Early progress on issue paper
I’ve done some basic research on the background of the push toward civil rights. The issue largely began in the middle of the 20th century. Before then, the idea of same-sex marriage was only contemplated. Even then, it probably couldn't be considered a presidential issue until much later.
It was only after 2000 that initiatives to legalize same-sex marriage had a chance of being passed — although the first bans became law in 1995. In addition, a federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman — the Defense of Marriage Act — was passed in 1996.
2004 was a major year for family values. Not only was the support of social conservatives a major cause of George Bush's re-election, but 13 states passed bans on same-sex marriage — more than any year before or since — and with at least 55 percent.
The biggest development in the past couple of years is the striking down of "don't ask, don't tell" in 2011 by a federal judge. The direct impact on same-sex marriage and civil unions is small — although it means that same-sex weddings can occur on military bases. But the fact that a federal law restricting gay service members was ruled unconstitutional means that courts may side with same-sex marriage supporters in toher cases, including the pending trial of DOMA.
Both of the two primary sides — the gay rights activists in favor and the religious conservatives against — have their own media. One angle I’d like to examine is to focus on them and on how they framed the issue. My preliminary research gives some ideas for media outlets I should look at. Media aimed at gay people and supporting same-sex marriage include The Advocate, and locally, the Wisconsin Gazette. Pertinent media by religious conservatives include The 700 Club and Focus on the Family.
While I intend the paper to be somewhat academic, drawing upon research and not just reporting, it will still be in a style suitable for publishing in a magazine. So no MLA-style citations or a lengthy bibliography.
The audience of the paper — besides the obvious, my class and professor — will consist of people already interested in the issue of civil unions and interesting in learning more about the way the media has described, framed and reported on the issue throughout several election cycles.
It was only after 2000 that initiatives to legalize same-sex marriage had a chance of being passed — although the first bans became law in 1995. In addition, a federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman — the Defense of Marriage Act — was passed in 1996.
2004 was a major year for family values. Not only was the support of social conservatives a major cause of George Bush's re-election, but 13 states passed bans on same-sex marriage — more than any year before or since — and with at least 55 percent.
The biggest development in the past couple of years is the striking down of "don't ask, don't tell" in 2011 by a federal judge. The direct impact on same-sex marriage and civil unions is small — although it means that same-sex weddings can occur on military bases. But the fact that a federal law restricting gay service members was ruled unconstitutional means that courts may side with same-sex marriage supporters in toher cases, including the pending trial of DOMA.
Both of the two primary sides — the gay rights activists in favor and the religious conservatives against — have their own media. One angle I’d like to examine is to focus on them and on how they framed the issue. My preliminary research gives some ideas for media outlets I should look at. Media aimed at gay people and supporting same-sex marriage include The Advocate, and locally, the Wisconsin Gazette. Pertinent media by religious conservatives include The 700 Club and Focus on the Family.
While I intend the paper to be somewhat academic, drawing upon research and not just reporting, it will still be in a style suitable for publishing in a magazine. So no MLA-style citations or a lengthy bibliography.
The audience of the paper — besides the obvious, my class and professor — will consist of people already interested in the issue of civil unions and interesting in learning more about the way the media has described, framed and reported on the issue throughout several election cycles.
