This paper takes another look at the displacement of lesbians and gays from civic society by being prohibited from accessing marriage rights. First, certain events in anti-gay discrimination and marriage history that contributed to the second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays are reviewed. Second, a look at how the secondclass citizenship is unique to lesbians and gays is examined. Finally, this paper looks at the marriage, fatherhood, and faith-based initiatives under welfare reform and how they reinforce heterosexual marriage and family in American society.
After extensive research, I have found that the roles of the initiatives under welfare reform have in defining marriage and family had been overlooked. Welfare initiatives affect individual state policies that determine services like adoption that many lesbians and gays utilize. Therefore, a closer look at the role of welfare initiatives on the definition of marriage and family is needed by lesbian and gay organizations.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper takes another look at the displacement of lesbians and gays from civic society by being prohibited from accessing marriage rights. First, certain events in anti-gay discrimination and marriage history that contributed to the second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays are reviewed. Second, a look at how the secondclass citizenship is unique to lesbians and gays is examined. Finally, this paper looks at the marriage, fatherhood, and faith-based initiatives under welfare reform and how they reinforce heterosexual marriage and family in American society.</p> <p>After extensive research, I have found that the roles of the initiatives under welfare reform have in defining marriage and family had been overlooked. Welfare initiatives affect individual state policies that determine services like adoption that many lesbians and gays utilize. Therefore, a closer look at the role of welfare initiatives on the definition of marriage and family is needed by lesbian and gay organizations.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Troia, Danielle Leigh"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Women's and Gender Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lori Watson, PhD, Chair","Kate Mehuron, PhD","Konnie Kustron, JD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:24Z","subjects":["Gays Government policy United States","Same-sex marriage United States","Gay rights United States","Public Policy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/20","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lori Watson, PhD, Chair","Kate Mehuron, PhD","Konnie Kustron, JD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Troia, Danielle Leigh"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Women's and Gender Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Gays Government policy United States","Same-sex marriage United States","Gay rights United States","Public Policy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/20"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper takes another look at the displacement of lesbians and gays from civic society by being prohibited from accessing marriage rights. First, certain events in anti-gay discrimination and marriage history that contributed to the second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays are reviewed. Second, a look at how the secondclass citizenship is unique to lesbians and gays is examined. Finally, this paper looks at the marriage, fatherhood, and faith-based initiatives under welfare reform and how they reinforce heterosexual marriage and family in American society.
After extensive research, I have found that the roles of the initiatives under welfare reform have in defining marriage and family had been overlooked. Welfare initiatives affect individual state policies that determine services like adoption that many lesbians and gays utilize. Therefore, a closer look at the role of welfare initiatives on the definition of marriage and family is needed by lesbian and gay organizations.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["To be acknowledged as citizens"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lori Watson, PhD, Chair","Kate Mehuron, PhD","Konnie Kustron, JD"],"dc:creator":["Troia, Danielle Leigh"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper takes another look at the displacement of lesbians and gays from civic society by being prohibited from accessing marriage rights. First, certain events in anti-gay discrimination and marriage history that contributed to the second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays are reviewed. Second, a look at how the secondclass citizenship is unique to lesbians and gays is examined. Finally, this paper looks at the marriage, fatherhood, and faith-based initiatives under welfare reform and how they reinforce heterosexual marriage and family in American society.
After extensive research, I have found that the roles of the initiatives under welfare reform have in defining marriage and family had been overlooked. Welfare initiatives affect individual state policies that determine services like adoption that many lesbians and gays utilize. Therefore, a closer look at the role of welfare initiatives on the definition of marriage and family is needed by lesbian and gay organizations.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/20"],"dc:subject":["Gays Government policy United States","Same-sex marriage United States","Gay rights United States","Public Policy"],"dc:title":["To be acknowledged as citizens"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Women's and Gender Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:24Z"}