Manystates，includingtheUnitedStatesandChina，haveremovedornolongerenforcetheirprohibitionsagainsthomosexualsexualconduct.TheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtinthecaseLawrencev.Texasrecentlyexplicitlyprohibitedlocalgovernmentsfromcriminalizingprivate，consensual，adultsame-sexsexualbehavior.AEuropeanCourtmadeasimilarstatementinthecaseDudgeonv.UK，andtheacommitteeoftheUnitedNationsstruckdownalocallawprohibitinghomosexualbehaviorinthecaseToonanv.Australia.
19.Whydogaysneedorwanttherighttomarry？
Gaysandlesbiansneedtherighttomarrybecauseofthevarietyofbenefitsrelatedtotaxes，property，healthcare，anddifferenttypesofinsurancethatcomewithmarriageunderthelaw.However，gaysandlesbianswanttherighttomarrybecause，asagroup，theyseekequalrecognitionoftheirlongtermrelationshipsunderthelaw.Itisaquestionofequaltreatmentforhomosexualandheterosexualpeople.
Thereareover3.1milliongaysandlesbiansinlongtermrelationshipsintheUnitedStates.Withouttherighttomarry，gaysandlesbianshavehadtofacenumeroushardships.Manyhavebeendeniedpermissiontosaygoodbyetoadyingpartnerinthehospitalandlostaccesstoinheritanceandretirementbenefits.IntheUnitedStates，therearemorethan1，100federalbenefitsandprotectionsthatcomewithmarriagethatarecategoricallydeniedtogaycouples，eventhosewhohavebeentogetherforover40years.
20.Whatisacivilunion？
Acivilunionisonemethodofgivinglegalrecognitionandprotectiontotherelationshipoftwopeople.Thistypeofarrangementcanvaryfromplacetoplace，butusuallyinvolvessomesortofrightsvis-a-visthirdpartiesandrightsofthetwopartnersvis-a-viseachother.Theserightscanincludehospitalvisitationrights，inheritancerights，andrightstohealthcareandpensionbenefits，amongmanyothers.NumerouscountriesaroundtheworldandstatesintheUnitedStateshaveemployedcivilunionsasatechniquetoprotectsame-sexcouplesandavoidmanyofthesignificantinjusticesthatcanresultwhenthelawprovidesnoprotectionforthelong-termrelationshipoftwopeople.
21.Isacivilunionthesamethingasamarriage？
Whileacivilunioncanprovideessentiallegalprotectionforgaysandlesbians，itisnotthesamethingasmarriage.Eventhoughacivilunionmightoffergayandlesbiancouplessimilarbenefits，marriagecarriesastatusasaninstitutionthroughoutworldhistorythataciviluniondoesnot.Toallowgaysandlesbianstoenterintocivilunionsordomesticpartnerships，whilerestrictingthemfrommarriageisnot“equal”inthesensethatthewordisusuallyusedunderthelaw.Somehavearguedthatrestrictinggaysandlesbianstocivilunionswouldstigmatizetheirrelationshipsaslessimportantthatheterosexualrelationships.ThisfactorwasimportanttotheMassachusettsSupremeCourtindeterminingthatabanongaymarriageviolatedtheequalprotectionclauseoftheMassachusettsConstitution.Inordertomaintainequality，itisimportantforbothheterosexualandhomosexualcouplestobeabletoenterintomarriages，civilunions，anddomesticpartnershipswithoutsexualorientation-basedrestrictions.
22.Dogayparentsmakegaychildren？
Exposuretohomosexualityatayoungagedoesnotmeanthatachildwillbecomegay.
Also，studieshaveshownthatthechildrenofsame-sexcouplesarenotmorelikelytoidentifyasgaylaterinlifethanchildrenofheterosexualcouples.Finally，despitesomeevidenceforgeneticcausesofhomosexuality，thereisnoevidencetosuggestthatthesexualorientationofbiologicalparentwillnecessarilybepasseddowntothechild.
23.Shouldgaysbeallowedtoadoptchildren？
Manypeopleallovertheworldbelievethathomosexualscanandshouldbeallowedtoadoptchildren.AllofthecountriesinEurope，Canada，andsomestatesintheUnitedStatespermithomosexualstoadoptchildren，andtherearemillionsofchildrenthroughouttheworldwhoarebeingraisedbygayparents.Placesthatdonotallowgaymenandwomentoadoptwilloftenallowthemtobecomefosterparentsortemporaryguardiansofchildrenbeforetheyareadoptedbyanotherfamily.
Thereare，however，manyopponentsofgayadoption.Somestateshavespecificallyprohibitedgaymenandwomenfromonthebasisthatitisbetterforchildrentoberaisedbyamotherandafather.Studieshaveshownthatthereislittletruthtothiscontentionandthatchildrenraisedbygayparentsdojustaswellsocially，developmentally，andacademicallyaschildrenraisedbytwoheterosexualparents.Unfortunately，opponentsofgayadoptionoftenbelieveitwouldbebetterforchildrentoremaininorphanagesthanwithgayandlesbianparents.Insomecases，gayandlesbianparentshaveactuallyhadtheirchildrentakenfromthem，aneventwhichhashadseriousemotionalconsequencesforthechild.
24.Isprotectinggaysunderthelawgivingthemspecialprotections？
No，anti-discriminationprotectionsunderthelawforgaysandlesbiansdonotamounttoanyspecialbenefit.Althoughsomearguethatmanygaysandlesbiansarenotdisadvantagedeconomicallyorsocially，moreadvancedresearchandstudiesshowthatthisisnottrue.Gaymenandwomenoftenfaceirrational，andsometimessevere，prejudicefromothermembersofsocietythatimpedestheirabilitytoholdajob，formafamily，andevenobtainpropereducationandhealthcare.Aswithotherdisadvantagedorvulnerablegroupsinsociety，sometimesitisnecessaryforcertainlawstohavespecificprotectionsforgaysandlesbians.Forexample，employmentdiscriminationlawsinmanystatesintheUnitedStatesandcountriesinEuropeprohibitemployersfrommakinganydecisionexplicitlyorimplicitlyonthebasisofanindividual’ssexualorientation.