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Same-sex marriage

In North America, marriage is a restricted institution. It only permits one man and one woman to be joined in matrimony. It is likely to remain restricted for at least the foreseeable future. Gay or lesbian couples cannot be married -- except in the Netherlands.
As of early 2002, about 25 states have enacted "Defense of Marriage Acts" (DOMAs) that ban same-sex marriage. Another six have similar legislation pending. During 2000, 61 percent of California voters supported Proposition 22—defining marriage as being restricted to one man and one woman. However, Proposition 22 and most of the DOMA laws only control the institution of marriage. Most DOMA laws do not prevent a legislature from creating a new set of laws, which cover a different type of relationship: civil unions.
This legislature would retain the existing system of marriage for heterosexual couples -- for one man and one woman -- intact. Heterosexual couples who plan to marry in the future would......

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Approximate Word Count: 587
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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