Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health of Massachusetts: Arguments

Argument #1
  Marriages provide an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. By denying certain people the right to enter into marriage Massacusetts is treating them as second-class citizens and denying them these benefits. All the same-sex couples are in committed relationships and want to affirm this publicly and secure the benefits for themselves and their children.
 

Argument #2
  The Massachusetts Constitution does not guarantee the fundamental right to marry a person of the same sex. The institution of marriage is a stabilizing social structure and only the Legislature can control and define its boundaries, not the judiciary. Allowing same-sex marriages would mean the court is creating a right that doesn't exist. There is a rational and historical basis for defining marriage as between one man and one woman. The institution of marriage remains the principal weave of our social fabric.

Back