Social impact of legislation allowing gay couples to marry

The fact that Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg's homosexuality has been largely seen as a non-issue is evidence of a startling societal shift. How did America get so accepting of same-sex relationships in so short a time? New research suggests that one catalyst was the state-level legalization of gay marriage. This acceleration indicates that "government legislation can inform attitudes, even on religiously and politically entrenched positions," the researchers write in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To measure popular attitudes toward same-sex relationships, the researchers analyzed two large data sets.

Same-sex marriage also known as gay marriage is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender , entered into in a civil or religious ceremony. There are records of same-sex marriage dating back to the first century though there is no legal provision in Roman Law, and it was banned in the Roman Empire in the fourth. In the modern era, same-sex marriage started being legalized at the beginning of the 21st century. Today, it is available in 28 countries.

By Nan D. Hunter October This essay explores further changes that may lie ahead as same-sex marriage debates increasingly affect both family law and the social meanings of marriage. Marriage as an institution has changed most dramatically because of the cumulative effects of the last half-century of de-gendering family law. Same-sex marriage—and perhaps even more so, the highly visible cultural debate over it—is contributing to this process.

Amid a flood of controversy last June, the U. Supreme Court overturned a longstanding Texas anti-sodomy law. While gay rights supporters applauded the decision, conservative political and religious groups expressed outrage. The ruling also prompted widespread speculation in the media that lawsuits related to other gay rights issues, including same-sex marriage, would not be far behind.