Gay Marriage Essay

Homosexuality has been excluded from social approval throughout the history of mankind. Many homosexual people are rejected, judged, and oppressed for their deviant attraction to those of the same sex. Although in the past, society has disrespected their rights, the views of several are beginning to change with the rising generation, which has created a large generation gap, and also caused much controversy among social media, religion, and government. Sociologists have considered same-sex marriage from the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic-interactionist theories in order to fully understand the topical problem, discover its prolonging forces, and generate an effective solution to the problem. Through research on the history and current debate on the legalization of gay marriage, one may foresee a future marital impartiality in America.

Since 1970, the homosexuality movement for same-sex marriage, employment, and military equality has met many goals. According to Dawn Baunach’s article (2012), public attitude toward marriage equality has reversed within the last twenty to thirty years. However, within in the past few years, America has taken strides toward marriage equality, as seen in the results of the General Social Survey. Significant changes of attitude over the time period from 1988 and 2010 introduce fascinating results. Surveyors were asked to agree or disagree on the following statement: “Homosexual couples should have the right to marry one another” (p. 367). In 1988, 71.9% of people disagreed, 15.5% were unsure, and only 12.6% would grant homosexual couples the right to marry. Over time, opinions of the matter have seemed to flip. In 2010, the respondents displayed a very opposite view on the matter. They were as...

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...of marriage equality derives from this deviance, and Americans view homosexual’s actions as irregular. Therefore, the group is separated from society, and homosexual individuals formed into the minority group. The battle of gay couple’s marriage rights encompasses the conflict theorist idea that the ability to climb social classes is obstructed by biased laws. Gay’s are tied to their second-class status if they are denied equal rights of a traditional couple’s marriage. The conflict theorists suggest that citizens will continue to view homosexuals as underclass, or unworthy, if the law does not allow them equivalent marriage rights. Homosexual individuals will be connected to their inability to marry, and therefore, they will be assumed to have lesser power.

Finally the symbolic-interactionist theorists have take the homosexual marriage debate into account. The