Final Essay
Marriage isn’t the problem (1565 words) In American cultural tradition, there are few things as well-respected and regarded as the institution of marriage. As Justice Kennedy described in his famous opinion on Obergefell v. Hodges , marriage “supports a two-person union unlike any other in its importance to the committed individuals” (Obergefell). Marriage is seen as so important, that for many people Obergefell was seen as the “end of gay history”, just like many viewed the collapse of the Soviet Union as the end of the rest of history. However, this institution is not without its many flaws. Marriage throughout American history has frequently been used to enforce racial and gender power structures, whether it be white supremacy or the patriarchy. It’s why so many people so fervently fought gay marriage, not because they were afraid of two men kissing, but because they were afraid of how it would affect the hierarchy they sat on top of. It is only once the hierarchies that a monorac
