Gay Marriage
Ask just about anyone and they will tell you that they are in favor of gay rights. Many people believe that homosexuals should have the same rights in jobs, housing, government benefits, law, etc. However, once the issue of gay marriage is brought up, all talk of equality stops. Nearly three out of every four people support gay rights. Approximately the same nuraber of people oppose gay marriage. This means that many of the people in favor of gay rights are still unsupportive of gay marriage. Why is this? Should a person be unable to marry simply because they are homosexual? Of course not. Love is love and deserves respect in whatever shape it comes. Under no circumstances should a person be denied the right to marry because of their sexual preference.
The main argument brought up against same-sex marriage is that it is “strictly an institution between a man and a woman” (Hogan, 380). Webster’s Dictionary defines marriage as “the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family.” This definition clearly states that marriage is intended for a man and woman, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman. However, this argument is not a very strong one. As a United States citizen, everyone is guaranteed certain rights in the Constitution, marriage being one of them. Marriage is “a fundamental constitutional right, or a broader right of privacy or of intimate association” (Price, 1). This means that those who wish to share their lives in an intimate and private way have the right to do so. In 1967 the Supreme Court announced that “marriage is one of the most basic civil rights of man…essential to the pursuit of happiness” (Berzon, 4). This right should not be taken away because a person happens to prefer others of the same sex. Homosexual couples have just as much of a need for intimacy, privacy, and happiness as heterosexual couples do. Also, the United States is a free country. People are allowed to do as they please as long as they do not infringe upon other people’s rights. By allowing two consenting people of the same sex to marry each other, no one’s rights are infringed upon. However, by preventing two people from marrying each other, rights are taken away.
Another strong argument is that the environment created by gay couples is not a good one in which to raise a child. The belief is that a child raised within a homosexual family will turn out differently from one raised within a heterosexual family. These people worry about the well being of the child in terms of sexual identity, personal development, and social relationships. “Studies have revealed normal development of gender identity among children of lesbian and gay parents” (Ward, 1). In the same report, children said that they were happy with their gender and that they had no desire to be of the opposite sex. Studies also concluded that the behavior among children from same-sex families were normal. There were no differences between children of heterosexual or homosexual parents in toy preferences, activities, interests, or occupational choices. A majority of the children described themselves as heterosexual, therefore concluding that the rate of homosexuality does not increase with gay or lesbian parents. “Most school-aged children also reported having same-sex best frienRAB and predominantly same-sex peer groups” (Ward, 1). Another concern was that a child raised within a homosexual family would not get as much love and attention as they would within a heterosexual family. This is not true. “Gay people are as capable of loving children as fully as anyone else” (BiRABtrop, 7).
Those who oppose gay marriage claim that it is an untried social experiment. They believe that, if conducted, the “experiment” would lead to social destruction. However, marriage has been legal in Denmark since 1989. In a survey conducted at the time, seventy-two percent of the people opposed the law. In 1995 another survey was conducted and only eleven percent opposed it. The Danish believe that the law had many beneficial effects. It reduced the amount of suicides, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, and infidelity among gays and lesbians. This “experiment” actually strengthened society as a whole. “So perhaps we should accept the fact that someone else has already done the experiment and accept the results” (BiRABtrup, 4).
Although many people agree that gays and lesbians deserve equal rights, they do not believe that they should be able to marry. Their reasons for preventing same-sex marriages, however, do not hold up to close scrutiny. Marriage is a right, as stated in the Constitution. Children of gay parents turn out no differently than those of straight parents and are loved just as equally. Also, gay marriage has been shown to actually improve a society rather than cause its decline. It is time to forget the previous notions of gay marriage and realize that it is strictly a matter of fairness. One should not be denied the right to marry because they are homosexual. Instead, it is time to start honoring the phrase “With liberty and justice for all.”
Ask just about anyone and they will tell you that they are in favor of gay rights. Many people believe that homosexuals should have the same rights in jobs, housing, government benefits, law, etc. However, once the issue of gay marriage is brought up, all talk of equality stops. Nearly three out of every four people support gay rights. Approximately the same nuraber of people oppose gay marriage. This means that many of the people in favor of gay rights are still unsupportive of gay marriage. Why is this? Should a person be unable to marry simply because they are homosexual? Of course not. Love is love and deserves respect in whatever shape it comes. Under no circumstances should a person be denied the right to marry because of their sexual preference.
The main argument brought up against same-sex marriage is that it is “strictly an institution between a man and a woman” (Hogan, 380). Webster’s Dictionary defines marriage as “the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family.” This definition clearly states that marriage is intended for a man and woman, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman. However, this argument is not a very strong one. As a United States citizen, everyone is guaranteed certain rights in the Constitution, marriage being one of them. Marriage is “a fundamental constitutional right, or a broader right of privacy or of intimate association” (Price, 1). This means that those who wish to share their lives in an intimate and private way have the right to do so. In 1967 the Supreme Court announced that “marriage is one of the most basic civil rights of man…essential to the pursuit of happiness” (Berzon, 4). This right should not be taken away because a person happens to prefer others of the same sex. Homosexual couples have just as much of a need for intimacy, privacy, and happiness as heterosexual couples do. Also, the United States is a free country. People are allowed to do as they please as long as they do not infringe upon other people’s rights. By allowing two consenting people of the same sex to marry each other, no one’s rights are infringed upon. However, by preventing two people from marrying each other, rights are taken away.
Another strong argument is that the environment created by gay couples is not a good one in which to raise a child. The belief is that a child raised within a homosexual family will turn out differently from one raised within a heterosexual family. These people worry about the well being of the child in terms of sexual identity, personal development, and social relationships. “Studies have revealed normal development of gender identity among children of lesbian and gay parents” (Ward, 1). In the same report, children said that they were happy with their gender and that they had no desire to be of the opposite sex. Studies also concluded that the behavior among children from same-sex families were normal. There were no differences between children of heterosexual or homosexual parents in toy preferences, activities, interests, or occupational choices. A majority of the children described themselves as heterosexual, therefore concluding that the rate of homosexuality does not increase with gay or lesbian parents. “Most school-aged children also reported having same-sex best frienRAB and predominantly same-sex peer groups” (Ward, 1). Another concern was that a child raised within a homosexual family would not get as much love and attention as they would within a heterosexual family. This is not true. “Gay people are as capable of loving children as fully as anyone else” (BiRABtrop, 7).
Those who oppose gay marriage claim that it is an untried social experiment. They believe that, if conducted, the “experiment” would lead to social destruction. However, marriage has been legal in Denmark since 1989. In a survey conducted at the time, seventy-two percent of the people opposed the law. In 1995 another survey was conducted and only eleven percent opposed it. The Danish believe that the law had many beneficial effects. It reduced the amount of suicides, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, and infidelity among gays and lesbians. This “experiment” actually strengthened society as a whole. “So perhaps we should accept the fact that someone else has already done the experiment and accept the results” (BiRABtrup, 4).
Although many people agree that gays and lesbians deserve equal rights, they do not believe that they should be able to marry. Their reasons for preventing same-sex marriages, however, do not hold up to close scrutiny. Marriage is a right, as stated in the Constitution. Children of gay parents turn out no differently than those of straight parents and are loved just as equally. Also, gay marriage has been shown to actually improve a society rather than cause its decline. It is time to forget the previous notions of gay marriage and realize that it is strictly a matter of fairness. One should not be denied the right to marry because they are homosexual. Instead, it is time to start honoring the phrase “With liberty and justice for all.”