People are born free and freedom should not be limited by what society believes is and is not acceptable. Roughly 20% of the United States population identify themselves as attracted to the same gender, according to a study from the National Bureau of Economic research (Eveleth). One-fifth of the population should not be denied the right to love who they love and marry who they want, yet only 18 states have legalized gay marriage (ProCon). Worse than that 32 states have banned people’s right to marry whom they want (ProCon). The worst crime that can be enacted on human beings is to look down on them for loving who they love and to ignore their right to the same benefits as those who love someone who is “acceptable”. That is what is being done to people all over the world everyday.
By not being given the right to be married, same-sex couples are not given equal rights as a traditional couple that is married. For instance if a person in a same-sex couples dies their partner is not allowed to take leave from work, does not get to inherit assets or personal items, and cannot even inherit a shared home (Wolfson). If one of the partners in a same-sex couple is injured and in a hospital, the other partner is not considered next of kin and sometimes is not allowed to visit their partner (Wolfson). What right does a person have to determine whom someone else is allowed to marry? To many people being able to get married, to have a wedding, is important and very meaningful. It is not only recognition of a union it is recognition of a relationship between people who really and truly love each other. At a point in time interracial marriages were not allowed. It is basic discrimination to not extend those rights to a same-sex couple and it...
... middle of paper ...
... the Population is Gay? More Than You Think." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. The Smithsonian, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 May 2014. .
"18 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 32 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans." ProCon, 20 May 2014. Web. 20 May 2014. .
Wolfson, Evan. "Protections Denied to Same-sex Couples and Their Kids ." Protections Denied to Same-sex Couples and Their Kids | Freedom to Marry. Freedom to Marry, n.d. Web. 18 May 2014.
.
"Jean-Jacques Rousseau." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. .
Throughout the recent history of America, gay marriage has always been an issue. With the different views and morals everyone has on the subject, it makes it hard for individual states to determine what side they should be on. In 1983 a Harvard Law School student, Evan Wolfson, wrote a thesis stating the rule of marriage equality. Justices concluded that gay couples were entitled to the legal benefits of civil marriage; and most crucially in the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts, whose favorable ruling, in a suit by lawyer Mary Bonauto and the Boston-based Gay and Lesbian Advocated and Defenders, led to the nation’s first bona fide same-sex marriages…” (“Gay Marriage turns 10 and Credit Should Be Spread around- The Boston Globe). On May 17, 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriages. In June of 2013, California legalized gay marriages, which helped their large LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) community. (“History and Timeline of the Freedom…”). When this finally happened, it was seen as a great achievement by Karmala Harris, a California Attorney. “This is a profound day in our country, and its just the right thing: ‘Justice is finally being served’” (“Court Gives OK for California Gay Marriages”).
Why is it wrong to let humans of the same sex marry someone they truly love? Many people in our society share different opinions on why it is right and why it is wrong. Kim Davis (a clerk in Rowan County Kentucky) decided to say no to handing out marriage licenses to same sex couples because she felt it was against her religion. She refused to give a license to a couple of the same sex and was put in jail. In this case, I am against Davis because you as a person have no right to go against law and this individual freedom. I am very religious, but I have come to see that there should never be a reason to forbid someone from the person they love just based off of their sex. The law in the U.S permits same-sex marriage and no matter how mad people get, it is now allowed. Men and women now have freedom to love their partner with comfort in society. They now have the right to be married. Gay marriage has a historical background dating back to the 1970’s. In the case of Baker v.s Nelson, two men applied for a marriage license and were rejected even though the Minnesota law did not specify gender in the law of marriage. This is another point where law did not specify gender, so why was it rejected? This tells me that people judged and did not like the idea of same-sex marriage, so they just agreed to reject it. Individual freedom to love another person and get married was taken away from these people just because
..." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. .
For some background, this case escalated to the Supreme Court since several groups of same-sex couples from different states, sued state agencies when their marriage was refused to be recognized. As it escalated through appeals, the plaintiffs argued that the states were violating the Equal Protection clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Equal Protection, according to the Constitution refers to the fact that, “any State [shall not] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…” (23). The opposition of this case was that, 1) The Constitution does not address same-sex marriage as a policy, and 2) The sovereignty of states regarding the decision. Ultimately, and according to the Oyez project, the Court held that “[the Amendment] guarantees the right to marry as one of the fundamental liberties it protects, and that analysis applies to same-sex couples,” and therefore, same-sex marriage is a fundamental liberty.
Currently, only 13 countries offer rights for members of the LGBT community. Within those countries, few offer equal rights such as health care, marriage rights, and adoption to LGBT members. Many people around the globe would agree that these rights, along with all other rights granted to heterosexuals, should not be granted to these members of the LGBT community. One prevalent notion is that being gay, or being included in the LGBT community, is unnatural. This notion is simply incorrect; everyone, no matter their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation does, in fact, deserve the same liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Being a member of the LGBT community has no negative effect on the lives of others unless those people view heterosexuality in a negative light, allowing it to bedevil them, and ultimately change the way they live their life. Being gay is completely natural. Though some would argue that homosexuality is unnatural, others would disagree, being that research has been conducted. The conclusion was that the way people think and feel towards others is s...
ProCon.org. "16 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 33 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans." ProCon.org. 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
...ober). Marriage Inequality: Same-Sex Relationships, Religious Exemptions, and the Production of Sexual Orientation Discrimination. California Law Review, pp. 1169-1238.
"17 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 33 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans - Gay Marriage - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
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
When is it considered okay to take away someone's rights? A person cannot be defined by one word. Homosexual is only one word. Television and movies have not perfectly portrayed all of Americans since it started. Having two moms or two dads isn't the worst thing that could happen. A child growing up with two dads or two moms will believe that it is normal. According to many cultures and religions, being a homosexual is wrong and it does not really exist. Homosexuals are being shunned by followers of these faiths. LGBT teens are more likely to think about or attempt suicide because they encounter bullies at school, work, and in other public areas. The issue of gay rights was similar to women's rights in the 1920s. Homosexuals do not look any different from heterosexuals. Marriage is a topic of many young girls and even some boys daydreams. Russia recently passed laws that make gay rights nonexistent. Nothing can change an LGBT male or female.
"An Overview of Federal Rights and Protections Granted to Married Couples." Human Rights Campaign. Human Rights Campaign, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
Gay and lesbian unions have been for a long time a subject that no one liked to discuss. For the last few decades, gays and lesbians have come out and expressed their sexuality preferences. Many believe that same sex marriage should not be legalized because it's against the moral. It's against the definition of marriage, which is considered as the union of a man and a woman as a husband and wife. Same sex marriage should be legalized because the way society views the union of lesbian and gays can a change. Another reason why same sex marriage should be legalized is that children that are issued from a gay or lesbian couple will be loved and raised in a family that is legally recognized under the law. Lesbians and gays also deserve to have the same rights as heterosexuals.
There are individuals that live in fear of showing their true identity to the world because they simply fear that society won’t accept them for having a different sexual orientation. Society advocates that individuals should be able to be proud of who they are, but yet they judge homosexuals for being different. People are taught not to judge others based on their race or religion, so why do they still discriminate against homosexuals? The homosexual subculture is not accepted by society, looked down upon, and misjudged; however, they are human beings and deserve to be treated equally.
In conclusion I argue that banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory. It is discriminatory because it denies homosexuals the many benefits received by heterosexual couples. The right to marriage in the United States has little to do with the religious and spiritual meaning of marriage. It has a lot to do with social justice, extending a civil right to a minority group. This is why I argue for same-sex marriage. The freedom to marry regardless of gender preference should be allowed.
The legality of gay marriage is a hot topic for many reasons. Traditionally marriage has been known as a legal bond between a man and a woman. Times have changed since those days. More and more people are coming out of the closet everyday. There are more gay people today than there ever have been and that number is only increasing. Marriage is a way for two people to show their commitment towards each other, so it should not matter what their gender or sexual orientation is.