User:NiaSavon/New sandbox

LGBTQ Equality
Prior to June 26, 2015, gay marriage, or same sex marriage was “illegal” and many couples were not able to marry their spouses. Upon many protest and rallies for the rights of the LGBTQ community to be equal to those of the heterosexual community there was a supreme court ruling that changed history forever for many people lives both now and in the future.

Before the supreme court made its five to four supreme court ruling, states were allowed to openly turn couples away and tell them they cannot marry due to whatever reason they felt fit. In a lot of instances, the LGBTQ community were denied there right to marry for religious reasons as well as reasons such as people simply not approving of people of the same sex being married. Over time, as more and more couples were denied the basic right of being committed to the person they love until death due them part, protest and rallies to earn or exercise that right began to form and make a platform for itself.

The LGBTQ community fought for many different rights that have always been granted to the heterosexual community for the simple fact that they liked the opposite sex, which in society is deemed as “right”. Due to the LGBTQ community’s love being deemed as “wrong” they were denied rights such as:“ability to open joint bank accounts, ability to file joint federal and state tax returns, right to receive “marriage” or “family rate” on health, car and/or liability insurance, right to inherit spouse’s property upon death, right to sue for spouse’s wrongful death or loss of consortium, and, right to receive spouse’s Social Security, pension, worker’s compensation, or disability benefits.” (Lawyers.com)Couples together for decades, were denied the right to tie the knot under legal circumstances. If they were to get married, they would be married in their own eyes, but according to the law the two are not officially “married”, according to the state. Most states did recognize the joining of same sex couples but not all fifty states did. A few of the states that did recognize same sex marriage prior to the supreme court ruling were: Alabama, New Hampshire, Alaska, New Jersey, Guam, D.C, and thirty- three other states” (Legislatures)