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Pakhomova, Alexsandra
Professor Makarosyan
English 114B
March 25, 2015
Gay Marriage in Our Media
In todays world, it is not uncommon to see a gay couple showing affection on our
television screens. We have come a long way since the 20th century where gay marriage was
considered taboo by many people in the United States. Now, it seems like it is a normal way of
life for people who are attracted to members of the same sex as they are and their supporters.
Gay marriage is evident in our media in terms of its economic benefits, milestones in our nation,
and social media.
Gay marriage is portrayed by the media as something that can help our economy.
According to an article from pbs.org, once gay marriage is legal everywhere in our country,
hundreds of thousands of excited couples would start planning weddings, generating at least
$1.5 billion, by my calculations, in spending on flowers, cakes, bands, meals, photographers,
hotels, tourism in general, suits and gowns (Badgett). The excitement of the same sex couples
everywhere will ultimately transfer into sales tax revenue for local and state governments,
making gay marriage a win win for both sides of the spectrum. Considering the fact that the U.S
marriage rate has made a steady decline since the 1970s, gay marriage is seen as a blessing in
disguise by not only strong supporters of gay marriage, but economists as well. Since the repeal
of DOMA, states that legalized gay marriage have seen a steady increase of marriages between
same sex couples. Currently, there are 37states that have legalized gay marriage and in turn are
contributing $1.5 billion to our economy. With more effort, we can get all the states on the same
boat and if done successfully, we can practically eliminate our national debt if gay marriage is
implemented nationwide. The good news is that our economy is doing better than it was in 2009

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when the first bouts of recession kicked in. Could it be that our economy had gotten better
because of the legalization of gay marriage in states like California and Maine?
Gay marriage has reached many milestones over the course of the first half of the
21st century. In the beginning, it has been said that fifteen states subjected gay male and
sometimes lesbian sexuality to criminal penalties and only eleven states had passed no
discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation (Adam 261). Back then, it was better to
hide the fact that someone is gay than being allowed to freely express it in the public eye. But
this did not create a roadblock for the LBGT community and its supporters. Even when states
created bans on same sex marriages, they still managed to keep their heads up high. In 2000, the
European Union adopted a Charter of Fundamental Rights which prohibited discrimination
toward homosexuals on the grounds of sexual orientation and guaranteed the right of marriage
and the formation of family. It seemed as though Europe was more welcoming toward the LGBT
community than our own nation. So what were the gays in our country left to do? Not everybody
can move to Europe and start a life there just because their own country is ashamed of
recognizing the people of their sexual preference. It wasnt until 2008 when our nation was
deciding on who should be our next president that same sex marriage debate made its appearance
once again. Then Senator of Illinois, President Obama said, What I believe, in my faith, is that
a man and a woman, when they get married, are performing something before God, and it is not
simply the two persons who are meeting."(Mears). But his views on gay marriage changed,
eventually. When asked again about his view on gay marriage in 2012, At a certain point, I've
just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think
same-sex couples should be able to get married." said Obama to ABC News that year (Mears).
Many had stated that our president changed his view because he wanted to get re-elected as
president, but to the LBGT community it was a sign that people can change their views on the
issue of gay marriage. Since then, many states legalized gay marriage, giving the gays the chance

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to pursue the same happiness that heterosexuals have been pursuing for millenniums.
Gay marriage is evident in our media in terms of social media. At the heat of the
gay marriage debate , one of Hollywoods most respected couples Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
had made their stance on the topic very clear. The couple had cohabited for what seemed like
years and the media was always wondering when they will tie the knot. When asked if they
have plans to get married in 2006, Brad Pitt said that he and Angelina Jolie will consider tying
the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able. (Moylan).
Since his statement, there have been major strides in an effort to legalize gay marriage including
the legalization of gay marriage in 37 out of 50 states. But Angelina and Brad are not the only
people in Hollywood who are strong supporters of gay marriage. Since the beginning of the 21st
century, Hollywood has made an effort in showing gays on television. Now it is very common to
see TV shows like Greys Anatomy or Modern Family in which there is a gay couple present;
something that would have created a public outrage in the 20th century. All of these occurrences
in our media have made us become okay with the idea of same sex couples and gay marriage.
Our society has made a great effort in terms of gay marriage and it is all thanks to our
media. Our media has changed many peoples views on same sex couples and gay marriage. The
media has made it clear to everyone that gay marriage is perfectly normal and like Andrew
Sullivan says in Why Gay Marriage is Good for Straight America,
And in the years of struggle as more and more heterosexuals joined us,
we all began finally to see that this was not really about being gay.
It was about being human. Just like being gay is no longer necessarily
about being an outsider. It is about being an American (Sullivan 417).
Andrew Sullivan is basically trying to say that if we were to step back and take a look at the
struggles of the LBGT community, we will see that their fight is not about being gay it is about
being human. Just like a man can love a woman, a woman can also love a woman etc; all these

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urges are completely natural and they make us feel happy. Our founding fathers made this nation
on the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to everybody whether man, woman,
or child and no matter what sexual preference they happen to have.

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Works Cited
The Defense of Marriage Act and American Exceptionalism: The "Gay Marriage"
Panic in the United States Vol. 12, No. 2, Special Issue: Sexuality and Politics since 1945

(Apr., 2003) , pp. 259-276

Published by: University of Texas Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3704614
Moylan, Bryan. "Brad and Angelina Getting Married Is a Slap in the Face to Gay
Americans." Time. Time, 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Mears, Bill. "Obama Views on Same-sex Marriage Reflect Societal Shifts - CNN.com."
CNN. Cable News Network, 26 June 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Sullivan, Andrew. "Why Gay Marriage Is Good for Straight America." N.p.: n.p., n.d.
N. pag. Rpt. in The Contemporary Reader. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.