Introduction
Marriage is a very important part of life for any human as it carries with it has several benefits among them healthy living, life insurance, stability, tax refunds and pension funds for spouses. Of the many benefits of marriage is the right to be able to acquire children since married gay couples stand a chance to legally adopt children and raise them as their own. The act of marriage also helps in creating a social, economic and sentimental settings that leads to effective child-rearing Marriage should not only be an entity for straight people but all should be accorded the rights and freedom to marry a person of either sex as he or she seems fit. According to Kathy (2007), she argues that though many gay couples seek to marry in order to enjoy the benefits, that accrue from marriage but some have been denied this right due to their sexuality. This is very worrying as it amounts to the abuse of the rights of such individuals to be able to marry live their life normally the way they would wish to live it.
Gay people just like the rest of us need to be allowed to marry and this can only be achieved if all our law making organs come together and legalize this act. Several states within the US have not yet legalized the act of marriage among gay couples and this has been a major stumbling block to the rights and freedoms of such individuals as they are unable to get legally get into the institution that is marriage. It is well documented that gay people are normal just like the rest of us and so they should also be accorded the rights to choose any partner of their choice from whichever gender and be able to legally acquire a marriage certificate and settle down without any problems. They should be accepted into the society just the way they are and given the respect they deserve.
Argument
The act of marriage is achieved when two individuals come together and pledge themselves to live together in unison and recognized by law. When two adults come together and makes the personal decision to get into lasting commitment, they should not be denied their right just because their sexual orientation is not straight. Denying them this right will be tantamount to denying them several benefits that can only be accessed by married people such as government benefits, employee benefits and other benefits that the normal heterosexual couple enjoys. This is a serious violation of people’s rights and should not be accepted world over. Just like heterosexuals, homosexuals should be accepted just the way they are and should not be judged by anyone as only God will do the judging.
An individual’s sexuality should not act as a barrier to him or her getting into the institution of marriage. A homosexual person possesses the same desires and needs that a heterosexual individual has the only difference is their sexual orientation and denying them the right to marriage is a violation of their religious freedom (Messerli, 2011). Being a homosexual does not make someone unpatriotic or un-American and so he should not be treated as such since they are citizens and belong to our country and therefore they should enjoy the rights enshrined in the constitution as all of us do.
The Bill of Rights and the constitution were drafted for all people and therefore gay people do not deserve to be treated as if they are second class citizens. Filer (2010) asserts that the government should not interfere with people’s bedroom activities. The Bill of rights or the constitution does not say anything about the two people who are qualified to be married. According to PAWS (2010), as late as 1962, laws that criminalized homosexuality existed. In the Nazi years in Germany, homosexuals were persecuted alongside Jews. Therefore, denying marriage to two persons who have a loving relationship because they belong to the same gender is cruel. Marriage should be about love and a fundamental right for all a country’s citizens. Homosexuals are a minority whose rights and freedoms should not be violated and so any law infringing on their rights should be repealed or amended in order to allow them to enjoy their freedom without the guilt of breaking any law. There is a growing need to enact laws and legislations that protect these minorities. Abiding by the law should be the only criteria in determining marriage (PAWS, 2010).
What is contrasting however is that, while the American society denies the right to marriage to homosexuals, it glorifies heterosexuals who make a mockery out of the institution of marriage by divorce and marriage of successive partners (Filer, 2010). This practice is called serial monogamy and it portrays a very sickening and hypocritical side of the society which is quick to pass judgment on homosexuals for their lifestyles. It is very hypocritical to people to denounce Homosexuality while they regard such behaviors as normal. Just like heterosexual marriages, gay marriages are also personal commitments that do not affect the society in any way. Hirschfeld (2000) believes that society should not dictate what two people should or should not do when they hurt no one in the process. Some religious groups and other organizations have voiced their frustration regarding gay marriages but they are entitled to their opinions.
Nowadays, homosexuality has been accepted as a lifestyle with a bulk of evidence supporting biological causation. In his article, Messerli (2011) notes that gay sexual relationships have a long history and they were in ancient Greece. In fact, the word lesbian is derived from the Greek Island known as Lesbos where several lesbian couples lived. Research shows that homosexuality has a biological causation and not a genetic one. Research has shown that homosexuality is just as natural as heterosexuality and so it should be treated as such.
Religious men and women who term homosexuality a sin are entitled to their opinions but they should not try to interfere with people’s lives if it doesn’t affect them in any way. Those arguing that children should only have heterosexual parents are wrong since no evidence can be found but it is general knowledge that children only need caring and loving parents and they need not be heterosexual. According to Filer (2010), same sex marriages portray the special thing about love and affection. They show that love conquers all, that love knows no boundaries, it knows not the sexual orientation of a person. They are a sign that society needs to shed the old beliefs about certain things and move forward by accepting that every person has a right to love.
The fact that homosexuals adopt and care for children is an indication that a family should be governed by love and care. Many heterosexual marriages have been seen to break up adversely affecting the lives of the children. A heterosexual marriage does not necessarily guarantee happy families since children from heterosexual parents have been observed to suffer a lot mentally when parents break up (Messerli, 2011). This is a demonstration that marriage should be guided by commitment and love rather than sexual orientations. Finally, it was not homosexuals that brought about the HIV virus.
Conclusion
As the debate continues on whether gay marriages should be legalized, it can only be fair that every person keep an open mind regarding the issue. Marriage is an institution that is built on affection, love and care. It should be an affair between two people who love and care for one another. Therefore, sexual orientations should not be used to determine how this institution is to be put up. What is important is for the society to accept people with diverse ways of lives and learn to live with them in harmony. Discrimination against homosexuals should be addressed and they should have the same opportunities as any other person who is protected by the constitution. The Bill of Rights advocates for the rights of every citizen, regardless of their way of life. Therefore, same sex marriages should be legalized.
Works Cited
Filer, E. (2010) Should Same Sex Couples Be Allowed to Marry? Retrieved. 17, Feb, 2012. http://www.naplesnews.com/2010/mar/03/marry/
Hirschfeld, M. (2000) The Homosexuality of Men and Women. New York: Prometheus Books.
Kathy, H. (2007) Should Gays be Allowed to Marry? Retrieved. 17, Feb,2012. http://ezinearticles.com/?Should-Gays-Be-Allowed-to-Marry?&id=584737
Messerli, J. (2011) Should Same-Sex marriages be Legalized? Retrieved. 17, Feb, 2012. http://www.balancedpolitics.org/same_sex_marriages.htm
PAWS. (2010) Gay Rights Movement-Beginnings. Retrieved. 17, Feb, 2012. http://www.ashford.edu/student_services/5283.htm
