NPR on Same Sex Marriages-Tell Me More Segment

This week, Vermont passed a bill removing the ban on same sex marriages in the state. This was seen as a huge victory for the gay community. Many see this decision in Vermont as the gateway for other states to follow suit and allow same sex marriages. Now everybody knows how controversial this issue is in our society today. Many people see it as a moral and religious issue, stating that the sanctity of marriage is between a man and a woman. Gay individuals see it as their right to be able to marry the one that they love. NPR covered a story about the decision, and the possible impacts it may have on the issue of gay marriage in the United States.

The Vermont decision was the first time that the legislature approved a bill on same sex marriage and not the courts. The legislature also overturned the governor's veto of the bill. NPR had NYU Law School Professor Kenji Yoshino speak about the Vermont decision and the impact it may have on gay marriage in America. He saw the passing as extraordinary, as the bill passed through both houses of the legislature with 2/3rd's of the vote. This decision showed that there are some states with a political majority supporting gay marriage. It was also important because it went beyond allowing civil unions between gay couples, but legalizing the right to marriage. Probably the most significant impact the decision will have, according to the professor, is for other states to reevaluate their laws against gay marriage. Currently, 29 states have constitutional bans on gay marriage. If more states consider gay rights and pass similar laws to that of Vermont, it may put pressure on the states that are reluctant to make changes. President Obama, however, is not in favor of legalizing gay marriage nationally, but is in support of civil unions. A heated debate indeed...only time will tell whether or not we will see marriage rights for the gay community in the near future.