Gay Marriage Should Be Legal in All States

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It seems that the vast majority of people assume that gays and lesbians make a decision to be involved in same-sex relationships at some wild or disturbed time in their lives. Beside this assumption being extremely degrading, it is also inaccurate. Think back to the time in your life when you began developing feelings for others—did you decide which gender those feelings would be directed to? Did you make a conscious choice to be heterosexual? Many gays and lesbians are in serious relationships or are seeking a significant other to build a life with, just as their heterosexual counterparts. But some may never get that chance, as same-sex marriage is not universally legal. Everyone be permitted to marry whom they love. The Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.

Gay and lesbian couples deserve for their commitment to each other to be viewed with equality on a legal and social level. There are numerous rights withheld from same-sex couples when they are denied the liberty to marry. For example, same-sex couples are usually not considered next-of-kin. In medical situations this means that they are unable to visit their partner in the hospital, or have a say in life-or-death medical decisions (Wolfson). Recently, two reporters from the New York Times calculated that same-sex couples can lose as much as $500,000 over their lifetime, because they are unable to receive employers' spousal health insurance, as well as other disadvantages (Badgett, 2013). On top of the legal issues faced by homosexual couples, they also face discrimination daily. Social acceptance of gay marriage cannot be mandated, but with legalization, gay marriage will eventually become a social ...

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...(2004, May 24). The Rise of the Gay Family. U.S. News & World Report, p. 40.

Maddock, P. (2013, April 30). Paul Ryan Reverses Stance On Gay Adoption. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/paul-ryan-gay-adoption_n_3188254.html

Neavling, S., & Lichterman, J. (2013, October 16). Michigan same sex marriage case delayed, frustrating gay activists. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from Yahoo! News: http://news.yahoo.com/federal-judge-may-rule-legality-michigans-gay-marriage-112744105.html

Santrock, J. W. (2011). In Life-Span Development (p. 262). New York: Mcgraw-Hill.

U. S. Constitution, Amendment 1

Wolfson, E. (n.d.). Freedom To Marry. Retrieved November 12, 2013, from Protections Denied to Same-sex Couples and Their Kids: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/from-why-marriage-matters-appendix-b-by-evan-wolfson

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