Same Sex Union Is a Research Paper

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This institution has not been anti-gays traditionally. The country has been trying to frame LGBT laws in the context of human rights as presented in the constitution. The leaders and politicians are also aware of the homophobia persisting in the country and understand that they are not as much because of the laws as they are due to macho mentality of the society. Gays and lesbians are allowed to speak at gatherings and participate in gay march and rallies but they are expected to keep everything low-key. (Stewart, p.16)

US on the other hand is more tolerant even if the state doesn't recognize allow marital status to gay couples on federal level. However some states do offer marriage licenses to gay couples however these are not recognized on national basis and can easily be rejected by other states thus denying a couple benefits that come with being legally married in the U.S.

States like California where same sex marriage was briefly recognized have also been forced by strong public opinion to disallow legal status and hence Proposition 8 was passed in 2008 banning same sex marriages. Congress and public have repeatedly pushed for efforts to ban same sex marriages by urging federal government to disallow states to form their own laws in this matter.

Currently five states recognize same-sex marriage including Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire and a total of six states that recognize some form of civil union for gay and lesbian couples.
Illinois and Hawaii will be the next two states to recognize civil union in 2011 and 2012 respectively. (HRC report)

US is still nowhere close in homophobia as Belize where laws were amended in 2003 to make them even more stringently against same sex union. It is however quite strange since many other neighboring countries in that region have shown more tolerance for same sex unions. "Compare Belize with other Central American countries and their attitudes are displayed in an even more dramatic light. Honduras' laws, dating back to 1899, permit same-sex sexual activity. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama do not criminalize people for their sexual orientation." ("Belize Human Trafficking")

The issue of same sex unions is rather problematic, confusing, and certainly controversial. Both U.S. And Belize have laws banning or allowing same sex unions but at least in the U.S., the activity itself is not criminalized even though marriage between gay couples is not recognized. In Belize, the country shows no tolerance or acceptance of same-sex sexual activity and definitely doesn't allow legal unions, civil unions or unions of any other kind between such couples......

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