Same-sex Marriage Legalization

Definition

This refers to the legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex, granting them the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual couples.

Analogy

Think of it like a game update that allows all players, regardless of their character's attributes, to access all features and benefits. Before this update (legalization), some players (same-sex couples) were restricted from certain aspects of the game (marriage).

Related terms

Civil Rights Movement: A struggle by African Americans in the mid-1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights equal to those of whites, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education.

Equal Protection Clause: Part of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution that provides that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws."

Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA): A U.S. law enacted in 1996 which allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under laws of other states until it was ruled unconstitutional in 2013.