When the honeymoon ends:The romance (and reality) of marriage equality litigation
On April 23rd, 2015, Alison Gash a assistant professor and author from the University of Oregon, spoke about the battle with civil rights and gay marriage. Currently, there are several cases before the Supreme Court that will decide the future of gay marriages around the country.
Gash discussed the misconceptions often associated with allowing gay marriages. Many people believe interest groups vying for the gay community have been a vital factor in the legalizing of gay marriage, however, as Gash pointed out there are several other factors that have influenced the current political climate around gay marriage.
Before gay marriage was legalized anywhere in the United States, gay couples were able to adopt children and co-parent. With a majority of these cases being in family court, they went so to speak “under the radar”. By the time attention was brought to the idea of a gay couple being able to co-parent together, many states already had court mandates allowing them to do so. Gash believes that the ability to adopt children was a huge reason why gay marriage rights are currently being legalized in many places around the United States.
Gay marriage has become a controversial matter among many Americans. The current court cases before the Supreme Court have the ability to legalize gay marriage all around the country, even the southern states where it is most opposed. Depending on the outcome, this could mean more inclusive legislation for gay marriage and civil rights in the near future— all of which Gash discusses in her new book Below the Radar.