The Same Sex Marriage Debate
The controversial debate over whether same sex marriage should be legalized has gained a lot of attention in recent years and there are strong arguments for each side of the issue. There are many different factors that must be looked at when considering same-sex marriage. A marriage is not something that is just slapped on a piece of paper to show a couple's love; it involves legal, social, economic, and spiritual issues. Throughout this essay, I intend to focus on all of the issues just mentioned, and how all of these issues are interrelated in some way, shape or form. I will also pay attention to the state influence on marriage, how one state's decision affects another state's actions, and last how the
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Although the gay community makes up a small percentage of the American population, they have and will be very influential in our society. Our society sets many standards for people to live by, but often times these standards evolve through time in such a way that no one can predict. Slavery serves as a good example: A survey done in the 1700's of the American colonies would probably reveal a majority of people felt slavery was alright, some might have even pointed out that Christians used slavery in the past, as mentioned in the bible. Slowly the black population, who was clearly the minority, gained more and more support for freedom. While there are still Americans who do not see the black community as equals, it is safe to say that society as a whole believes discrimination against blacks is wrong.
While slavery is far more extreme of an issue than homosexuality, the two have some things in common. For example, during the civil war there were Americans on one side that supported an amendment to ban slavery and those on the other side who opposed it. Today there are citizens who support an amendment to ban same sex marriages just as there are those who are against legislation. Even though the black community sought out the slavery amendment and the gay community is trying to stop the amendment to ban same sex marriage, both minorities were trying to change a precedent in society. The gay
The movement of the gay and lesbian population in the United States is one that has been in progress since the early 1900s, and is still facing overwhelming controversy and backlash today. The push for gay liberation in a country founded on Christian morals and beliefs has subsequently led to struggles over equality of marriage, adoption, jobs, and healthcare. One side of the controversy argues that every individual deserves the same rights, while the opposing mindset argues that being homosexual puts you into a group of people that is different, and will therefore be treated as such.
“The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights
In a very real sense, it is reasonable to argue that the government should have no say at all in the processes of marriage, or decide which adults may or may not legally marry. State and federal governments play a role, of course, in that marriage is a civil union, and provides benefits and legal protections for the couple. Historically, marriage serves the interests of the society by promoting stability and future generations of citizens, and governments usually act in ways to promote this very vital element. At the same time, it is highly questionable whether this governmental authority should have any voice in who chooses to marry, provided those involved are adults and wish to do so. This is in fact, at the heart of the same-sex
The first homosexual to speak out publicly in defense of homosexuality was a writer named Karl Heinrich Ulrichs on August 29, 1867. So while most people say the gay rights movement is something that's fairly recent, that is untrue. People have been judged for being homosexual for a very long time. Prejudice is something that can cause people to be violent, hateful, and act differently towards certain people to fit in, as shown in To Kill A Mockingbird and in society today towards supporters of gay and trans rights.
Homosexual marriage is one of the old but controversial issues around the world. Compared to the past, it seems to become a more open debate among people. At the same time, people seem to be more swayable than before, but towards the gay marriage, different voices have still been hovering in the air. Gay people and their supporters have been striving for their rights to get married legally, while others who against gay marriage have never stopped deterring it.
According to the Williams Institute, in the United States homosexuals are a minority, making up only three and a half percent (3.5%) of the adult population. Although it sounds like few people, that is over eight million adults who are being denied their basic rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is unjust for American citizens who pay taxes, work, and live like other Americans to not have the same rights because they love someone who is the same gender as they are. A fraction of the United States does allow same-sex marriages, but it is not allowed in all states, and it is unconstitutional to deny homosexuals their basic human rights in any area of the United States. Although America is slowly progressing towards equality, the United States is falling far behind the rest of the world,
Homosexuality has always been a controversial topic in the United States, and the twenty-first century has brought about many new rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group. The American Gay Rights Movement has a long history, but the LGBT community is now starting to have more rights and protection.
Gay rights are a civil rights issue although unrecognized on a par with women or Africans. As the definition of civil rights states “those positive rights, whether political, social or economic, conferred by the government on individuals or groups that had previously been denied them” (Yalof, 108). Homosexuals have been discriminated against historically, by both religious and political groups. There have been cases where they have been discriminated at work, clergy, and the military.
Americans endlessly recycle the old conflicts: "first we fought about slavery, then segregation, then gender, and now sexual orientation"-(Anon). Homosexuality is an on-going conflict in America, as well as other countries. The history of homosexuality goes back to the ancient civilizations. As we have different ideas and ways of "dealing" with it, so did the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome.
The political aspects of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to federal and government recognized marriages are a very complex issue. There are basically two sides to the political argument of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. On one side are the liberals who feel that marriage is a civil right that should be denied based on the basis of a person's sexual orientation. On the other side you have conservatives who feel that marriage is an institution in which should only constitute one man and one woman. In this report we are going to examine how the issue of same-sex marriages are affecting our current political environment, how politics is affecting the movement for
Gay marriage is a very talked about topic in are country that shouldn’t be ignored. I believe men and women should be able to love freely and not be shamed by it. Marriage is a great factor in the United States. To some people it’s what we live for; is to get married and start a family. To not give everyone the same opportunity to have a happy marriage and family is unlike us. This problem is bringing a lot of hate, the same hate that was used in racial discrimination so why not give gays equal rights like everyone else. Andrew Sullivan wrote a article that shares his experiences of coming out and being accepted. When puberty hit he started to realize he wasn’t the same. He knew that his marriage is not going to be the same as his
The proposed legalization of same-sex marriage is one of the most significant issues in contemporary American family law. As a heavily campaigned development currently discussed in law assessment; these extremely confrontational and debatable political questions are facing present day American courts. If same-sex marriage is legalized, its affect on the parents, children, same sex couples, families, and the social and political world will be astronomical. The arguments surrounding the issue though confrontational nonetheless are easily seen from a wide array of perspectives. One of the perspectives states that marriage is a promise to a spouse to stay loyal and faithful in all
As we know, same-sex marriage has been discussed and argued for a long time. Within the controversial topic of gay rights, there’s no area more controversial than same-sex marriage. And all of us ask ourselves if same-sex marriage should be legal or not. But the fact is that we have to start thinking about it as a moral and religious topic. The government shouldn’t legalize the same-sex marriage because the
Although, we are slowly moving in the right direction… we are nowhere near seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Opponents of same-sex marriage in the United States ground their arguments on parenting concerns, religious concerns, and concerns about a "slippery slope" leading toward other changes to the definition of marriage. In my personal opinion, how can they foresee just what the legalization of gay marriage will do? When slavery was abolished, I’m sure a lot of the country had concerns of slave rebellions on their white owners but no one knew for sure just how the world would function with the equality of white and black. Here we are facing the same situation just different aspect. Equality for homosexuals is something that needs to happen. We are all equal, all human, we all bleed, all hurt, all feel, and all love so why should certain groups
Such as pedophilia and polygamy which are controversial subjects but not as much as gay marriage. Even though comparing pedophilia and polygamy to gay marriage is a little much, people feel that allowing gay marriage goes against their morals, their views on society, lives they want for their children, and the future. For some violating same-sex couples civil right is worth it in the end only because they want to protect the value of a man-woman type marriage. To deny gays and lesbians the right to marry is in violation of their civil rights as a citizen of the United States of America.