es (Demian "Marrying Apartheid").
Why has the issue of the legalization of same-sex marriages been so contentious, even as gay and lesbian people make strides in many other spheres of society? According to Barclay and Fisher, the issue of same-sex marriages has evoked tremendous conflicts for several reasons. First, the sphere of marriage has traditionally been considered to be a moral and spiritual domain that has been governed by religious institutions. The states' sanctioning of same-sex marriages would go directly against the religious proscriptions regarding same-sex marriages. Second, the legal recognition of same-sex marriages will provide homosexual couples with the same social status as heterosexual couples. Third, same-sex marriages, in contrast to most antidiscrimination laws that are limited to specific contexts and actions, provide gay and lesbian couples with a comprehensive range of legal and social rights that extend beyond the recognition of their sexual orientation (332-3). The above discussion thus highlights the significance of the issue of same-sex marriages for these opposing groups. In the remainder of this paper, the perspectives of advocates and opponents of same-sex marriages will be presented in greater detail.
Opponents of same-sex marriages typically object to them based on religious or moral grounds. Religious opponents cite the scriptures to support their claim that heterosexual marriages are the only legitimate form of marriage (Frame 66). To them, marriages refer strictly to a monogamous relationship involving a man and a woman who have the procreative capacity to establish families, which lie at the heart of the foundation of society. The partnership of a man and a woman is considered to be an integral part of human nature because they possess "complementary reproductive organs and emotional attraction" (Canavan 113) that connect them to one another in a committed relationship and le...