Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned California's gay-marriage ban this Wednesday, August in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

The following countries recognize gay marriages:
Netherlands – 2001, Belgium – 2003,Canada – 2005

Countries that recognize “registered partnerships”:
Denmark - 1989, Norway – 1993, Greenland – 1994, Sweden – 1995, Iceland – 1996.

Countries with domestic partnerships laws: France – 1999, Germany – 2001,
Portugal - 2001

If you’ve been following current news from the past years, you probably already know the ongoing debate on gay marriages. For people against it, it’s a matter of taking a moral stand, while for those who approve of it, it’s a matter of equality. Regardless of whether you’re for it or against it, gay marriages is something that needs to be discussed not just for its controversy, but because it plays a huge role in today’s social relevance. It has the power to affect today’s society and change the world we live in forever.

For the people who are against gay marriages, they claim that this step is going to essentially weaken the family unit which will then influence society to take a step back morally. These people believe that marriage should only be enjoyed by couples which consist of a man and a woman because this traditional combination is capable of procreating. Same sex couples should not be allowed to marry on the basis that they can’t physically procreate, which essentially is said to be the main reason why people get married. Plus there’s the ongoing stigma that gay couples won’t be able to raise children in a positive type of environment given that they are already branded as perverse by the traditionalists.

On the other hand, people who are for gay marriages believe that all people deserve to be happy regardless of their sexual preference. With this idea in mind, it’s no wonder that many gay and lesbian partnerships think that this imposition can be considered as a violation of their basic human rights. Since people get married because of love, it’s just fair that they also get the privilege to marry their partners as a sign of their undying commitment. It doesn’t necessarily have to hurt anyone or affect any facet of society because many gay and lesbian couples believe that marriage may even bring out the best in them.

Though this controversial issue is still up for debate in many countries, some nations have decided to loosen their laws and take a more positive stance towards the prevalence of same sex marriages. Countries such as Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden have allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry under state laws. Other countries such as Austria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador and Finland recognize civil unions as binding and registered partnerships as recognized entities.

In the United States, though same sex marriages are not recognized federally yet, there are currently 5 states that allow gays and lesbians to marry. These are Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts. There are 31 states that have put same sex marriages in their ballots, but so far, no one has passed yet.

Unfortunately, with the way things are going right now, this issue will continue to drag on, causing more political and legal upheavals to happen in the future. Given that both parties don’t seem like backing out anytime soon, the gay marriage debate will create more distress for everyone in the many years to come.