In the modern worldwide society, within the past few years there has been a fierce debate over gay marriage legalization. The opponents of the issue claim that the society is accustomed to the wedding ceremony of men and women, and the love between a man and a man, a woman and a woman is unthinkable and forbidden. However, the concept of same-sex love is now definitely has its place in the world and to deny it is no longer possible. You can only choose or change your perception of the problem and attitude towards it, for the sake of love, peace and tranquility. In this paper, the arguments for gay marriage legalization will be considered along with the counterarguments of the problem opponents.
Today, there are officially recognized and legally registered same-sex marriages in the following countries: Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Portugal, Argentina, Denmark, New Zealand, Uruguay, France, UK, US, Brazil. These countries have already realized that to deal with such strong human feelings is impossible, and it is far better to go and meet them. The fight for the rights of same-sex lovers is still going on around the world, and the number of supporters increases every day around the globe. For instance, according to May 2013 data of Gallup poll, over a half of Americans (53%) support the gay marriage (Jones, 2013).
In 1989, there was registered the first gay marriage in Denmark, between Axel and Eigil Axgil, who to this day remain active fighters for the legalization of gay marriage in the world and founders of the largest gay organization. However, in those days, such a union was not a marriage in its full modern sense, but rather had a status of civil partnership. This breakthrough, however, can still be called a true success, a great base to build something more than misunderstanding, unrecognition and alienation.
Today, there are many countries in the world that do not recognize the legal status of homosexuality, some of them offering an alternative solution to this issue, being limited only by civil, domestic partnership; others are still in the stage of debate, and some totally against such unions, sometimes using even cruel methods to eliminate them. However, everything is changeable, and what will happen tomorrow, nobody knows already.
Active struggle for the right to legalize same-sex marriage today largely owes to the public people, unwilling to hide their feelings and wanting to restore a fair balance between the norm and its opposite side. Indeed, until now, many hide their homosexuality, their true preferences in love and relationships. Moreover, there are already people not afraid to express their true feelings, such as Elton John, Ricky Martin, Ellen Degeneres, Eva Pol'na, Cynthia Nixon, and many others. This is just one aspect of this question, which is known to many because of their awareness of the world of show business. However, there are still many more gay men and women, who live the societies with proponents of the traditional sexual orientation, which forces them to undergo various inconveniences.
It is necessary to understand, why are men and women around the world today so fiercely fighting for the legalization of gay marriage? Seemingly, civil law on family between man and man, woman and woman, is still available everywhere, although in some countries (today they are in minority) such alliances are punishable by law and punished with the full rigor of the law. In this case, we are talking not only about the cherished dream of becoming a bride in a beautiful dress or say solemn speech to each other before the altar.
The matter is that marriages legally fix for the couple certain rights that are protected by the law, providing some stability and legitimacy in society. For example, the right to alimony, to jointly - acquired property, inheritance, health and social insurance, on the joint education of born and adopted children, etc. clearly governed by the law of a particular country in a marriage between a man and a woman, and a same-sex family has not already created such rights. This is perhaps the most powerful argument in a fierce battle between homosexuals and society.
Another important argument for the same-sex marriage is that the concept of traditional marriage as the one of men and women is inaccurate in the historical sense. Today, among the historical facts there is plenty of evidence that homosexuality has arisen over 2,500 years ago. In testimony to this, there is evidence of male sex addiction of Alexander the Great, and the love to women of Cleopatra.
It is also necessary to look at this question from the viewpoint of financial profitability. After the entry into force of the legalization of gay marriage, the state's economy has a significant boost. Gay marriage revenue in particular comes from higher income taxes ("marriage penalty"), marriage licenses, and reductions in costs for state benefit programs (Badgett, 2009). Involved in the wedding business organizations note incredible surge in their services. Bakeries, restaurants, hotels, wedding organizers and photographers are simply inundated with orders from customers who have opportunities to organize a wedding and a real honeymoon waiting for many, many years.
Developed also is the wedding tourism in countries that have legalized same-sex wedding ceremonies, as there may come couples for registration of marriage from other countries where such a possibility is yet impossible. After all, this is a chance for the couples to get a more complete concept of integrity, confidence in the future and a welcoming sense of freedom in their feelings.
It is also proven that marriage provides both psychological and physical health benefits for the people, which is why banning gay marriage results in the increased rates of psychological disorders (Vedantam, 2013). It is an important issue to consider, as every country and every society around the world cares for the well-being of its citizens. Moreover, gay marriage legalization will not harm the moral values of the society, as it is not forced on anyone, and just serves to make the people more secure and satisfied with their lives.
Therefore, to this day, there are many enemies and many supporters of the legalization of gay marriage in the world. In arguments "against" there are usually a lot of arguments, such as religious and moral principles, according to which God will bless the union of a man and a woman, as well as socio-legal, which the absurdity of carnal love of one’s own kind. However, it is necessary to understand that denying gay couples the right to marry stigmatizes same-sex families as inferior and presents a possibility to discriminate against them. Today, in the 21st century, it is very important to eliminate the discrimination so as people could enjoy the equal rights and feel secure in their country.
Statements "for" same-sex marriage are also based on freedom of choice, a choice in everything, including choosing a partner for your life. For many years, there are imposed civil laws, social customs and traditional concepts, which limit our freedom. Why not then prohibit by law vegetarianism or eating meat and meat products? Every day the evidence of each side is increasing, and each of us has a chance to reconsider the attitude to people who just want to be loved, happy and free from imposed social and community ties.
It is necessary to state that love is a feeling that cannot be abused, adjusted or modified in accordance with some public opinion or general norms. It is either present or absent. Here there are no control, rules, laws or social norms. In the countries where same-sex love is frowned upon, love that occurs between representatives of their same sex is usually hidden and carefully guarded from prying eyes and talk. However, is it possible to keep such a strong feeling in secret for a long time? I sincerely hope that in the future everyone around the globe will have a right to freely express such important feelings and receive all the necessary benefits when they decide to support legally their couples. Moreover, as it was shown in the paper, legalizing gay marriages also brings considerable benefits to the state, which means that it is worth the effort. It will definitely bring many benefits to the society and make people happier.
References
Badgett, M. V. (2009). The Economic Value of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples. Drake L. Rev., 58, 1081.
Jones, J. M. (2013). Same-Sex Marriage Support Solidifies Above 50% in U.S. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/162398/sex-marriage-support-solidifies-above.aspx
Vedantam, S. (2013). Bans of Same-Sex Marriage Can Take a Psychological Toll. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2013/05/20/184829036/bans-of-same-sex-marriage-can-take-a-psychological-toll
