1. Joana Haxhiu + Bobby Maffei PAA 601

2. Same Sex Marriage in the U.S.  4 Major Court Cases: Baehr v. Lewin (1993) Dugan v. Bureau of Vital Statistics (1998) Baker et al v. State of Vermont (1999) Goodridge v. Department of Public Health (2003)  President Clinton: Defense of Marriage Act (1996)  2008: 28 states have Sexual Orientation Protection  2014: 17 states recognize Same Sex Marriage/16 countries  State Marriage Defense Act (2014): Federal Gov’t must recognize legal Same Sex Marriages

3. Where it is Legal? Massachusetts Connecticut Iowa Vermont New Hampshire District of Columbia Maine Washington New York Maryland California Delaware Rhode Island Minnesota New Jersey Hawaii New Mexico Illinois

4. New York’s Position On June 24, 2011 New York became the sixth state to allow same sex couples to marry The NY State Legislature passed the Marriage Equality Act. It was signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo New York does not have any residency requirements for who can be married in the state In June of 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

5.  Federal marriage benefits include: Taxes Immigration Bankruptcy Social Security benefits  State based marriage rights in NY include: State tax benefits Insurance benefits Health care & family Leave Inheritance, property ownership & transfer rights Parental rights

6. Why is it a Public Policy Issue? Discrimination - “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”

7. Opposition to Same Sex Marriage Due to Moral, Political, Religious attitudes Moral: individual’s personal beliefs Political: Right Wing Conservatives Religion: literal interpretation of Bible Disapproval among: Men African Americans Elderly

8. Discussion Questions 1. Do you view Same-Sex Marriage any differently than Heterosexual Marriages? 2. What is your stance on Same-Sex Marriage? 3. Should Same-Sex Marriage couples have access to the same health care policies as Heterosexual Marriages?