Gay Rights: Homosexuals Deserve the same Rights as Heterosexuals

1456 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social issues paper assignment on same gender marriage

Homosexual people do not want to have special privileges. They just want to have the same rights as heterosexuals, nothing more, and nothing less. Homosexuals are a growing minority with nearly a million gays and lesbians identifying themselves as members of same-sex couples in the 2000 census. But the total gay population is much larger, since the census didn’t provide an opportunity for single homosexuals to identify their sexual orientation, and didn’t count gay couples who live apart (Mason 1). There are no legitimate reasons why homosexuals should not have the same rights as heterosexuals. Our country disgraces itself when it “[…] accepts homosexuality as a sufficient cause for deprivation of normal civil rights […]” (Nava, Dawidoff 144). If a homosexual is United States citizen, they should receive the same rights as all other citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbians deserve the right to marry, to not be discriminated against, and to be in the military.

Marriage is ever changing. Wives are now equal rather than subordinate partners; interracial marriage is now widely accepted; and marital failure itself, rather than the fault of one partner, may be grounds for a divorce (Stoddard 32). With all of these changes would it not be accurate to say that legalizing and recognizing same-sex marriages is the next step? Marriage is more than a commitment to love one another. “Aside from societal and religious conventions, marriage entails legally imposed financial responsibility and legally authorized financial benefits. Marriage provides automatic legal protections for the spouse, including medical visitation, succession of a deceased spouse’s property, as well as pension and other rights” (Stoddard 4...

... middle of paper ...

...cause there is no law stating it is illegal, but 48 states, all but Vermont and Hawaii, will not acknowledge a gay marriage. If a homosexual is United States citizen, they should receive the same rights as all other citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbians deserve the right to marry, to not be discriminated against, and to be in the military. Does it seem fair to keep all homosexuals from what they justly deserve?

References

Jackson, Benjamin. “Anti-homosexual Crime”. Pages 1-2. Southern Poverty Law Center. 2002.

Mason, Margie. “Census Figures on Same-Sex Couples”. Page 1. www.speakout.com. 8/8/01

Nava, Michael, and Robert Dawidoff. “The Ick Factor: Yes”. Taking Sides. Pages 144-151. 1994.

Stoddard, Thomas. “Gay Marriage: Make Them Legal”. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Pages 31 – 52. Bedford Books. Boston. 1996

Show More
Related

  • A Critique of Thomas B. Stoddard’s Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas B. Stoddard’s “Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal” is a successfully written argument with some minor flaws in technique. Stoddard uses this article to present his major claim, or central thesis, on the reasons gay marriage should be legalized. He presents his argument using minor claims. In a lecture on February 2, 2005, James McFadden stated a minor claim is the secondary claim in an argument. Stoddard uses minor claims in his discussion of homosexual people being denied their rights by the government and by others who discriminate against them. He also discusses how love and the desire for commitment play a big part in the argument for and against gay marriage.

    Read More

  • Colson's Article: The Constitutional Right Of Gay Marriage

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    The constitutional right of gay marriage is a hot topic for debate in the United States. Currently, 37 states have legal gay marriage, while 13 states have banned gay marriage. The two essays, "What’s Wrong with Gay Marriage?" by Katha Pollitt and "Gay "Marriage": Societal Suicide" by Charles Colson provide a compare and contrast view of why gay marriage should be legal or not. Pollitt argues that gay marriage is a constitutional human right and that it should be legal, while Colson believes that gay marriage is sacrilegious act that should not be legal in the United States and that “it provides a backdrop for broken families and increases crime rates” (Colson, pg535). Both authors provide examples to support their thesis. Katha Pollitt provides more relevant data to support that gay marriage is a constitutional right and should be enacted as law in our entire country, she has a true libertarian mindset.

    Read More

  • Australian Rule Of Law Essay

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    The merits of both the adversarial and inquisitorial system will be explored throughout this paper. The Australian rule of law best describes as all law should be applied equally and fairly. The five vital operations of the rule of law includes fairness, rationality, predictability, consistency, and impartially. The adversarial system adopts these operations by having a jury decide on the verdict and the judge being an impartial decision maker. In contrast, the inquisitorial system relies heavily on the judge. This can result in abusive power and bias of the judge when hearing evidence and delivering verdicts. The operations of the rule of law determine why the rule of law is best served by the adversarial system in Australia.

    Read More

  • Active Parent Participation in IEP Meetings

    2273 Words  | 5 Pages

    Parents play a critical role in the planning of educational programs for their children. In efforts to increase parental involvement, instructions were added to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that mandated active parental participation during the preparation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). According to Lo (2008), when IDEA was reauthorized in 2004, additional parental rights were added that required the attendance of parents and every member of an IEP Team, unless both the parent and school agree to an absence and document that agreement in writing. That mandate emphasizes the importance of parental participation in educational programming for their children.

    Read More

  • The New Man In Disney Pixar By Ken Gilam And Shannon R.

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author focuses also on the fact that these lead male characters show signs of intimacy, emotion, and homo sociality. These characters.

    Read More

  • The Jury and Its Role in the Courts of Trial

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    The jury plays a crucial role in the courts of trial. They are an integral part in the Australian justice system. The jury system brings ordinary people into the courts everyday to judge whether a case is guilty or innocent. The role of the jury varies, depending on the different cases. In Australia, the court is ran by an adversary system. In this system “..individual litigants play a central part, initiating court action and largely determining the issues in dispute” (Ellis 2013, p. 133). In this essay I will be discussing the role of the jury system and how some believe the jury is one of the most important institutions in ensuring that Australia has an effective legal system, while others disagree. I will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a jury system.

    Read More

  • Intellectual Property and the Computer Industry--GUIs

    1664 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ge of information, but there are arguments that this is not the case. For example, some may say that the courts made it too difficult to prove copyright infringement because there are ways for companies to deliberately avoid copyright infringement (look up “clean room design”) while still creating a program that is, for all practical purposes, identical to the original. Taking everything into account, intellectual property law is not perfect. It was established long before anyone could have known about the challenges and intricacies of protecting one’s intellectual property that are seen today. Intellectual property laws were not conceived with technology in mind. This being said, courts are working to hear and rule on such cases in order to establish guidelines and precedent, all while attempting to maintain the spirit in which intellectual property laws were made.

    Read More

  • Howard Moody Sacred Rite Or Civil Right Summary

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    If the line is clearly drawn in the sand between church and state it will ultimately be for the betterment of many. Members of the clergy will no longer fear the repercussions of performing marriages for the select homosexual couples who wish to be joined in their church of their choosing. Moody states one catholic priest said: “We can bless a dog, we can bless a boat, but we can’t say a prayer over two people who love each other.” (355) The sacrament of marriage will forever be a topic not everyone can agree upon but as history proves change is inevitability a spoke on a wheel that will constantly be moving forward.

    Read More

  • MTV

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marks, Craig, and Rob Tannenbaum. I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. New York: Dutton, 2011. Print.

    Read More

  • The Individuals with Disability Education Act Policy

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    Once covered under an IEP, the students with disabilities are re-evaluated at least every three years and their IEP’s is reviewed when a change in place occurs. This is most often annually as they go from grade to grade. IDEA recognizes autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, other health impairment (i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury and visual impairment. An evaluation for services under I...

    Read More

  • Education: Special Education

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    During my research for this paper there was so much I knew about special education already. In our Intro to Education class we talked about a lot with this program. As a teacher you have to have your stuff together so you don’t get the students files mixed up. You also have to know exactly what you are doing. This whole thing can be so stressful. You have to make sure the students goals are not too much. Special Education teachers are hard to find. But when you get one you keep them for a long time.

    Read More

  • Homosexuals Should Have Equal Rights

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the years have passed, homosexuality has become a very controversial topic. The fact that day by day they fight for equality just to be happy, I think it is an injustice that many people refuse to give them the rights they deserve.

    Read More

  • The Making of MTV

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    One thing that seems to be keeping MTV alive is its large number of successful reality TV shows. In 1992, “The Real World” was launched. Although at first it was met with negative reviews, “The Real World” went on to become one of the longest running reality series in history, credited with launching the modern reality TV genre. (The Real World. 1) “True Life,” was an MTV documentary series that premiered in 1998. It was a show that focused on the lives and concerns of young adults. It continues to be successful today winning multiple awards over the years.One show that has been so successful it has moved one to the big screen is “Jack*ss” It was launched on October 1, 2000. It grew very popular because of the extreme pranks the cast members would play on each other. Although it did not air for long, the series did have many spin offs that were equally as successful, and also helped grow MTV’s name. On March 5th, 2002, MTV debuted the first family of rock and roll, “The Osbournes”. The show was very successful and in its first season, was cited as “the most-viewed series ever on MTV.” 7 On March 17, 2003, MTV continued on their comedic route when they premiered “Punk’d,” hoping a big name like Ashton Kutcher hosting the show would bring popularity. Show was responded to well but ended well before ratings went down....

    Read More

  • Special Needs Children and the Special Education Program Controversy

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    Special education is such a broad and sensitive topic to talk about as well as the several issues that come with the Special education topic. And although there are a variety of issues, such as: special education children being accepted, segregated from their peers, the financial ability to support many special education programs, and the fact that a lot of teachers are not properly certified and do not know how to handle special needs children; there are also many resolutions. Special education Awareness, peer understanding, support from the local and state government, proper teacher certification, and most importantly social unity and understanding amongst peers are all a part of this controversial issue and they will also help maintain and resolve the growing concerns in the Special education programs and the children.

    Read More

  • Same Sex Marriage

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    The way society views same sex marriage can change. Throughout history, many beliefs have changed. In the past, black people were not considered as citizens in the constitution. It is not until the thirteenth amendment in 1865 that slavery was banned. Women were not considered equal to men and were not given the right to vote until 1920 when congress passed the fourteenth amendment. It takes time but opinions and beliefs can change and the past has shown us that is indeed possible! Same sex marriage are nothing more than the union of two humans being that care, love, and want to make commitments to each other. That commitment can not be recognized unless same sex marriage is legalized.

    Read More

More about Gay Rights: Homosexuals Deserve the same Rights as Heterosexuals

Open Document