Everyone is aware of marriage. We have heard about it, gone to one, or even been in one. The idea of marriage is something that is bestowed upon us and something that we look forward to ever since we were children, but what about those who what to get married to the same sex. How is that possible? As you know, everything changes at some point or another, this includes marriage. That is why same-sex marriage should be legalized. It has come to a point where the idea or a “normal” marriage has to change in order to fit in with a constantly changing society.
Throughout history we always hear that marriage has been between one man and one woman, whether it be from the Roman Empire, Muslims, and most talked about, the Christian religion, but if you look closely you start to see that those marriages where for different reason then what it is today. Let’s talk about marriage in the older Western civilizations. During those times, marriage was just a method in order for kings to keep power within one’s family. If these kings had no problem with keeping a royal line they would then have their sons or daughters marry in the sole purpose to form alliances and to gain land. This didn’t just occur in the royal families. Many of the lower classes would marry so they could have children to help with work and keep a family business going. This was understandable at the time; however, in the present day and age we marry because we love someone not because they have something that can help us increase on the economical ladder. Love is the reason we get married, why should that be any different if that person you love is of the same sex. As you can see the history of marriage has changed already due to a changing society (Staff 1).
Now that the h...
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...p://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=37&articleid=107§ionid=692>.
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Staff, The Week. How Marriage has Changed Over Centuries. 1 June 2012. The Week Publications. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. .
Marriage was always the idea of a man and a woman, but we no longer see this in existence anymore. In the article El Nasser talks about how less than half of households are traditional husband-and-wife arrangements. We have now seen that marriage between two men or two women is now acceptable. Just this year the United States legalize same sex marriage. Which is a great thing because no longer are these couples holding back from being united by law. To me it’s something so impressive on how fast this change has occurred. Just five years ago if this topic was to be brought up, people would
Paulsen, Michael S. "Where in the Constitution is Separation of Church and State." The Public Discourse. The Witherspoon Institute, 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. .
Ask any American what values founded this country and you will get very similar responses: Liberty, Freedom, or justice. These values are instilled in each American and come as naturally to us as the air we breath, or do they? Just as women fought for suffrage, and African Americans in the civil rights movement, homosexuals battle for the right to marry. This issue is affecting Americans on several levels.
The institution of marriage is typically known as a religious rite. When religious people think of marriage they think of God and the church. Traditionally, people also think of one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage will change this philosophy. Religious leaders across the world agree gay marriage will alter marriage forever. Same-sex marriage and homosexuality are topics religious leaders of the world connect and agree on. A variety of religions, such as Buddhists, Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Jews, and Muslims, have...
. "Marriage: Then And Now." National Forum 80.3 (2000): 10-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Most people believe that they deserve the rights they are granted by the government. An upstanding citizen who pays their taxes, serves their community and abides by the law should be afforded the rights of an American. However, not all citizens are afforded equal rights. Gay and lesbians are constantly denied rights that are typically taken for granted by the average American. Specifically, gay and lesbians couples are denied the right to marry even if they are upstanding citizens. They are held at an unfair disadvantage simply because of their sexual orientation. This discrimination must end because gay and lesbian couples are law-abiding citizens too, who should be offered the same rights as heterosexual couples. Same sex marriage should be legalized because it is their civil rights, it encourages strong family value and leads to the increasing number of child adoption, and the same sex marriage also brings a lot of financial benefits.
Legalizing Gay Marriage The battle over Gay marriage in the United States reached a fever pitch during the presidential election of 2004. The issue vaulted into prominence when the Democratic mayor of San Francisco flouted state law and performed marriage ceremonies for Gay couples. Conservatives claim that the issue catapulted them into power by motivating fundamentalist Christian voters to turnout in order to defeat anti-gay-marriage amendments in eleven states, including the crucial swing state Ohio. Liberals retort that fundamentalist Christian turnout in 2004 was statistically even to 2000. Regardless of the truth of that statement, what cannot be denied is the attention the issue of Gay marriage has received over the past year.
Legalization of gay marriage has been a major controversial topic for a long time. Although, many people do not know what it means to be homosexual, most people do not know the actual definition of homosexuality and they do not know how difficult it is to be gay in this society. There are many reasons why people are against gay marriage and homosexuals all together. Most of the reasons are based on religious bias another big reason is being afraid of the unknown. Some smaller reasons are that being heterosexual is such a social norm now a day’s people are not used to the change. Also parents often time tell kids that homosexuality is not a good thing because of there own views. Gay marriage should be legalized because most of the people who have a problem with it do not form complete thoughts and do not have a real reason that makes it not okay. Finally, what it takes to get gay marriage legal in Illinois is more complicated then one might think.
“What’s Love Got to Do With it,” is about the transition of marriages throughout the centuries. Marriage has just recently begun to be centered and initiated due to love rather than as a business transaction. Stephanie Coontz has researched and written many articles based on varying topics between marriage and family. In this article Coontz (2005) argues that many marriages had absolutely nothing to do with love, in fact she found that it was not uncommon for marriages to not only be similar to a business transaction but that it was not uncommon for there to be multiple people in marriage. Multiple people in a marriage seems ludicrous to many people, myself included, but for a very long time what happened between a man and a woman was also between the entire community. Coontz wrote in another article “authorities and neighbors were more concerned with wives who challenged patriarchal power than with husbands who abused it” (2005:141). This states that society was more disturbed by a woman possibly overturning the authority that society had set out for the grosser sex.
The United States is known world wide for its civil rights and freedoms. Many Americans are appalled by the idea of same-sex marriages. What?s wrong with the idea of two people who care greatly for one another wanting to spend their lives together? The gay community is misunderstood because many straights are not willing to listen. These individuals would rather just be closed-minded in this situation and reticent to really think about what this means to the gay community and the country. Same sex couples are not asking for any special rights; they are just asking to be treated equal with opposite sex couples. The explanations given by many Americans against gay marriages are based on false assumptions and unsubstantiated arguments. However, the real and unspoken reasons many heterosexuals have against same-sex marriages are based on religious beliefs.
Marriage is a “socially recognized and approved union between individuals, who commit to one another with the expectations of a stable and lasting intimate relationship. It begins with a ceremony known as a wedding which formally unites marriage partners. A marital relationship usually involves some kind of contract, either written or specified by tradition, which defines the partners’ rights and obligations to each other, to any children they may have, and to their relatives. In most contemporary industrialized societies, marriage is certified by the government,” (Skolnick, 2005). Marriage is also an important institution because of the impact it has on society. Marriage is the main way that reproduction of human life occurs. In some societies it is tradition for family heirlooms or things of value be passed on through marriage. Marriage also serves as a healthy way to have intimate relationships with an individual. In most places a marriage exists between two people of the opposite sex. However, the legal definition of marriage is currently being challenged by many. According to Skolnick’s article a marriage can be defined by responsibilities that a couple would share, some examples are: living together, having sexual relations, sharing money and financial responsibilities, and having a child together. The issue is that homosexual couples can do these things like heterosexual couples.
America is a country known for its freedom, yet people are told who they can and cannot marry. According to Kim Richards a case in Hawaii in 1993 where judges said the state’s constitution required a good reason not to give gay’s equal marriage rights. Congress was pushed to pass the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevented homosexuals who were allowed to marry from receiving the usual benefits of marriage, like taxes and retirement. In response states have made their stand on domestic partnerships and civil unions. DOMA was passed out of fear that a lawsuit filed in Hawaii would make them allow same sex marriage. The congress did not want to allow same sex couples the same benefits heterosexual couples receive while legally married (4-6). Opponents of DOMA claims it violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the Full Faith and Credit Clause. By 2002, thirty-six states banned same-sex marriage or recognizing of same-sex marriage formed in other states (Richards 4-6). Benjamin Wittes says the uproar began in 1991 when Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, and liberals became upset claiming it was a contradiction to our free country (46-48). Dayton says Massachusetts was the first state to sign the bill to allow marriage equality in their state. While republican opponents win the legislative fight with twenty-one states denying marriage equality while just ten have granted the rights to homosexual couples. Polls have shown the majority of America, even including one of our most liberal states, California, remains against gay marriage. After the bill passing in Massachusetts in 2003, thirteen states passed anti-gay-marriage initiatives. Gay right activists are in hopes that states will not follow (...
The sudden socioeconomic transformation of the last century has substantially affected the tradition of marriage in modern society. Therefore, several alternatives to marriage have become available and grown to be more popular than marriage for today’s couples due to its suitability to current conditions. Some of these alternative statuses to marriage are cohabitation, divorce, or simply continuing to be single and this claim is supported through the findings of a recent study. The percentage of adults who are married has notably decreased from 1960 to 2008 by twenty percent (Pew Research Center). These statistics will not improve any time soon as “the average age at which men and women first marry is now the highest ever recorded” (Pew Research Center). These statistics may seem that society has lost a valuable part of life and the significance of two partners becoming one. However, from another perspective, it is a positive change in society where one or both partners do not lose their individuality and are equal, and are more accepting of other relationship choices.
Today’s society argues widely the correctness of same-sex marriage. Marriage for many people is believed to be a relationship between two people, preferably man and woman. The LGBT community battles for their right to marry without being denied by the government. The legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States has great importance for the future of marriage equality throughout the LBGT community. Same-sex marriage will not harm the function of society or other marriages in it, as well as being protected by the Constitution, and relieves lifelong discrimination.
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.