The+New+Civil+Rights+Movement

In its relatively short history as a country, the U.S. has experienced many problems in the oppression of rights of minorities. Though the United States tends to shamefully hide in the dark shadow of slavery and Jim Crow, the public seemed to find another group to exclude. For years, homosexuals lived in a society that did not accept them; at one time scientists even regarded homosexuality as a mental illness. A growing issue for many same sex couples was legality of marriage.

During his first term, President Bush made a definitive stance that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Political pundits questioned Bush’s true motives for bringing up the issue, but its affects still made an impact on people’s thinking. The public seemed split on whether to recognize same sex marriage as expectable not only federally but socially. Several states had passed legislation recognizing complete same sex marriage, and others provided civil unions that gave them at least some of the same benefits as heterosexuals. Still, people could not come to an agreement as to any federal laws to affirm solution on the matter. Bush attempted to pass a Marriage Protection Amendment through the senate in February, 2006 that read: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.” The amendment did not pass and the decision was left up to individual states with California, Massachusetts and then Connecticut allowing same sex couples to legally marry. However, in November, 2008 California passed Proposition 8 which overturned //In re Marriage Cases// of California Supreme Courts and banned marriage between same sex partners. Upset groups throughout California and the country continued to fight for equal rights of homosexuals.