For over four hundred years, African Americans have faced discrimination in the United States, and it took them more than ten years to find some sort of equality. Women have also faced discrimination for hundreds of years and it took them more than fifty years to gain minimum rights. Although the issue of homosexuality is relatively new in our country, the fight for rights began almost immediately, and people today are still struggling to earn civil liberties, such as same-sex marriage. If changes are not made now, their fight for rights could last even longer than other minorities have endured. Since there is no national law to abolish same-sex marriage, each state sets its own laws regarding gay marriage. Currently in the United States, five states allow same-sex marriage, several states offer civil unions, and the vast majority of states prohibit same-sex marriage. Today, several groups, including conservatives and Christians, fight against gay marriage, citing Bible verses and their own personal beliefs as arguments. The gay community and many socially liberal Americans are coming together to fight back and defend themselves in the pursuit of equality. The United States should implement a national law allowing same-sex marriage for all gay couples, because it will guarantee natural rights to all Americans, establish and preserve equality among all citizens, and help end discrimination against gay Americans. Allowing same-sex marriage means allowing marriage and certain rights for heterosexual couples and prohibiting those rights for homosexual couples. In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act which defined marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman (Wolfson). Couples involving one... middle of paper ......e, June 17, 2009. Web. May 29, 2010. .Stewart, Chuck. “Gay and Lesbian Rights: Perspectives.” Issues: Understanding the controversy and the company. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. June 1, 2010. .Stone, Geoffrey R. “Democracy, Religion, and Proposal 8.” The Huffington Post. November 15, 2008. Web. May 29, 2010. .Wolfson, Evan. “Homosexuals should be allowed to marry.” Opposing points of view: homosexuality. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Storm. South Bucks Central High School. June 1st 2010 .