Miracle Brock
Mrs. Nagy
Pre-AP English II
16 October 2018
"Throughout our history, we have fought discrimination. We have joined together to recognize equality for racial minorities, women, people with disabilities, immigrants… [Legalizing gay marriage] is the right thing to do and it is time." Same-sex unions have been a reoccurring subject discussed in our society for decades. In the early 1900’s it was denied, but after it became so prominent people began to accept it. Denying a homosexual the option to marry is discriminatory and creates a second class of citizens. It is a discriminatory act not to allow two people to be together based off of sexual orientation. Being married is a civil right and homosexual couples deserve the same rights and respect as heterosexual couples.
Same-sex relationships has become quite common in today’s society. Some people argue, take stances, and march for their pride; believing that they deserve the same respect as heterosexuals. However, there are a plethora of people in today’s society that are completely against same sex marriages. When same-sex marriages were legalized in 2015, it became legal in all 50 states. Same-sex couples wanted equal dignity in the eyes of the law and it was granted. However, some still believed that it was immoral and unnatural. Same sex marriage is a civil right and homosexual couples deserve the same respect as heterosexual couples. Not only do homosexual couples deserve the same respect as others, but being married is an international right for all people. "Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion… the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution." (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
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Denying a person rights to marriage because of their sexuality or because of whom they are married to, denies their right that was granted to them based off of the established laws in our constitution and in our country. Homosexual couples should be able to have the same freedom to be married, despite the plethora of others who disagree.
Procreation is also another huge topic discussed when arguing about same-sex marriages. Many believe that when two of the same-sex are in a relationship, kids being involved in the mix of the relationships causes toxic issues for a child. Studies show that are “no significant differences in children reared by lesbian mothers versus heterosexual mothers….” Same-sex marriages or marriages in general are not only for procreation. If that was the cause, heterosexuals would cross out the idea of marriage based off of infertility issues or based on the idea of not wanting kids in their near futures. “Ability or desire to create offspring has never been a qualification for marriage. From 1970 through 2012 roughly 30% of all US households were married couples without children, and in 2012, married couples without children outnumbered married couples with children by 9%” (America’s Families and Living Arrangements). This data proves that prohibiting homosexual couples from being married based solely on procreation is ineffective. Also proves that if homosexual couples begin to procreate and it affects a child, then why are so many heterosexual couples choosing not to procreate. Procreation for homosexual couples should be a choice made by the two individuals in the relationship. The choice shouldn’t be made by statistics or society, especially when the decision is made off of biased opinions related to homosexual relationships. So why does our society think because people who choose the same-sex shouldn’t experience the opportunity to have
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kids? The same decisions that heterosexual couples make to not have kids, or vice versa, the same options should be available to homosexual couples.
Statistics also show that marriages involving the same-sex typically last longer than heterosexual marriages. In recent studies it shows that on average a same-sex marriage divorce rate is 2%. Others studies show that the divorce rate for heterosexual couples are 22.6%. This proves that same-sex relationships failure rate are slim to none compared to a relationship with the opposite genders. This also proves that homosexual couples seem to build a more stable, concrete and humane society and foundation for relationships. Based upon these statistics and this evidence, we can determine that allowing two homosexuals to be married will not cause any harm or ill will to the foundations of marriage. In fact, we could even say that homosexual relationships have better survival rates than heterosexual relationships.
There is no difference between a heterosexual relationship and a homosexual relationship. People in our society as a whole seems to think it has a huge effect on their civility, but it doesn’t. What does it harm that a woman chose to marry a woman, or vice versa. What does it take away from the society as a whole; did it make us weaker or stronger, or did our society yet again fall under stereotypical opinions. The only concrete proof that people says it harms our society is based off of biblical principle. People in society say that “one of the biggest sins is being gay” or that “being gay is an abomination”. But if you read the bible it also says that all sin is the same and that no sin is bigger than the other. You could also read Matthew 7:1 where it says, “Judge not that ye, be not judged….”. So, don’t throw the Bible in the face of a
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Others argue that gay marriage shouldn’t be legal because of the effect it has on our economy. We could be sending different messages economically when we allow two homosexuals to be married in holy matrimony. It’s sets our economy back miles and miles when we allow homosexual free range and freedom to be married and procreate. Marriage is also a privilege and not a right. Also, the plethora of people in our society who pay their tax dollar shouldn’t have to pay for something they have no belief in. You say it sets us back economically when we allow gay marriage to happen, but really our economy gains financials benefits based on the homosexuals in our communities. “In 2012, the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found that in the first five years after Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004, same-sex wedding expenditures (such as venue rental, wedding cakes, etc.) added $111 million to the state's economy.” So not only is this helpful to our community, but yet again proves how homosexual relationships have not rural effects on our society and shouldn’t become an outcast based on opinions.
Homosexual relationships seem to be a huge setback that we’ve had to overcome. Although some argue against it, it doesn’t change the idea of homosexuals deserving the same respect as heterosexual couples. In today’s society same-sex marriages are a huge deal and should be accepted based on the laws and the rights we have been granted.