This thesis aims to highlight the issue of gay marriage that is now being seen in a positive light. It has readily gained acceptance over so many years. People are beginning to see it as an acceptable reality. The roots of its acceptance are also traced through various countries with so many countries beginning to understand how essential it is to allow man with the freedom of anything.
Gay marriage, also known as same-sex marriage, is a legally or socially recognized marriage between two individuals of the same sex. The growth of gay marriage has spread worldwide and excepted more and more by different countries. The polls that were recently conducted in United States of America observed a huge change in the way people hold opinions about same-sex marriages. People of the same sex should have the same right as any other person to marry, they should also be able to find a normal life and acceptance in society just like anyheterosexual couples. Gays and Lesbians should find themselves as normal as those who are not either (Gay Marrigae, 2008)
Our society as a whole is more acceptable to the thought of gay marriages then in past years. This is the case now currently ten countries worldwide; South Africa, Sweden, Canada, Spain, Norway, and Portugalhave legalized gay marriages and seven of our states have followed too; Iowa, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, New Hampshire plus Washington D.C.
Out of a total of 6000 candidates, in the year 2006, 42% favored same-sex marriage while 48% opposed it greatly. However, in the year 2009, the percentage of those who opposed saw a sharp decline. 54% were in favor of same-sex marriages while 37% were against it (Gay marriage, 2008). This was a shocking discovery which clearly stated how people have come to understand and accept the problems experienced by gays and lesbians who were previously forced to conceal their identity.
This argument poses a very important question which is usually ignored by people who are always conforming to societal norms and values. Gays are normal like all other people. The only difference is that they identify with people of their genders more strongly than those who find attraction in the opposite genders. If the problem should not be accepted, then it would not find any cure either.
Those who argue against the idea of gays getting acceptance and being allowed to enter into relationships have much stronger evidences and arguments. They believe that gay marriages are not good for the religion, the brain, the future generations and the society as a whole. Promoting these marriages would enable people to disrespect religion and disregard all the values that they held in the past. They would be teaching their kids values that are wrong and confusing. The concept of only man and woman being able to pro-create would get disrupted with the spread of same-sex marriage beliefs. The institution of marriage would collapse if people are made to believe that same sex marriages are vital or should be allowed. These are certainly strong arguments. But if the major question is disrespect, then where is the respect for human desires? The freedom that has allowed man to be a part of this world and to be allowed to do anything and everything, where is the freedom then?
The world is an ever changing place and the gay communities are growing moreand more each day and as they grow, support of the gay community’s grows with it. Look at all the support that they are getting from the celebrities these days, the likes of Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Emma Roberts and Josh Hutcherson just to name a few and then you have the open celebritiesgetting married like Ellen Degeneres to celeb Portia DeRossi and Rosie O’Donnell, Elton John,K.D. Lang and George Michael and the numbers keep growing .
As our society has become more accustomed to the fact of gay marriage, we support people like Ellen and Rosie who has or had talk shows and openly confess their dying love for their significant others (Ashford University, 2010)
As a retired veteran of the United States Army, I am a firm believer that if you are an American citizen and you want to fight for your country, openly or in the closet as they say you should be allowed to do so without any ramification from anyone. Today, President Obama has made several statements referencing gay marriages, to include his original beliefs of gay marriages in 2008 he was against it, did not feel as though it was civil.
As of today he feels strongly about gay marriages and those individuals happiness. He explained, “I had hesitated on gay marriage, in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word 'marriage' was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth.
It takes a lot of courage for someone of their nature to come out into the open world and show and express their feelings for someone of the same sex; it is basically just as bad as when people were very judgmental of interracial dating and marriage (Ashford University, 2011).
Obama believes in same sex marriage, and even though many people are looking down on his statements and beliefs they should not. Again this raises the question about our military, since President Obama and Congress passed the law for gays to openly serve in the military, ending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy; so are they entitled to get married while serving? This is another issue that has not been addressed yet and believes me it is coming soon (Lee, 2007).
Gay people are going to want to exchange vows while serving their country just like any other full bloodied American and they are going to want the same benefits bestowed on them that any heterosexual couple has. They are going to want the health care, the housing, the spousal support just like male and female couples have, and are entitled to.
The belief is if they are American enough to fight and die for their country then they should be treated as an equal and given the same rights. Someone asked the question, what is the difference in marrying a foreigner who does not speak any English and does not know the first thing about this country, but has the same rights as everybody else because she married an American? This is a free country and everyone should have that right no matter what their race,
religion or sexual preferences are. Yes the Bible state in “First Corinthians 6 Chapter 9 & 10” Paul warns the Corinthians that “fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodemites will inherit the Kingdom of God”. But it also says that God tells us to call for repentance and forgiveness. So if God can forgive why can’t we, who are we to judge or say how another person wants or suppose to live his or her lives .
In conclusion, I believe that everyone should be entitled to marry who they want, we ashuman beings cannot determine who we fall in love with, whether it be a person of the same sex or not. I must say people are so quick to judge, we do not know the circumstances of the individuals past. You love who you love, and those individuals should not be treated any different than the next, just because they are gay or a lesbian.
I am pro-gay, I do not have a problem with them, truth be told they are the best individuals to befriend; they are loyal friends whereas you have individuals who are not. I believe they are loyal because they have been through so much and will continue to go through a lot based on their decisions to come out of the closet about their sexuality, and their preference of an individual they like or love. They too need someone who is loyal and accepts them for who they are. Look at it this way, I am a male and if I befriend a gay female we have so much in common, and we can talk about things that me and a straight girl cannot as she does not comprehend the way I may feel.
All the arguments that have been provided against and in favor of the idea of legalizing gay marriages in combination with the growing evidence suggesting that people are actually beginning to do that, this notion supports the idea of more and more people having the chance to understand whatever is possible. I would like to conclude my thesis with the reminder that freedom is the basic need of any human. Taking that away is equivalent to killing any human. The freedom whether it pertains to allowing people of the same sex to intermingle should not be taken away in any case.
References
Gay marriage. (2008). About Gay Marriage. Retrieved 7 15, 2012, from http://gaymarriage.procon.org/
Lee, E. C. (2007). Obama Backs gay Marriage. Retrieved 7 15, 2012, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304070304577394332545729926.html
Marshall, J. (2004). Ethics scoreboard. Retrieved 7 15, 2012, from Proethics: http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/list/gaymarriage.html
Nit, T. (2005). 11 factsabout gay marriage.
Ashford University (2010). About Us: An Ashford University Online. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from An Ashford University website: http://www.ashford.edu/paws_june_2010.htm
Ashford University. (2011). Ashford University Online. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from An Ashford University website: http://www.ashford.edu/student_services/5257.htm
