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Arguments for gay marriage essay
Gay and lesbian discrimination
Arguments for gay marriage essay
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Fighting for Love: Why Gay Marriage should be Accepted
Most people don’t realize what it means to be involved in a “[gay] marriage - it’s not about two people being gay: it’s about two people who love each other and who have decided to commit to each other for the exact same reasons any other couple would get married” (Macfarlane). The topic of gay marriage, and just gay people in general is a touchy one and people have many reasons for accepting or discouraging the way of life. Although some people don’t support gay marriage, it should be accepted by more people because it provides equal rights for gay couples, and offers them the benefits and advantages of a legal marriage. The controversial topic of gay marriage has been more relevant
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Not allowing same-sex couples a license to marry was hindering them from receiving valuable benefits that they could enjoy. Now that they have received fair treatment they can obtain “[the] 1,138 benefits, rights and protections available to married couples in federal law alone” (“Gay Marriage - ProCon.org”). Same-sex couples should get, and now receive, the opportunities to marry and have the 1,138 benefits that come with it. Their relationships should just be accepted more now that it’s completely legal. I understand that it may not be how people were raised to think, but adapting to change and being open-minded is a key aspect throughout life. Looking more into the topic, “[an] Oct. 2, 2009 analysis by the New York Times estimated that same-sex couples denied marriage benefits [would] incur an additional $41,196 to $467,562 in expenses over their lifetimes compared with married heterosexual couples” (Bernard). Unmarried couples would have to pay a substantial amount of money just because they couldn’t wed. Many people wanted to deprive them of marrying and didn’t consider how it could damage them financially. If the opposers were in this situation they’d declare it unconstitutional and demand equal rights. That’s exactly how the gay couples felt but were continuously denied them until recently. It’s unfair to allow these rights to straight couples and not gay couples when it affects things like their health coverage, financial stability, and child custody. Sensible people wouldn’t want others to have to struggle in such a way that could impact someone’s life and the others around
For some background, this case escalated to the Supreme Court since several groups of same-sex couples from different states, sued state agencies when their marriage was refused to be recognized. As it escalated through appeals, the plaintiffs argued that the states were violating the Equal Protection clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Equal Protection, according to the Constitution refers to the fact that, “any State [shall not] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…” (23). The opposition of this case was that, 1) The Constitution does not address same-sex marriage as a policy, and 2) The sovereignty of states regarding the decision. Ultimately, and according to the Oyez project, the Court held that “[the Amendment] guarantees the right to marry as one of the fundamental liberties it protects, and that analysis applies to same-sex couples,” and therefore, same-sex marriage is a fundamental liberty.
People are against gay marriage for multiple reasons. Most are just against the idea that two people of the same sex can fall in love and become a family. Or because people don’t want homosexuals to be allowed the same benefits that heterosexual couple can have. According to a recent survey by the Gallop Organization, forty-three percent of Americans are opposed to same-sex marriage (Morin).
While the gay rights movement has been around for some time, the things that they fight for is forever changing. Currently it is fighting for the right to marry, and receive all the rights straight people get when they marry. Married privilege is like white privilege; married people have more rights then non-married people, no matter what sex a person is married to. These benefits include insurance coverage’s under a spouse policy, social security benefit inheritance, receiving pension and personal assets without taxation, visitation rights at the hospital without question and making health care decisions (LaSala, 2007). In addition to all that, there is a social benefit to being married; it represents a healthy, developed and normal relationship (LaSala, 2007). Before reading this article, I never thought about why married people are given all of these rights. I never thought about where they came from, who made them up, or why they were even made. Why are we fighting for legalizing same-sex marriage a...
As an American citizen, a person should be entitled to marry whoever they choose, regardless of gender or sexual preference. Gay marriage is something that some people consider to be taboo while other people are very supportive of it; I am one of the latter. The ability to marry someone is a basic human right and it should not be taken away from someone because they love a person of the same gender. One of the main reasons that gay marriage is illegal in the United States is because of what the Bible says about it, regardless of the fact that the first Amendment of the US Constitution says that there is to be a separation between church and state. Approximately three point eight percent of the United States population is made up of people
The world today is surrounded with many controversial issues. One such issue would be the topic of gay marriage. This country has grown around one major tradition, being the definition of marriage. It’s more-less looked at as a religious or legal commitment between a women and man, to express their love and compassion towards one another, being the last and final step there is to take with that significant other. Homosexual relationships are rapidly gaining acceptance in this country. However, the Defensive of Marriage Act, that former president Clinton signed in 1996, is holding many back from being able to marry what could be the significant other of their dreams. Homosexuality effects from 8% to 15% of all males, as well as females being slightly less than the male population. To put this in a more familiar context, there are as many gays and lesbians in America today as there are unemployed citizens. There are a few states which formed a type of commitment called a "civil union", which basically is marriage without using the word "marriage." Gay couples are denied significant rights when they are not allowed to marry, and these result in injustices within society. Most carry the burden of hiding their sexual identity for fear of being disrespected or mistreated by the general population who remain ignorant to the causes and circumstances of homosexuality. This puzzles many due to the excess amount of investigative work that has been done on the phenomenon, as well as puzzling the church as to who would want to look into the concept in such a sinful matter.
What if it was not possible to get the benefits that were promised through marriage? What if a marriage license was made unable to obtain? What if love was defined, and not respected? The Defense of Marriage act, created by the house of congress, on January 3rd, 1996 (Defense of Marriage Bill). Passed 342-67, Republican over democratic vote ratio. (Govtrack.us) Created by the 104th congress, 396th house vote (Govtrack.us), and ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial This act did not make it illegal to have a spouse of the opposite sex, for it left that up to the states, although it made it so a gay, or lesbian couples could not get the same benefits as a straight couple could. Benefits such as, Estate Planning Benefits, Death Benefits, Consumer
The recognition of same-sex marriage is a political, social, and religious issue. Because of this same-sex marriage is a very controversial topic. Legal acknowledgement of same sex marriage is commonly referred to as marriage equality. Many advocates of marriage equality argue that laws restricting marriage to only heterosexuals discriminate against homosexuals. On the other hand advocates against same-sex marriage argue that it would undo long-standing traditions and change the meaning of marriage in a damaging manor. In this essay I will be arguing for same-sex marriage. The arguments mentioned as well as others will be discusses throughout this paper.
“It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married” (Procon.org), said Barack Obama the 44th and current president of the United States. The gay right movement started in 1969, riots, struggles, and problems followed after. In today’s society, it has been showed that people are opening up to gay rights. There has been effort in protecting the gays and discrimination against gays is now considered a hate crime and is illegal. However, gay rights still to this day struggle with state and federal legal circumstances. Same- sex marriage needs to be legal, couples who choose to be of the same-sex should be allowed to celebrate their commitment with each other the way heterosexual couples get to, both publicly and society acceptable.
There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of permitting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” Furthermore, it defines a spouse as “ a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife” (What 1). Under these guidelines, it is quite obvious that gay couples would not be eligible for marriage. People against homosexual marriage also say that it is a person’s choice to be gay. Since the individual chooses to be a homosexual, they should not be given special privileges. Another argument that you hear is that these couples should not get married simply because of the torment and ridicule they would be faced with in their everyday lives. There are news reports from across America telling about how a gay person was beaten or killed just because they were looked at as different. Some of these people would end up the target of verbal abuse and maybe even physical abuse, just because some heterosexual people see them as different.
Why isn’t gay marriage legal yet? How does gay marriage affect people that aren’t gay? Why does it matter to those people? Why can’t gay people have the same rights as straight people? Gay marriage should be legal worldwide. Gay marriage or same-sex marriage is when a man and man or women and a woman get married. Same-sex marriage impacts society in different types of ways, some people are affected by it because they think it is against the bible, others seem to have no impact or problem with same-sex marriage. However for the gay community it affects them, because in some states they are not allowed to marry the one they are in love with it. Also it impacts them because there are groups of people against same-sex marriage and the gay community is constantly being judged by people opposed to same-sex marriage. Seventeen states have legalized same-sex marriage; Thirty-three states banned same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage provides a more stable environment for children of gay couples. Legalizing same-sex marriage does not affect or harm heterosexual marriages. Marriage is a union of love, not a union of genders.
Throughout this last year and this year, several states have lifted the ban against same-sex marriage, and there are several more to come. This controversy is not an opinion; the freedom of marriage should be a right all people of the United States have. There has been an on going war throughout history between the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. One of the first actions taken to promote gay marriages was, “In 1993, Hawaii’s Supreme Court was the first to rule that limiting marriage to heterosexuals was unconstitutional, though the state legislature later amended the state constitution to define marriage more clearly as a union between a man and a women ... [leading] a new trend in gay rights activism that Congress felt the need to come involved.”
Gay marriage has been a topic of discussion between many people. It is talked in good and bad ways, due to a person’s beliefs or even just their overall opinions. The topic has been present for many years. Throughout the years many things have improved for the rights of the same sex couples. It included difficult times for these couples. They had to fight for their rights. They had to fight people that did not believe that they have these rights.
How do you feel about gay marriage? Do you think it is right or wrong? Do you agree or disagree with it? Gay marriage is still a controversial topic in today’s society. Some think same sex marriage is right; however, others disagree. People in America have been fighting over same sex marriage for many years. However, same sex marriage is wrong in several ways. One way it is wrong is because there is now a law stating that same sex marriage is legal. Not only is gay marriage wrong, it is not appealing to the eye. Watching gay couples walk around is not a good sight to see. Although society thinks same sex marriage is fair, it is actually immoral and completely wrong.
“As the judge of this court, I hereby make a decision that this man can’t get married to his boyfriend because it’s uncommon and it’s against the constitution.” Imagine hearing this in court or in any other places that two people who love each other can’t get married and raise a family because they’re both from the same sex. Until June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a right protected by the Constitution in all fifty states. Prior to the Supreme Court decision, same-sex marriage was already legalized in thirty-seven states and Washington, DC, but was banned in the remaining thirteen states. The public opinion about this concept of marriage had shifted greatly over the years, from 27% approval of gay marriage
In recent years, same-sex marriage has become a more controversial topic on whether it’s right or wrong. People should not feel coerced to agree with something they believe is wrong; clearly, same-sex marriage is immoral and unnatural. Many complications come with same-sex marriages including financial pressures, social pressures, moral pressures, and health risks.