This Week in CQ Researcher

Gay Marriage Showdowns, by Kenneth Jost,

September 26, 2008

Will voters bar marriage for same-sex couples?

The California Supreme Court gave gay rights advocates a major victory in May, ruling the state’s constitution guarantees same-sex couples the same marriage rights as opposite-sex pairs.

Opponents, however, have placed on the state’s Nov. 4 ballot a constitutional amendment that would deny marriage rights to same-sex couples by defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Similar proposals are on the ballot in Arizona and Florida. The ballot-box showdowns come as nationwide polls indicate support for some legal protection for same-sex couples, but not necessarily marriage equality.

• Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
  
• Should state constitutions prohibit marriage for same-sex couples?
  
• Should states recognize same-sex marriages from other states?

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