Never before have proponents of same-sex
marriage achieved so many sweeping victories. Lexington may appear to be a
Mecca of gay activism in the United States, but it is actually reflective of
a much larger trend.
Western nations, such as the Netherlands, Belgium and, most
recently, Canada, have declared homosexual unions to be the same as marriage
between a man and a woman. Gay activists hope the United States will be next.
Public policy analysts say that the U.S. Supreme Court
reinvigorated the gay marriage movement when it struck down Texas’
anti-sodomy law last June. Gay activists promptly launched legal challenges
to state bans on homosexual marriage.
Indiana and Arizona courts have recently upheld Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) laws which define marriage as between one man and one
woman. However, courts in Massachusetts and New Jersey may rule in favor of
gay marriage. Currently, 37 states, including Kentucky, have DOMA’s — one
state shy of the constitutional requirement should Congress pass the proposed
Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. Critics say that amending the
U.S. Constitution is a long and arduous process that may fail to protect
marriage if federal courts rule in favor of gay marriage first.
To remedy this, Rep. John Hostettler (R-Indiana) introduced
the Marriage Protection Act on October 16. The proposed Act would prevent
unelected federal judges from redefining marriage. President Bush entered the
debate when he declared the week of October 12-18 as "Marriage Protection
Week," which advocates of traditional marriage hailed. His proclamation
stated, "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman," and "Marriage is a
sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength
of our society."
According to a nationwide poll conducted by Fox News,
62 percent of Americans oppose gay marriage, while only 26 percent favor it.
