these same sex couples. The federal government recognized gay marriage in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five states that requested to keep the gay marriage ban. A total of thirty-two states now have federal recognition of gay marriage. Social Security and veterans’ benefits are among the federal benefits that couples married in these states will receive. Attorney General Eric Holder indicated, “With each new state where same sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving full equality for all Americans” (1). Holder also claimed that the government is working as quickly and efficiently as they can to ensure all possible benefits to the same sex married couples that federal law permits. The Justice Department has also clarified “that it can legally recognize gay marriages performed this summer in Indiana and Wisconsin after federal courts declared marriage bans in the states unconstitutional. Holder remains confident that the U.S. will recognize the marriages.

            Over the years, there have been significant incredible improvements for the LGBT community. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to welcome gay marriages. Since then, seventeen states and Washington, DC have accepted gay marriages. In 2003, only thirty seven percent of Americans supported marriage equality. Now, fifty nine percent are in favor of it. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) stripped same sex couples of the right to marry at the federal level. In 2013, the Supreme Court removed it, also guaranteeing over 1,000 federal protections for gay marriages. In December of 2012, the American Psychiatric Association no longer identified transgender as a disorder.

            These developments are huge for the community, as it continues to gain acceptance in more and more states. The topic of same sex marriage has been a controversial topic for years. Those who do not believe in the equality of gay marriage are usually straight. Therefore, the legalizing of same sex marriage will not affect their life. Like Pope Francis’ proclamation, “Who am I to judge?”