A Kid’s Perspective on the Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

By
Parker Barry
Categories
Jax

Jax

The Supreme Court’s landmark decision making same-sex marriage legal in the United States triggered strong emotions from people across the nation and around the world. Jax F., a 12-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, gives us her kid perspective.

Q: What are your feelings about the Supreme Court decision?

A: I don’t know why it took so long for two people that love each to be able to marry. My moms are no different than any straight couple. They take me to school and dance class. They take care of me when I am sick, and most important, they love me and my sisters. It makes me so happy to think that thousands of LGBTQ couples can now get married and legally protect their children just like every straight couple has been doing for hundreds of years.

My moms are no different than any straight couple. They take me to school and dance class. They take care of me when I am sick, and most important, they love me and my sisters.

Q: What kind of impact do you think the decision might have on kids and their families in the United States?

A: Kids with straight parents generally don’t have to worry about what would happen if one of their parents died. When you only have one legal parent, you never know for sure if you would be separated from your other parent. With the new ruling, kids can be much more secure in the permanence of their families.

In my case, my parents have been legally married in California for seven years, but whenever we traveled to a state that didn’t allow gay marriage, there was always the possibility of discrimination. I remember my moms telling us that if something happened to one of them and we were in contact with police or hospital workers to tell them that my moms were sisters. They didn’t want to have to deal with one of them being excluded from seeing or helping the other if we ran into someone who didn’t approve of their relationship.

With the new ruling, kids can be much more secure in the permanence of their families.

Also, kids with gay parents often have to deal with bullying. When you have a different type of family, you are more likely to get teased. If you don’t get teased, you have to explain why you don’t have a mom and a dad. With the new ruling, there will start to be a better feeling about gay families. Hopefully as families like mine are more and more accepted, it won’t be such a stigma.

Q: Why should kids today care about marriage rights when they won’t get married for a long time?

Jax's family

Jax and her family at her parents’ wedding.

A: The laws of a country affect everyone. Living in a place that restricts certain rights is not a good way to teach children that all people are equal. This Supreme Court ruling shows that our country cares about fairness and acceptance. Kids need to know about marriage rights because it is an important part of society. Just because kids will not be married for a long time, doesn’t mean that being educated on the subject isn’t important.

We are the next generation and we need to know about what’s going on now so we can build and thrive when the country is in our hands, and part of that is knowing how happy people are when they are truly free to be proud of who they love. I am proud to have two moms and proud that they have been together for 25 years.

 

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