Same Sex Marraige Should be Legal in the US

Homosexual marriage should be legal because marriage is a symbol of love and passion for one another, the homosexual family life is just as good as heterosexual family life, and prohibiting gay marriage is unconstitutional discrimination. Homosexuality occurs in over four hundred and fifty species, but homophobia (irrational fear or dislike against homosexuality) only occurs in one. (Gay Marriage Research Paper) We live in the “land of the free,” but we still have laws that ban marriage of homosexual couples. They need rights to get marries without outing labels on it like “civil union,” or “gay marriage.” (Gay Pursuasive Essay) Over thirty-eight percent of the United States population has the freedom to marry, or honors out of state marriages of homosexual couples, also over forty-three percent of the United States population lives in a state that provides some form of protection for homosexual couples. There are seventeen states (not including Washington D.C.) in the Unites States that have the freedom to marry the same sex. Those states are; California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C.. (Freedom To Marry)

Gallup. "The Controversy of Same-Sex Marriage." Open Discussions About Various Controversies. N.p., 2000. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

... the need to be a homosexual is a natural thing thus these individuals should not be denied the right to marry, instead they ought to enjoy their marriage rights (Sullivan, 128-130). This has thus called upon the prohibition of the same sex marriage for amendments of the constitution so as to enable the gay enjoy their right of union.

Marriage is defined as “(1) the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage ("Marriage," 2003, p. 659). Despite the latter definition’s addition to dictionaries in the past decade, this definition of marriage is still debated. Being a touchy subject in both politics and religion today, it’s been very hard to come to an agreement. There are two main sides to this argument regarding the nature of marriage. Some stick to their conservative and/or religious beliefs, while others state that marriage is a civil right (Kim, 2011, p. [Page 38]). However, same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in North Carolina and thirty-two other states at this time ("Defining Marriage: State Defense," 2014). Homosexuals have been denied many of the rights given to those that are heterosexual. Same-sex couples are not able to receive other benefits as a heterosexual couple would. The lack of benefits is extremely unequal and unfair. This unacceptable treatment is unconstitutional and should not continue.

A debate is raging in America about who people have a right to marry. In response to lesbians and gays asking for the right to marry, many legislators are writing laws to ban same-sex marriage in their respective states. Even President Bush supports a Constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage (prez.bush.marriage/). Opponents of such legislation do not want discrimination passed into law and are protesting at every opportunity. One must understand the reasons that people want to ban same-sex marriage before he or she can effectively argue about the subject. Many advocates of same-sex marriage bans say that allowing gays and lesbians to marry would degrade the institution of marriage because marriage is only supposed to exist between a man and woman. In addition, allowing same-sex marriage would cause problems for society (Issues and Controversies on File). One theory why opponents may fight against same-sex marriages is that heterosexual marriages have long reinforced traditional gender roles within marriage and that allowing same-sex marriages would cause males to lose their authority to subordinate females as heterosexual couples begin to model same-sex marriage gender equality (Calhoun 157).

Soule, S. A. (2004). Going to the Chapel? Same Sex Marriage Bans in the United States. Social Problems, 453-477.

"Does Same-Sex Marriage Threaten Religious Freedom?" Web log post. RSS. N.p., 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

As opposed to traditional marriage, gay marriage or same sex marriage could be defined as a lawful marriage between two persons of the same biological sex. This is one of the most controversial and discussed issues all around the world today. Many peop...

Webb, R.A. (2014). Overview of Same Sex Marriage in the U.S.: The Struggle for Civil Rights and Equality. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/lgb/062005.asp

Legal marriage is the right of all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay marriage is certainly a hot button issue. It invokes an emotional dialogue filled with passion, rage, hate and fear. However, at the base of it all, are two people who are in a committed relationship living normal and productive lives and contributing to society in a positive manner. This issue is being debated in every state of the union, and will eventually go to the Supreme Court.