Legislating Marriage: A Constitutional Examination of Same-Sex Marriage

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorBlock, Steve
dc.contributor.authorHight, Nita
dc.contributor.departmentPolitical Science.en_US
dc.contributor.otherBaylor University.en_US
dc.contributor.schoolsHonors College.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-28T19:41:45Z
dc.date.available2015-05-28T19:41:45Z
dc.date.copyright2015
dc.description.abstractOne of the most pressing legal issues facing the American legal system is the question of homosexual marriage. Following the legalization of homosexuality following Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, and the Supreme Court’s subsequent 2013 decision to recognize same-­‐‑sex marriages on the federal level in U.S. v. Windsor, few issues can match the fervor with which same-­‐‑sex marriage is discussed. This thesis examines the Court’s jurisprudence concerning marriage, sexual autonomy, privacy, and discrimination in order to determine the appropriate level of scrutiny for the Court to use when examining this issue, and then proceeds to apply that level of scrutiny in order to demonstrate that state bans on same-­‐‑sex marriage are unconstitutional infringements on the liberty of homosexual persons. Finally, I demonstrate that the legalization of same-­‐‑sex marriage will not have the effect of moral degradation feared by some opponents of legalization, namely those expounded upon by Justice Scalia in his famous dissent in Lawrence.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2104/9364
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rightsBaylor University projects are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsWorldwide accessen_US
dc.subjectGay marriage.en_US
dc.subjectSame-sex marriage.en_US
dc.subjectGay rights.en_US
dc.subjectHomosexuality.en_US
dc.subjectEqual protection clause.en_US
dc.subjectDue process clause.en_US
dc.subjectConstitutional law.en_US
dc.subjectFourteenth amendment.en_US
dc.subjectFifth amendment.en_US
dc.titleLegislating Marriage: A Constitutional Examination of Same-Sex Marriageen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Nita_Hight_HonorsThesis.pdf
Size:
168.15 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Thesis
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Nita_Hight_CopyrightForm.pdf
Size:
1.77 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Permissions Form
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.87 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Theses - Honors College