Gay Marriage

668 Words2 Pages

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...

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"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.
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