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Biological factors influencing sexual orientation
Gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples
Marriage in the LGBTQ+ community
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The United States has always been a country that people from all over the world have flocked to, to avoid the hardships and the tyrannies of their native lands. We pride ourselves on being the “land of the free”, and yet we cannot seem to give the simple right of marriage to the members of our gay community. The very first lines of the document of which our country was founded upon states 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.” Is the right to marry whom you wish not a part of each of these rights listed? The homosexual community is being greatly discriminated against in the fact that they are not allowed to marry and have a long-lasting, positive relationship, just the same as their fellow heterosexual Americans. As this problem continues to be debated and discussed, more people are seeing that our homosexual population does in fact deserve the right to marry and take part in the federal benefits that go with marriage. Sadly, however, there are still people that do not find that idea to be a good one. Gay marriage should be legalized and recognized by the federal government for many reasons, but mostly because homosexuality is not something that someone chooses, and for the many benefits that married homosexual couples could bring.
One very important factor in the determination of rights for homosexuals is whether or not being homosexual is in fact something that is biological in nature, or if it is simply a choice that some people make. There are of course many different views on the topic. There is the group who believes that being gay is a choice - this group mostly consists of conservatives a...
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Jost, Kenneth. "Gay Marriage Showdowns." CQ Researcher 26 Sept. 2008: 769-92. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
"Liberty." The Oxford Dictionary of English. 2nd ed. 2011. Print.
Otto, Mary. “Same Sex Marriage: Good For Kids?” Washington Post 1 Dec 2006. Web. 17 March, 2011.
Pawelski, James G, Et Al. “The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children.” Pediatrics 10.1542 (2006): 349-364. Web. 17 March. 2011.
Roosevelt III, Kermit. "Obama's DOMA shift: Why public embrace of gay marriage – and gays – is now certain." Christian Science Monitor 25 Feb. 2011: n.p. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Mar. 2011.
Wydra, Michael, et al. "America's Changing Attitudes toward Homosexuality, Civil Unions, and Same-Gender Marriage: 1977-2004." Social Work 52.1 (2007): 71-79. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
Abstract On June 26, 2015 a divided Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples could now marry nationwide. At the time of the split ruling there were 9 supreme court justices, 5 of the justices were Republicans, and the remaining 4 were Democrats. In high profile cases it is except that the justices will vote along party lines. When the 5-4 ruling was reveled by the following statement. “It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right (Corn,2015).” written by
Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. "Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting,and America's Children." Marriage and Child Wellbeing 15 (2005): 2.
Same-sex relationships have always been a controversial legal issue, and there has been a variety of legal and non-legal responses, coming from a range of different viewpoints regarding the issue. In recent years, there has been many law reforms recognising same sex relationships, which include changes to Medicare, tax, social security, superannuation, worker’s compensation, child support, and allowing people in same-sex relationships to adopt children. These legal reforms come about as a result of extensive lobbying by non-government groups and organisations designed to promote the recognition of same-sex relationships in Australia.
Homosexuality is a sensitive topic and often avoided in conversation. For centuries the human race has oppressed and persecuted others strictly because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual etc. Although it is disturbing to most of us, these actions still occur in our society today, as many believe that homosexuality is abnormal and disgraceful. One supporter of this belief is Michael Levin, who strongly believes that homosexuality is highly abnormal and thus, undesirable. Although his beliefs and theories supporting this claim are subjective, there is evidence that can support his stance on this topic; we will analyze this claim in further detail and how it relates to his other views mentioned in this essay.
Barclay, Scott and Shauna Fisher. "The States and the Differing Impetus for Diverging Paths on Same-Sex Marriage." Policy Studies Journal (2003): 3. eLibrary. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
As a United States citizen who was born in the new millennium, I was brought up with the idea that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “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 statement was one of the main sources of fuel for the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950’s/60’s in the United States. Minority groups have often been mistreated in the United States culminating in movements much like that of the women’s suffrage movement, civil rights movements and now a movement toward equality for the LGBTQIA. In the last few decades a new minority group, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and allies, and their struggle to attain their right to the pursuit of happiness. This small makes up roughly 4 percent of the US population. Though many say that gay marriage will weaken the moral foundation of our country, it should be legalized, not only because banning it is unconstitutional, but also because strips people of their human rights
Note: This paper has a very long Annotated Bibliography. In recent years, same-sex relationships have become more encompassing in US society. State legislation is changing such as accepting gay marriages, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and legal gay adoptions; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is becoming public. Gay-headed families, like heterosexuals, are diverse and varying in different forms.
Society is created with both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. Previously when certain laws discriminated against others, such as law for women's rights to vote, these laws were changed. Changing the traditions of the country does not mean that it will lead to the legalization of other extreme issues. Each ...
Becker, Joe. "A Conservative’s Road to Same-Sex Marriage Advocacy." New York Times 18 Aug. 2009: 1-3. Print.
Redlingshafer, JoEllen. "The LGBT Movement Must Look Past Gay Marriage." Policymic. Policymic, 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
Stoddard, T, Fein, B, (Jan. 1990) Gay Marriage, Personal relationships, Marriage, Legislation, Homosexuality, American Bar Association, (Pages 42, 42)
“A Right to Marry? Same-sex Marriage and Constitutional Law | Dissent Magazine.” Dissent Magazine. Martha Nussbaum, 8 June 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
“All men are created equal, No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words,” Harvey Milk. A homosexual, as defined by the dictionary, is someone of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex. Homosexuality is ethical, and I will provide rational arguments for, and irrational arguments against the topic. A few objections are as follows: It is forbidden in the Bible and frowned upon by God; It is unnatural; Men and women are needed to reproduce; There are no known examples in nature; and the most common argument that concerns homosexuality is whether it is a choice or human biology.
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.