Final Paper
Law and The Fight for Marriage Rights Word Count: 1636 The legislative and political history of marriage in America has been marked by numerous turbulent court cases driven by religion and other hegemonic forces seeking to maintain their societal influence. The hegemon, comprised of the White, Christian, Straight, and middle-class population, has used its power and societal standing to write and pass legislation infringing on the rights of people of color and sexual minorities in order for their demographic to remain at the top of society and with the most political and legal power. Notably, the fight for interracial marriage preceded the push for same-sex marriage, enabling the pro-LGBTQ+ movement to incorporate rhetoric from the interracial marriage debate to bolster their efforts in securing rights for same-sex marriage. Ultimately, the key determinant of “victory” in both fights revolves around whether the government can dictate or control what happens in the privacy of one’s home
