Gay Marriage Is a Human Rights Issue

The divorce rate among homosexual couples is nearly half the divorce rate of heterosexual couples, in states where homosexual marriage is already legal. This statistic makes it evident that homosexual marriage is as successful as heterosexual marriage. However, out of 49 states with laws regarding gay marriage, only 13 legally recognize the union of two same sex people. Some of the reasoning for this is because some people believe that homosexuality is against their religion and thus, homosexual couples should not have equal rights. In a constitutional society such as ours where all people are meant to be treated equally, homosexual couples need to be granted the same rights as heterosexual couples.

Equality, under the law, is guaranteed to all citizens under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and due to this there is not legal justification for the banning of same-sex marriages. The Fourteenth Amendment has 2 main clauses, the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause. The Amendment reads as follows, "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This Amendment guarantees that equality is maintained throughout the country and that no rights can be taken away from one person or group because of race, gender, sexuality, etc. “The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted” (qtd. in Urdan). The Supreme court has previously ruled in Loving v Virginia that denying marriage on the basis or race is unconstitutional...

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... a nation and a people we have to “decide what’s right by what’s right not what’s written [and] evolve past our outdated norms and dispositions.”

Works Cited

Clinton, Hillary. "The United States Is a Leader in the Promotion of LGBT Human Rights."(2013): n.pg.Gale Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 25 Nov 2014

Frye, Jason. "Same-Sex Marriage Supports the Civil Institution of Marriage." (2013): n.pg. Gale Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 25 Nov 2014.

Mollman, Marianne. "Gay Marriage Is a Human Rights Issue." (2012): n.pg. eLibrary. Web. 4 Dec 2014.

Pope, Stephen J. "The Magisterium's Arguments Against "Same-Sex Marriage": An Ethical Analysis And Critique." Theological Studies 65.3 (2004): 530. eLibrary. Web. 4 Dec 2014.

Urdan, Matthew S. "The US Supreme Court Will Likely Rule in Favor of Gay Marriage." (2012): n.pg. Gale Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 4 Dec 2014.