Juan Pablo Rivera Garza
Blogs Editor
In the last month, gay marriage has reached a critical point in its popularity. Recent developments have ranged from the new-found support of a variety of government and political officials to the pressing changes in the legalization of gay marriage. Without a doubt, these factors have paved the way for gay marriage’s inevitable legalization. Here’s what you need to know:
Changing Tide of Opinion
Gay marriage has seen one of the most monumental shifts in public opinion that any issue in recent times has ever had. It was only in 2004, a year in which President George W. Bush won on a platform endorsing a constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage, when an average of 19 polls determined that only 33% of Americans supported gay marriage. According to a recent ABC/Washington Post poll, 58% of Americans now support gay marriage. This is a massive shift, and demonstrates how momentum is on the side of those who support gay marriage. These numbers have nowhere to go but up, once again attesting to the inevitability of gay marriage legalization
Politicians Flocking
Just in the month of March, a whopping number of Senators came out in favor of same-sex marriage. As of now, 50 Senators support gay marriage (2 of them being Republicans). Once again, this is a massive shift; it was only in 1996 when 85 Senators voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). One especially interesting case is that of Republican Senator Rob Portman. He had been a fervent opponent of same-sex marriage, but due to the coming out of his son, he has joined the ranks of supporters of marriage equality. Alongside that, prospective Democratic 2016 Presidential candidates have come out in force in support of same-sex marriage. Former Secretary of State and frontrunner for the 2016 Presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, recently announced her support for the law. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, recently pushed gay marriage legalization within their respective states.
Supreme Court Rumblings
Adding to these marked shifts in support of gay marriage is the new case challenging DOMA that has been brought to the Supreme Court. The oral arguments, which only lasted two days, demonstrated a general sentiment that the justices were for striking down DOMA. This case, which won’t be decided until June, could be monumental. Although, it’s unlikely that gay marriage will be fully legalized with this ruling, it most definitely could be a pivotal turning point in the struggle for marriage equality.
In summation, the struggle for marriage equality is close to reaching its most critical point. At this point, public opinion is moving in such a marked direction of support, that it seems almost inevitable that we will see legalization of same-sex marriage within the next 10 to 20 years. Make sure to keep up to date with the @GOV blog by following @JuanRiveraNCHS
