Essay about Gay Marriage

Submitted By Sara-Carpenter
Words: 1205
Pages: 5

According to a May Gallup Poll, just 27% of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be legal in 1996. That same poll was conducted again in 2013, and the number has almost doubled to 53% (Stark & Roberts, 2013). Although that is progress, it’s just not enough. Our country is divided over something as simple as whether or not to offer a human civil rights. Gay and lesbian couples are often denied rights that are typically taken for granted by the average heterosexual American. People should not be discriminated against just because of their sexual orientation. Same sex marriage should be legal everywhere, because homosexuals are citizens and civil rights should not be based on a person’s sexuality. The biggest reason, in my mind, for marriage equality is that everyone should be seen as equal citizens with equal rights. If two people are expected to be productive citizens, obey the laws, and pay taxes, how can they not both be given the same rights just because one of them is gay? This is basically history repeating itself. In the 1950’s, interracial marriage was illegal. Today, that seems ridiculous. Equal rights should not be denied to couples who love each other, and same-sex marriage is no different. Hopefully, it’s only a matter of time before this is also history. Thanks to Section Three of the “Defense of Marriage Act” being declared unconstitutional in July of 2013, many same sex-couples can now receive the same benefits that a married straight couple would. Although, it may be hard for gay married couples in states where their marriage is not recognized as legal. This is why we need equality everywhere. A 2009 study done by the New York Times estimates that a same-sex couple denied marriage benefits will incur a minimum of $41,196 in expenses over their lifetime compared to a married heterosexual couple. That same study determined that almost all the extra costs would be eliminated if homosexual couples were allowed to marry (Bernard & Lieber, 2009). A majority of youth suicides today can be attributed to bullying as a result of sexual orientation. The sooner we legalize gay marriage, the sooner we can work on showing people that homosexuality is accepted in society. Being different is not a bad thing, and we need to work accepting people for who they are. Bullying is wrong, which I am sure most people would agree with, so why are we, as adults, bullying and segregating a whole group of people? One of the biggest arguments against legalizing gay marriage is that the Bible states that it’s wrong. There is actually very little in the Bible to support that claim. I am not a religious person, and I can’t even remember going to church as a child. I don’t understand how the Bible can be such a huge argument against gay marriage. Why does it matter what the Bible says about homosexuality when it comes to their rights? Religion and government are supposed to be kept separate for a reason. What you choose to believe or not believe is your personal choice, and making same-sex marriage legal is not going to change that. The central idea of religion and the Bible is supposed to be love and acceptance. Therefore, the idea of denying another person their right to marry the person they love should be wrong and unacceptable. I’ve often heard people say that if we legalize same-sex marriage, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll be having the same fight over marrying animals or family members. It’s important to note that of the fifteen countries and fifteen U.S. state that have already legalized gay marriage, not a single one has moved on to the next step of legalizing marriage involving children, animals, or families. Homosexual marriage is no more likely to lead to these issues than Heterosexual marriage is. Marriage should be between two consenting adults, period. Even if you are against gay marriage, there is one thing we can all agree on, and that’s that the economy needs help. If gay marriage was allowed, the