"I Do" Or "Please Don't": Hawaii's Same Sex Marriages

Part I of Essay
With the recent decision by the Hawaii courts regarding the legalization of marriage between same-sex couples, a political debate across the United States has begun. Many people believe that this is a monstrous step to legalizing same-sex unions country wide, especially s ....

Part II of Essay
.... man as his wife." Legally, however, marriage is more than just a statement of love. Marriage comes with economic and legal benefits that one cannot receive alone. For example, joint parental custody, insurance and health benefits, the ability to file joint tax returns, alimony and child support, and inheritance of property and visitation of a partner or a child in the hospital. In fact, the Hawaii Commission on Sexual Orientation itself concluded that denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples deprived applicants of these legal and econ ....