Same-sex marriage is considered one of the most important global issues today. So, what is same-sex marriage? Same-sex marriage is a socially recognized marriage between two people of the same biological sex or social gender. Same-sex marriage is a matter of social, moral, political and civil rights in many nations. The conflict that arises over whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry should use a different status or not have such rights. Additionally, the U.S. federal government does not recognize marriages of same-sex couples and is prohibited from doing so by the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. “The Defense of Marriage Act, passed September 21, 1996, defines marriage as a union legal between a man and a woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states shall not recognize a marriage of another state if it is between persons of the same sex." (1997). However, many people believe that all humans are equal, regardless of gender or ethnicity, and that same-sex couples should have the same rights as different-sex couples. There are several reasons why people believe that same-sex marriage should not be legalized and that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually every religion in the world considers homosexuality unacceptable. Followers of these religions believe that same-sex marriage is offensive and a blow to the religious freedom of the majority to have to recognize a relationship they consider sinful. Many believe that same-sex marriage would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The 50% divorce rate has already weakened the definition of marriage... half of paper......ed.htm>.Gray A, Hogg RS. Mortality of Aboriginal Australians in western New South Wales 1984–1987. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health, 1989, p.61.Hogg RS, O'Shaughnessy MV, Gataric N et al. Decrease in AIDS deaths due to new antiretrovirals (letter). Lancet1997;349:1294.Hogg, RS, SA Strathdee, KJ Criab, MV O' Shaughnessy, and JS Montaner."Modeling the impact of HIV disease on mortality in gay and bisexual men." International Journal of Epidemiology 26.3 (1997): 657-61. Network. May 8, 2010. Sayers, Devon and Samira Simone. "Obama Orders Hospital Visiting Rights for Gays and Lesbians." CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., April 15, 2010. Web. May 8 2010. .