Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage

There are millions of people in the United States, some tall, some short, some rich and some poor. No doubt, there is not one person that is the same as another. So, why is it that we can find room to accept some differences, but not others? Gays and lesbians may not fit the traditional ways of the United States, and although gays are becoming accepted much more than previously, we are still denying them the right of marriage. The dictionary definition of marriage reads, "The state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a legal, consensual, and contractual relationship recognized and sanctioned by and dissolvable only by law." Why does marriage have to be a union between the opposite sexes? We redefined the term when we allowed mixed race marriages and many people think it is time that we redefine marriage again. Others, though, are bitterly against even the thought of same-sex marriage. Being a part of the United States of America gives us the security and ability to be whomever we wish and no one should be denied that right, which is why marriage should be extended to any two people who are in love, not just to one man and one woman.

Many people for many reasons, whether they are religious or simply moral, see legalizing gay marriage as being the beginning of the corruption of America. They see the traditional core of a family unit as being a married man and woman. They see no room for change and believe that if same-sex marriage is legalized, family values will deteriorate. They are not open to the difference and change that accompanies gays being married.

These men and women against gay marriage also believe that the younger generations will soon become confused about sexual orientation. The way they see it, having two men or two women being married would create uncertainty with the children in that family and those children that come in contact with that family. They believe that children would be confused as to whom they are supposed to be attracted to, but are they saying that what gays and lesbians feel are wrong? If we teach our children to not accept gays and lesbians as being the same as everyone else, what will happen if they feel intimate toward someone of the same sex? We need to teach children about gay culture, not make their views on it be ones of immorality and sin.

Furthering the corrosion of the household would be the result of marriage becoming a legal union between more than two people (polygamy), which is what many deem possible if gay marriage is legalized. If we keep redefining marriage, people see an endless number of family configurations. Opponents of gay marriage do not know when we will be able to draw the line of when to stop reshaping the act of matrimony if gay couples can be married. They feel that it will ultimately lead to people finding an argument to married to two or more people.

Also a huge debate is the right to religious freedom. Various groups feel that with the addition of gay marriage to our country, religious freedom will be null. With a law legalizing gay marriage, people believe that there will be many laws directly following that, such as banning speech against homosexuals. For religious Americans, this could be problematic. In ancient bible teachings, there are stories containing anti-gay and lesbian speech. Priests feel that they would not be able to be free to teach the vital traditions of the bible and churchgoing men and women would find the beliefs of their church being cut off. The legalization of gay marriage has a strong band of opponents who think that legalization will bring about many more issues than the one set before us, but they are overlooking the rights that every person has as an American citizen.

In a country that prides itself in being free and in giving everyone equal rights, there is a strong sense of hypocrisy when citizens' rights are cut short by prejudice. Gays, although they are becoming more accepted, are subject to bias everyday day. They have been abused, verbally and physically, have not been able to express who they are, and now are facing an equally difficult challenge by being denied the legal benefits of marriage. This directly violates the 14th Amendment, which gives all citizens equal protection under the law.

While groups of anti-homosexuals see gay marriage as the gateway to ruined family values, there are already thousands