Identification

• The fight for same-sex marriage rights is aimed at allowing gay individuals to marry the person they love. Same-sex couples are not asking for any rights or privileges that are different from those that current married couples have.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Some people do not think that same-sex couples need to be married in order to have a committed and loving relationship. While this is true, it is important to remember that without the option of marriage, same-sex couples receive a significant amount of discrimination.
  
  

Effects

• Partners in a same-sex relationship are often denied many rights, simply because they are not married. For example, certain hospitals will not allow visitation rights since they are not considered "family." They are unable to obtain family health insurance with one another and sometimes have difficulties with taxation and inheritances.
  
  

Opposition

• There are a number of reasons people oppose gay marriage rights. One of the most common is that it goes against the institution of marriage, which is between a man and a woman. Allowing same-sex couples to marry also goes against many religious beliefs.
  
  

Results

• Supporters of gay rights hold multiple rallies every year to encourage public support for gay marriage rights. Although some states have started to allow and honor same-sex marriages, most states in 2009 are still resisting the idea.