A Step Forward in the United States

The decision of the United States’ Supreme Court not to hear pending appeals against gay marriage presented in five states – which means de facto legalization – is a big step forward in the legal recognition by society of a normalized situation. And it is a crucial defeat for those who hide behind the courts in order to prevent some of their fellow countrymen from enjoying the same rights as they do.

Thus, in 24 – which could turn into 30 in the coming weeks – of the 50 American states, two people of the same sex can now get married; this is something which goes beyond feelings or personal beliefs, around which the argument centers. It is the right to live under the legal cover of the civil contract constituting marriage. Everyone in a democratic and egalitarian society has the right to choose this option. The fight against discrimination does not allow for exceptions.

That this progressive change is taking place in the United States, as it has done on other occasions as a result of society’s pressure on institutions, and not vice-versa, should be welcomed. One after the other, Supreme Court decisions have normalized accepted situations in a large part of society; they may lag behind public opinion, but they bring resolution to the stumbling blocks imposed by state legislative and executive decisions which subject them to constitutional interpretation. That is what happened with something that today seems inconceivable – prohibiting marriage between a man and a woman of different races – and which has only been legal throughout the United States since 1967.

Unfortunately, there are still too many places in the world in which the situation is very different. In 10 countries, including Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, homosexuals are not only discriminated against; they are condemned to death. In these countries, they do not even have the chance to get married. Put simply, they hope they will not be stoned or hanged.