What are the social and legal issues surrounding same-sex marriage?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

As same-sex marriage is not legal in most states, same-sex partners generally are excluded from studies of sexual satisfaction within marriage, but when they are compared, in general, they appear to do well in comparison to heterosexual couples.
Between the 1960s and 2001, attitudes toward homosexuality and same-sex marriage evolved dramatically, and today are far more positive.
Today a broad and diverse group of gay and lesbian people desire to live in long-term committed relationships, form families, and express feelings of love, trust, and emotional connection.
Remarkably, the majority of Americans now support marriage equality. However, the federal government still does not recognize same-sex unions, and 31 states have amended their constitutions to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying-and one state, California, has changed its mind.
Many same-sex couples have expressed concern, anxiety, and even fear that they will not be able to live together or support their relationship in the face of a health emergency or discrimination due to the lack of societal acceptance and benefits.
Without the same laws that protect marriages of heterosexual couples, the surviving partner of a same-sex couple does not have legal access to benefits that may be crucial to the well-being of the survivor. Social security benefits, for example, are denied to gay partners when one of them dies even though they have lived with their partner for decades.