Romantic Relationships 297SIDEBAR 9.1:Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Gay and lesbian relationships have received more recent attention over the past few years in
the United States as the subject of same-sex marriage has become pivotal in political elections.
Historically, Denmark was the first country in the world to allow same-sex partnerships in 1989.
In 1998, the Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. Today, other coun-
tries have followed suit, such as Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa. In the United States,
Vermont became the first state in the nation to permit civil unions between gay men and lesbi-
ans in 2000. These civil unions provide most of the rights and responsibilities of marriage. Con-
necticut and New Jersey also allow civil unions. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to
allow same-sex marriage, and in 2005, Canada legalized same-sex marriage. These recent actions
have aroused a furor in many states, leading the vast majority of states to develop laws or con-
stitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage. To date, every state except nine (Connecti-
cut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island,
and Vermont) has prohibited same-sex marriage (NPR, 2009; State of Hawaii, 1998; State of
Washington, 1998). Thus legal certificates that allow same-sex marriage or civil unions in other
states or countries will not be recognized by the majority of the United States. See each state’s
position on same-sex marriage in Figure 9.1.
Without the right to marriage, many gay men and lesbian women opt for commitment
ceremonies. However, the commitment ceremony does not seem to have the same meaning as
marriage—in part because it is not accompanied by the same legal rights. Interviews with gays
and lesbians in long-term relationships showed that the vast majority would opt for marriage if
they had the opportunity (Reczek, Elliott, & Umberson, 2009).
One of the primary objections people raise with respect to gay and lesbian marriage is that
it will have an adverse effect on “family values.” One study examined this claim and found no
relation of a state’s same-sex marriage policies to marriage rates, divorce rates, number of abor-
tions, or the number of children born to single women (Langbein & Yost, 2009). Over the past 20
years, attitudes toward homosexuality have changed from being mostly negative to mostly posi-
tive (Lubbers, Jaspers, & Ultee, 2009). Acceptance of homosexual relationships also has gathered
increasing support. In 2001, 40% of Americans approved of homosexual relations; by 2010, the
rate had increased to 52% (Saad, 2010). Likewise, support for same-sex marriage is gradually
increasing—especially among younger people. Although the majority of Americans oppose
same-sex marriage, the opposition number has decreased from 68% in 1996 to 53% in 2010
(Jones, 2010). People who are opposed to same-sex marriage tend to be Republican, evangelical,
and less educated (Fleischmann & Moyer, 2009). The majority of younger people (ages 18–29)
support gay marriage (Teixeira, 2009).women advertise their physical attractive-
ness and are looking for a stable man with a
job, who can handle finances. On the other
hand, we also see that both women are edu-
cated and independent.
The similarity principle also prevails—
the first woman is a huge sports fan and islooking for a sports fan. The second woman
likes spending time with family and is look-
ing for someone who is family oriented. The
first man emphasizes his interest in sports
and music and wanting someone with the
same interests. As you will see later, there are
important qualities desired by both womenM09_HELG0185_04_SE_C09.indd 297 6/21/11 12:40 PM