ABSTRACT
What do you think about when you see or hear the word marriage? Undoubtedly, you have developed an image and/or relationship to this concept. The reason we have such deeply embedded beliefs about marriage is that it is a central institution in our society. As such, views of marriage are political. For example, U.S. President George W.Bush (2003) declared, “Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society” (n.p.). Whereas Bush has visualized marriage as a heterosexual union, Sullivan (1997) advocated same-sex marriage by arguing that “the right to marry is, in many ways, more fundamental than the right to vote” (n.p.). On the other hand, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender activist Ettelbrick (1997) asked, “Since when is marriage a path to liberation?” If the debate over same-sex marriage demonstrates anything, it is that people have a passionate attachment to the idea of this seemingly simple word. The word marriage might be small, but stories continue to get built around it every day.
