2011年5月31日火曜日

Answers (7&8)

Q. How many couples want to have same-sex marriage in the world?

A. I couldn't find the number of couples but I found a survey data from Shinjuku 2 chome on a web magazine.
Japan doesn't accept same-sex marriage but 21% of gay couples want to marry.
32% want to marry if the same-sex marriage becomes legal in Japan.
19% other opinions.
16% doesn't want to marry.
6%  want to marry in the country where the same-sex marriage is legal.
2% married in the country where the same-sex marriage is legal.

TW, Editors. "Shinjuku 2chome Queer research." Tokyo Wrestling. Yuki Keiser, Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.tokyowrestling.com/articles/2010/01/queer_research_love4.html>.

Q. What if they want to divorce?

A. The case in Massachusetts, the first gay divorce was a couple who had married five days after same-sex marriage was legalized. The couple had to fill in the form that said "husband" and "wife". This is unprecedented. Divorce occurring so soon teaches that gay couples are not suited to marriage. It says one group stated that the gay men were too sexually active to make a marriage work. The first gay marriage divorce was a couple who had been together for 5 years. However the law of divorce for gay marriage wasn't made so they cannot take care of gay marriage divorce until the Canadian Supreme Court ruled legality of gay marriages nationwide.

"Gay Divorce." love and pride. love and pride, Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.loveandpride.com/informationcenter/tips.aspx?categoryid=8>.

Answers (5&6)

Q. How the the same-sex couples recognize the marriage?

A. I found an article from last year that says federal trial in San Fransisco decided to ban on same-sex marriage. After a few paragraphs of opinions about this constitutional has changed, there is an opinion of a same-sex couple who think that they want to marry before having a family. They want children but they want them after they get married. However,  banning the same-sex marriage, it makes impossible for them to have marriage. "For us, marriage is so important because it solidifies the relationship and give us access to the relationship that is global." said Katami, who has a partner of same sex. For couples, marriage is the most important relationship in life. And so, many homosexual couples want to get married.

"Calif. couples tell of gay marriage ban's toll." msnbc 1 Nov 2010: n. pag. Web. 30 May 2011.<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34801259/ns/us_news-life/t/calif-couples-tell-gay-marriage-bans-toll/>.


Q. How the life of same-sex couples like after they got married?

A. I couldn't find the life story of same-sex couples but I found a web page that introduces what the same-sex couples should do after they get married. Brette Sember, the author, tells few advices for homosexual couples. I wrote first three advices that are listed on the page. First, they should find and live in the place where the gay marriage is accepted. Next, don't throw away marriage documents. Third, adopt children if each of a partner has to legally raise together... etc. There are ten advices for same-sex couples. I think each of advices is good for same-sex couples because each one is described detail.

Sember, Brette. Gay Marriage Tips. LifeTips.com, Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.brettesember.com/press/LifeTips_Gay%20Marriage%20Life%20Home%20Health%20Family.htm>.

2011年5月29日日曜日

Answers(7,8)

Q7, 8 How people feel about same-sex marriage?
I searched information mainly from poll conducted by CNN. According to the poll, I found that many Americans supports recognition of same-sex marriage now. While 51 % of the 824 Americans states that same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid in the same way as heterosexual marriage, 47 % of people oppose the idea. Also the answer is different by generation and gender.
・Gender gap
more than half of men…oppose
57 % of women…support
・Generation gap (the rate of people who support same-sex marriage)
from 18- to 34-year-old…this group show high levels of support though CNN didn’t survey this time.
60 % of people under 50-year-old…support
40 % of people over 50-year-old…support

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_opinion_of_same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States)
(http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/19/poll-more-americans-favor-same-sex-marriage/)

Answers(5,6)

Q5. Some rules made for same-sex marriage. (Instead of allowing marriage)
1) Registration partnership system: This system is introduced in Belgium. The demerit of the system is that gay couples can’t adopt a child as their son/daughter. But if the couples are lesbians, only one of the lesbian who give birth a child can be a regal parent. It’s mean that another partner can’t be regarded as regal parent.
2)Semi-marriage system: This system is used in Denmark. It’s only semi system, so homosexual couples can’t have same right with heterosexual couples. They can’t hold wedding ceremony at church, and can’t receive a child for adoption.

"同性結婚について." 結婚のすべて. アカデミアジャパン株式会社, n.d. Web. 29 May 2011.(http://kekkon.homn.net/dousei.html)


Q6. Same-sex marriage in Japan.
Same-sex marriage is not regally allowed, but there is a way for gay couples to marry in Japan. In 2003, a law about gender identity disorder passed. And a person overcome 5 terms below can get same-sex marriage.
1. more than two doctors diagnose he/she is gender identity disorder
2. he/she is above 20-year old
3. he/she has to be unmarried state when he/she apply
4. he/ she has no child
5. he/she has to take sex reassignment surgery
I found that if the person change sex, he/she can marry to same-sex pertnar in Japan.

"同性結婚について." 結婚のすべて. アカデミアジャパン株式会社, n.d. Web. 29 May 2011.(http://kekkon.homn.net/dousei.html)

2011年5月22日日曜日

yahoo group

I joined a yahoo group called surrogates ed for same sex couples.
( http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/surrogates_ed_for_samesexcouples/ )

     This group is for gays and singles who want to be parents. This topic is relavant to our topic because I think when many same sex couples get married, they want to be parents and have families. The discussions are providing information and experience of surrogates and egg donors. There is also a lesbian couple who want to have a baby and asking for information of surrogacy.

yahoo group

I joined the group called We 2 Have Parental Right.
( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/We2HaveParentalRights/ )

     This group is to discuss about legal fairness when gays and lesbians are dealing with parental rights. They believe that protecting the relationship between the child and the parent is important no matter the parents are homosexual or heterosexual couples. Each member in this group added a message of asking for advice about their parental problems. Recent discussion is about a woman, lives in New Mexico, and her ex-girlfriend have a baby girl but  her girlfriend, a baby's biological mother, is suffered from post partum depression after she gave a birth. They ended up their relationship while the writer was considering of adopting the baby. Now, she is taking care of the baby for most of the time. The member of this group adviced her to make the joint custody with her ex-girlfriend and have free childcare to get rid of financial burden. Other said to call NCLR to ask what rights she could have in New Mexico.

Yahoo groups

I joined "Family and Marriage Equality" group.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FamilyEquality/>

The Foundation for Family and Marriage Equality was organized in 2002 to promote equality for families headed by samesex couples who do not receive the same legal protections for themselves and their children as do other families.
As part of their efforts, throughout the year and especially during the week of St. Valentine’s,
they organize demonstrations, educational seminars, and samesex marriage event.

The group share information about the event they are going to hold or join and call members to take part in with them. The content is, for example, about the meeting they hold every month an so on. It seems that this group is good place to exchange the information we have.

Yahoogroups relevant to same-sex marriage

I joined "Gayhumanrights" group.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayhumanrights/>

Description
This list is about human and civil rights for gays and lesbians and discusses the possibilities of human rights organizations like amnesty international and others. Equality, same-sex marriage, asylum and anti-discrimination legislation are important topics of this list.
Currently conversation is about a girl who is homosexual. She likes her friend, who is bisexual, and they know about the things each other. They go to same school and enjoyed dance party together. At that time the friend told her she is cute. So she wonders if the friend also likes her, or it’s just her one-way thinking. Group members adviced her that the friend like her too, so she should enjoy the relationship.

2011年5月20日金曜日

Answers (3&4)

Q. Why the same-sex marriage became a serious issue in other countries but not in Japan? ( http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/world/main604084.shtml )

     A. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Japan. However in 2009, they allow Japanese who live in other countries to marry their partners living where same-sex marriages are legal. After that it seems there is no debate on same-sex marriage in Japan. It is because same-sex couples in Japan are likely to be considered as a parent and a child relationship. So if they want to have marriage or want protection by law, they are registered as adaptation.

Q. What are some other styles that are similar to marriage for same-sex couples? ( http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922609.html, http://www.ielanguages.com/pacs.html, http://gaylife.about.com/od/gaymarriagebyregion/a/germany.htm, http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/governmentcitizensandrights/yourrightsandresponsibilities/dg_10026937)

     A. domestic partnership - this is for same-sex couples that the law can be adapted only in the area that they registered.
civil union - it gives same-sex couples a few as a hundred of a thousand rights that heterosexual married couples are given.
PACS - gives similar rights and benefits that marriages have for couples who live together for more than a year. (France)
life partnership act - an act in Germany, allowing to register as life partners but it does not include full benefits that marriage have.
registered cohabitation - it has fewer rights than partnership or civil union.

Answers (1&2)

     Q. What are some problems that same-sex marriage cause? ( http://www.tfpstudentaction.org/politically-incorrect/homosexuality/1049-reasons-to-oppose-same-sex-marriage.html )

     A. This would make couples happy but this won't be a good environment for children to grow. Children must be educated and bring up with a man and a woman so this is not the best environment for children in growth. Also, when children are raised by only one sex people, he may be deprived of either his natural mother of father and develop lack of moral restraint. Yet, no one knows what effects of children in unusual condition so this is a problem when same-sex couples adopting children.

     Q. In the countries that allow same-sex marriage, do they prove exactly the same conditions as they provide for regular marriage? ( http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles2/SchulmanGayMarriage.php )

     A. In most of the countries. For example, Netherlands is the first country that allows marriage between same-sex couples. They gave all the rights that the marriage have including the acception for adaptation from other countries. Ireland also accept same-sex marriage but they don't provide the same marriage conditions to same-sex marriage.

2011年5月19日木曜日

Answers(3,4)

Q3. Why SSM is illegal in Japan?
<http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki>

A. There is writing in the Constitution of Japan, which says; marriage become effective at the mutual agreement of both sexes. And it has to maintain by mutual cooperation basing the fact that couples have equal right.
This provision denies same-sex marriage.


Q4. Is there any case that homosexual couples have their own baby?
Surrogate Mothers' New Niche: Bearing Babies for Gay Couples
By GINIA BELLAFANTEP
Published: May 27, 2005
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/27/national/27surrogates.html?pagewanted=1>


A. Hundreds of same-sex couples are now finding ways to create families with or without marriage. They want to have children genetically linked to them. Cary Friedman, a psychiatrist, and Rick Wellisch, an internist, is one of the gay couples who wanted their children. Then the two used the system of surrogacy. Lura Stiller is the woman who becomes surrogate mother for them. She donated her egg and one of the partners gave the sperm, and now Dr. Friedman and Dr. Wellisch became parents of a baby girl.

Answers(1,2)

Q1. What is the bad point of SSM?
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marint2.htm>

A. There are seven reasons why SSM is undesirable.
1. Gays and lesbians make poor parents.
2. Children need to be raised by their biological parents.
3. A child with same-sex parents will be subjected to hate.
4. Marriage is only feasible if the couple is monogamous.
5. Same-sex couples cannot procreate by themselves.
6. “Slippery slope” concern; if SSM are legalized, then decriminalization of prostitution, polygyny, polyandry and incest will necessarily follow.
7. Children raised by gay or lesbian parents will become homosexual adults.


Q2. Which group support SSM?
http://community.pflag.org/
http://www.wikipedia.org/

A.
GLAD (Gay &Lesbian Advocates &Defenders)is a group in the United States.
PFLAG (Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays) is a group in the United States.
FFLAG (Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is a group in the United Kingdom.
COLAGE has 52 chapters in the US, 2 chapters in Canada, and one in European.
Tehila is Israel’s support group.
Tels Quels (Belgium)
CONTACT (France)
BEFAH (Germany)
FELS (Switzerland)
Association of Fathers and Mothers of Gays and Lesbians (Spain)
Families for Social Diversity (Latin America)

2011年5月11日水曜日

Good and Bad Website

good website:
     Wiessner, Dan. "Same Sex Marriage Flowchart : The Arguments For And Against Gay Marriage." Reuters 11 May 2011: 1. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/11/us-newyork-gay-marriage-idUSTRE74A2T820110511>.
     This news article is about Cuomo, a Democrat in the U.S. government, who wants to make a priority for same-sex marriage in the next legislative session. There are opinions from several people about their thoughts of what would this movement brings. This website is reliable because every information is clear on each article. Also they showed what kind of organization they are, the location of their office, and addresses of contacts, so this gives reliability to viewers.

bad website:
     "Same Sex Marriage Flowchart : The Arguments For And Against Gay Marriage." queeried 1. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.queeried.co.uk/same-sex-marriage-flowchart-the-arguments-for-and-against-gay-marriage/>.
     This article has reasons of both agree and disagree sides for same-sex marriage. In the chart of opinions are easilly seen in unique way. I like how they organized all the opinions in a chart because I felt there is no right answer for same-sex marriage just like this chart never ends up its conversation in a circle. But I think this website is not a reliable website because it doesn't show the author and the date of this entry. Also, they gathered opinions for this chart from facebook where people are possible to fake who they are.

2011年5月10日火曜日

questions

16. What are the advantages of same-sex marriage?
17. -> What are some problems that this marriage may cause?
18. How does the same-sex marriage affect the society?
19. -> In good or bad ways?
20. Why the same-sex marriage became a serious issue in other countries but not in Japan?
21. In the countries that allow same-sex marriage, do they provide exactly the same conditions as they provide for regular marriage?
22. How the same-sex couples recognize the marriage?
23. What are some other styles that are similar to marriage for same-sex couples?
24. How the life of same-sex couples like after they got married?
25. -> Do they have any problem?
26. Is there any additional rule for same-sex marriage?
27. What if they want to divorce?
28. How many couples want to have same-sex marriage in the world?
29. Is  there any country, currently considering of allowing or not allowing same-sex marriage?
30. Is there any person who is a homosexual but opposing same-sex marriage?

2011年5月8日日曜日

A bad site

"現在、「同性結婚」を反対している友人をいじめています。そこで「子供のい.. ." Web. 8 May 2011
anonymity

I think this site is not good, because the contents have a little problem. The person who posted his opinion in the site says he wants to bully his friend because the friend objects to same-sex marriage. May be the person is supporter of same-sex marriage. And the friend stands the opposite position to him, so he would get angry. But it’s not reasonable action. Each person has different opinion. I thought that it is necessary to understand the idea of different position’s people before we blame them.

A good web site

Nancy, Polikoff. "Gary and Tony...and the child who has two mothers." BEYOND(STRAIGHT AND GAY) MARRIAGE. Blogger, Web. 8 May 2011. .
http://beyondstraightandgaymarriage.blogspot.com

Nancy Polikoff has been working on gay and lesbian family law issues for more than 30years. This site is a blog made by her, and it is useful to know the news about same-sex marriage. The best point is that the information is up to date. She posts various news or information related to this matter in the blog. For example, the news about child adoption as a result of same-sex marriage, about an activist against/for the marriage, about the movement towards acceptation of the marriage, and so on.
We can know the information from various angles, so I think this blog is one of the best sites.

2011年5月7日土曜日

Questions



  1. What is the bad point of same-sex marriage?

  2. Which groups, if any, support same-sex marriage in the world?

  3. Which groups, if any, oppose same-sex marriage?

  4. Why same-sex marriage is illegal in Japan?

  5. Do you think Japan will one of the countries which allow same-sex marriage?

  6. Which religions don't allow same-sex marriage?

  7. →Why they can't allow it?

  8. There are rules in some countries that same-sex marriage is banned but living together is not banned. Why only marriage is banned?

  9. How many homosexual people got married until today?

  10. How many homosexual couples are there in the world?

  11. How many homosexual couples received children for adoption?

  12. Is there any case homosexual couple have their own baby?(except adopting children)

  13. →How they did?

  14. How does young people(teenagers) around the world think about same-sex marriage?

  15. How does adults(from about 20) think about this marriage?

2011年5月6日金曜日

Perspective:Christianity and same-sex marriage


  • "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and femal He created them"(Genesis 1:27)
When God created a patner for Adam, he created Eve-not another Adam. If God had intended the human race to be fulfilled through both heterosexual and homosexual marriage, he would have designed our bodies to allow reproduction through both means.
Also, when Jesus was asked questions about marriage, he went straight back to the defining passage in Genesis. And he said marriage is between male and female, and it is meant be life long.


  • "---men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due"(Romans 1:26-27)
This indicates that homosexual passions and acts are unnatural and shameful.
The Church exists to save people, not to bless the means of their damnation. No marriage can be sanctioned by the Church if the basis of the marriage involves acts that put the couple outside of eternal salvation. Whatever our society may legislate, the law of God is clear- that a marriage is not a godly marriage if it is a same sex union.

different perspectives

Hello, my name is Susan, a business worker, living in France. I used to have a problem with my partner Anna. We are both women and had been in the relationship for about 4 years. It is difficult for others to understand our relationship but we really want somehow register as an official couple on residence just like the marriage. I know some countries allow same-sex couples to marry. But since France doesn't allow the marriage for same-sex couples, we are trying to sign up for Civil Solidarity Pact Act that enables to be recongized us as partners for lifelong. This is very interesting to us because we understand that we are different from other couples but want to be formed a joint life. It doesn't have the rights and responsibilities that formal marriage have but we are no longer considered as a single, so we are very happy to sign up for PACS. I would recommend every same-sex couples to use this form of civil union if there is no law of allowing same-sex marriage in their countries.

2011年5月5日木曜日

same-sex marriage

Some countries have started to legally accept same-sex marriage from 2001. Now there are 10 countries have the law of accepting same-sex marriage in their countries. Some state jurisdictions accept same-sex marriage in the U.S. and Mexico. This enables same-sex couples to be married just like the other couples. However, for those who think the marriage should be between woman and man suggest that they should use different status of marriage such as partnership and civil union. Those are unequal to marriage but they make it possible for same-sex couples to officially register and have the limited legal rights that marriage couples have. This works in more than 20 countries and performed in many states in the U.S.. In the present, many people think that prohibition of same-sex marriage relates to the discrimination against homosexuals so many countries are considering on protecting those couples by the law.