Gay Marriage

After the legalizations in Massachusetts and, most recently, California, gay marriage has been a growing trend in the United States. In the 8 months since the legalization, more and more gay couples have been rushing to California to tie the knot. However, California and Massachusetts are not the first to make an effort to strengthen the bonds of homosexual couples some European countries including Denmark, Holland, some Scandinavian countries, and others have legalized same-sex marriage and have found the results positive. Gay marriage has been a contradictory issue since gay men and women began requesting marriage licenses.

However, gays are denied their rights to marriage licenses, which is denying then their rights as American citizens. Gays should be treated equally to heterosexuals and granted their rights to marry the person they love, whether they are the same or opposite gender. Although the idea of a same-sex wedding hasn’t been legal long enough for statistics to be developed on children of same-sex marriages’ developmental upbringing, or that they are harmed by their environment, many people seem to think that they will be less healthy or normal if the couple that raises them are homosexual.

People believe that the children will grow up to be gay, or different from any normally raised child, if they don’t grow up in a “normal” family. The results of studies testing these ideas are quite contrary to the popular belief of heterosexual couples. In fact, the studies show that children raised by gay couples seem to be more adjusted than the “normally” raised ones. The argument that children raised in homosexual households will grow up to be gay is completely illegitimate.

In a study of over 300 children of homosexual parents, there have been no indications that there are any disturbances in the development of the child’s sexual identity, or the lifestyle that the child will live later in life. In reality, most children raised by heterosexuals are not raised in normal households. With divorce also becoming popular we have families with three kids and only one parent. There is no doubt that homosexuals want to have children, and not only is the ban of gay marriage denying their rights to be married, but also denying them their rights to have a two-parent family with children.

Some also say that marriage is between a man and a woman for procreation purposes, and that gays cannot naturally produce children. If this were the case then wouldn’t the state prohibit marriage between heterosexuals when one, or both, are sterile? If the purpose of marriage is, in fact, for procreation then who’s to say that post-menopausal women should have the right to marry? Children in foster care and orphanages are also a problem, so why not kill two birds with one stone and give gays their rights and orphans or unwanted children a home and a family that loves them?

Another argument against gay marriage is that it is against religion. Whose religion? Some religions, such as Buddhism, actually celebrate gay marriage. The fact that gay marriages are illegal goes against not only the gays’ rights, but their rights also. And the fact that people are bringing the bible into their arguments also means that other religions religious rights are being infringed. The bible has no standing in American law, this was made clear by the first amendment of the United States constitution, and no one has any right or authority to set rules based on something they take as a moral injunction stated by the bible.

The Christian and catholic religions cannot speak for all religions, and the United Stated government is allowing them to do just that. The main purpose of our government is to preserve the rights of the citizens, and at this, our government has failed. Homosexuals are not the only people being denied their rights, but also the members of certain religions that support same-sex marriages. Along with this, people also say that gay marriage would force churches that have an objection to perform gay marriage to perform same-sex weddings.

There is no law stating that any church would be required to marry any couple, heterosexual or otherwise, that they do not wish to. Gay marriage would not change the churches right to refuse to sanctify any marriage that they do not wish to. It would only give churches the opportunity to legally wed gay couples if they would like to. None of the arguments above are valid. So now, let us examine the true reasons that people oppose the marriage of homosexual couples.

Most people just are not comfortable with the idea. For years now, society has promoted the idea that two men or two women being married is wrong. This is mostly because of the arguments mentioned previously. However, none of those objections make sense! So neither does the idea that gay marriage is wrong. Being uncomfortable with a proposal is not a valid reason to oppose it.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. This is probably one of the most famous quotes involved in the Declaration of Independence. But what happens when our government starts deciding who is qualified for this rights and who isn’t? We are supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world, we fight for the rights of people around us, and somehow we cannot seem to find tolerance among ourselves.Why is being different so bad? Nowadays, we start to become a society that experiences a hard time accepting the different thoughts and ways of living of our fellow citizens.

An example of this would be the struggles for the homosexuals across America to find an approval for same sex marriages. Although the Declaration of Independence says that every American has the right for the pursuit of happiness, for some reason neither the government nor the people in the US seem to understand that happiness can and should be different for every individual.As time goes by and news show up, I am more than convinced that same-sex marriages are not harmful for the society and therefore, should be approved right away. Many people see marriage as the culmination of the love for another human being, as finding the person to spend the rest of your life with. So, as Kathy Belge states, “if two people love each other, shouldn’t they be allowed the same rights, privileges and responsibilities, no matter their genders? We have to take into account that most people who can’t get married with their partner have no benefits whatsoever over their partner’s assets, so if they’re together it’s solely for love.Then why is it so hard to just let them be happy by consummating their union under the law? Society sees marriage as a sacred act of commitment and believes that same-sex marriage will end the purity of such union. As Belge delivers, “when someone can compete on a television reality show to “Marry a Millionaire”, the argument about saving a sacred institution seems kind of pointless.

Many people have the same question in mind: why is it a big deal? Why are they making such a commotion out of a situation that doesn’t really concern most of us? Unfortunately, our culture has a hard time, some people find it impossible, to accept the differences between human beings. We want everyone to be on the same economic level, to have the same beliefs, even to wear the same clothes, and we constantly forget about one of the promises of our country: individuality. When the Pilgrims came to this continent, they were seeking for a place where they could be themselves without anyone tormenting them.Under this belief, the founders of our nation set the United States of America, assuring that everyone could have a distinctive life without judgment or fear to be who they are. The inconformity of the rest of us, who can actually understand what individuality means, is shown in The Associated Press article which reports that “same-sex marriage supporters gathered outside a federal building and wait for a judge’s decision overturning California’s same-sex marriage ban in San Francisco. ” These kinds of protests are not exclusive in California.In Madison, WI, a tour called “Summer for Marriage- One Man and One Woman Tour” was planning to appear in the city.

In response, the gay community lead by Katie Belanger decided to “call for the repeal of the state’s constitutional ban on same sex marriage” and to “rally on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, and a march to the state Capitol. ” The article also declares that “hundreds of protesters shouted down same-sex marriage opponents today on the steps of the state Capitol. ” It is no surprise that soon many other states will join them in different protests across the country.The gay community throughout America is not planning to back down. Pro-gay marriage associations gain both strength and numbers as time goes by, so it will be no surprise that eventually the government understands and gives homosexuals their right to be happy. States like Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont already allow same-sex marriage to take place. Hopefully more states will follow their lead and realize that maybe change is what this country needs to stand out from the rest of the world.

Humankind comes in different colors, shapes and beliefs. It’s time to lose our fear and conceive that maybe different is not so bad after all.Belge , Kathy. “Pro Gay Marriage-Why Gay Marriage Should be Legal. ” N. p. , n.

d. Web. 25 Aug. 2010. . Associated Press. “Calif.

Gays Must Wait To Wed During Prop 8 Appeal” NPR. 17 August 2010. 22 Aug. 2010. . Melchert, Randall. “Homosexual activists mob pro-marriage rally in Madison, WI.

” N. p. , 27 July 2010. Web. 25 Aug. 2010. .