You And The World Blog 1: LGBT Equality

Hi, I’m Morgan Caswell-Warnick and I’m a freshman here at Science Leadership Academy. As part of the freshman English curriculum, we have the opportunity to go out and make a difference in the world we live in. We chose an issue we’re passionate about, research about, and then we go out and do something about it. I have chosen my issue to be LGBT rights. This has been an issue I have been passionate about for a long time and I finally am going to make a change. This issue is important to me because I know people who have had this personally affect them and I don’t think anyone should have to be mistreated like that.

In the recent election, three states chose to make same-sex marriage legal, giving gay and lesbian couples the chance to be legally married. Maryland, Maine, and Minnesota all voted to get rid of the federal amendment that defines marriage as a civil union between a man and a woman. Instead, they chose to define it as a civil union between two people. In turn, North Carolina voted and kept that amendment. Gay marriage is legal in 11 states in the US: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C.

While same- sex marriage isn’t legal in all states, some states recognize a civil unions or domestic partnerships. A civil union is similar to a marriage, but it is between two people of the same sex. The rights granted by it are similar to those of a marriages. A domestic partnership is different. A domestic partnership is not similar to marriage and you are not granted any rights similar to those of marriage. A domestic partnership is a sexual relationship between two people who live together and have a long-term relationship. The states the recognize civil unions are domestic partnership are Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island. The states to recognize a domestic partnership.

This is an issue that is going to continue to happen and change. With different states legalizing same-sex marriage, this is something that will evolve. And so as this keeps evolving, keep informed about it.