No recognition

January 9, 2014

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/08/utah-same-sex-marriages-not-recognized/4372657/

Unit 5

After the supreme court decided to halt gay marriage in Utah, until Utah is through with the appeal process, the governor informed the citizens of Utah, that they would not recognize the marriages that had already taken place. The governor told agencies not to recognize gay marriages in any legal proceeding. This means that same-sex couples who were legitimately married, can not file for taxes jointly, or get onto their partner's health care. They are not able to receive the benefits that regular married couples receive.

This is not in anyway surprising. What is surprising is that Utah is the 18th state to allow same-sex marriage, albeit not of their own will. With this declaration, Utah is not legitimatizing the marriages that have already taken place, at least not yet, they are just saying, that as a state they cannot recognize them, because it is against the law of this state. Utah is remaining firm on this decision, it warned same-sex couples after Judge Shelby's decision was announced that the marriages may be dissolved once they had succeeded in an appeal.

Although I am not a supporter of gay marriage, due to my religious background, I do believe that those who are gay should be given the same rights as those who are not. I have a couple of friends who are gay, and they are great people. Entirely normal, except for the fact they are attracted to people who are of the same-sex. But just because they are not the same as the majority, does not mean that they should be discriminated against. It is unfair, and they are also citizens of this state and nation. Although I do not personally believe in the concept of gay marriage, I do not think they should be kept from the same rights that others enjoy.

In other words, this is a complicated issue for me, and I can't determine which side I am on. In different ways, I am actually on both.