Same-sex marriage is considered one of the most important global issues today. So, what is same-sex marriage? Same-sex marriage is a socially recognized marriage between two people of the same biological sex or social gender. Same-sex marriage is a social, moral, political and civil rights issue in many countries. The conflict that arises over whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, be required to use a different status, or have no such rights. Additionally, the United States federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages, and the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 prohibits it from doing so. "The Defense of Marriage Act, passed on September 21, 1996, defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws and provides that states need not recognize a marriage of another State if it is concluded between persons of the same sex. (1997). However, many people believe that all human beings are equal, regardless of gender or ethnicity, and that same-sex couples should have the same rights as different-sex couples. There are several reasons why people believe that same-sex marriage should not be legalized and that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually all world religions view homosexuality as unacceptable. Followers of these religions believe that same-sex marriage is offensive and constitutes an attack on the religious freedom of the majority who must recognize a relationship that they consider to be sinful. Many believe that same-sex marriage would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The 50 percent divorce rate has already weakened the definition of marriage...... middle of article ......ed.htm>.Gray A, Hogg RS. Mortality of Aboriginal Australians in western New South Wales 1984-1987. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health, 1989, p.61. Hogg RS, O'Shaughnessy MV, Gataric N et al. Reduced deaths from AIDS thanks to new antiretroviral drugs (letter). Lancet 1997;349:1294. Hogg, RS, SA Strathdee, KJ Criab, MV O' Shaughnessy and JS Montaner. “Modeling the impact of HIV disease on mortality among gay and bisexual men.” » International Journal of Epidemiology 26.3 (1997): 657-61. Internet. May 8, 2010. Sayers, Devon and Samira Simone. "Obama orders hospital visitation rights for gays and lesbians." CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., April 15, 2010. Web. May 8 2010. .