...Gay marriage is a controversial topic in society today. Most Americans do not agree with same sex marriage because of religious beliefs. What they fail to realize is that banning gay marriage will go against the United States Declaration of Independence well known phrase, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Homosexuals have nothing to do with heterosexuals. The homosexual community harms and destructs nobody and no one. That being said, people should not be so hostile against same sex marriage. Americans should have their own rights to enjoy life with their significant other, whether that being with the same sex or not. Society today should learn how to respect other peoples choice of style and preference. Marriage itself is between two people. Therefore, does it matter if it’s with the same sex? People should not be judged based off of their sexual orientation, but by the content of their character. Happiness should not be determined by others nor by the government. When viewed by others people should not see black or white, gay or straight. As a community, we...
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...Americans may not agree with the idea of gay marriage being legal in the United States. They feel like the nation shouldn’t decide the law and that marriage is supposed to be a state law. Another thing they ask is, how are two people of the same gender supposed to reproduce? Christians may not agree with gay marriage because it goes against their religion and the Bible. However, there are many reasons why gay marriage should continue to be legal in the United States; here are three… The first reason why gay marriage should continue being legal is because it doesn’t affect you. When two people of the same gender get married, how does that affect you and your daily life?.... I thought so. If gay couples want to get married, that shouldn’t be any of your business and they should have the right to. If it doesn’t affect you physically then why should it matter to you? If that’s what makes them happy then you should accept it and move on....
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...was unbelievable and disgusting. Same-sex marriage has been one of the most debated and controversial arguments in these recent years. Gay marriage is meaning that two same-sex people get married instead of a man and a woman gets married. As time goes by, more and more people are open-minded and accept gay marriage. However, there are still a number of people who cannot agree with gay marriage and even hate it. In the United States, some states have already legalized gay marriage but most states haven’t yet. Gay marriage should be legalized in the United States because homosexual love is a normal phenomenon, everyone has his own right to choose his marriage partner, and gay marriage legalization is good for the United States becoming a more democratic country. Traditional people think that a man should get married with a woman but should not get married with a man. Homosexual love is different from straight love. Because homosexual is different, people consider it a mental illness. Actually, homosexual love is a normal phenomenon. It has been proved that homosexual love is not mental illness. A gay’s gene distinguishes them from normal people’s gene and homosexual love is also related to gays’ growth environment (Whitley, 2011). At least five percent of people in this world are gay. How can people define that these five percent of people are abnormal and they have mental illness? Reviewing the long history, a lot of grand people are gay. For example, Socrates is homosexual. He...
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...GAY MARRIAGE 1 Gay Marriage In The United States By: Michael White SOC. 120 PJ Rosch April 2, 2012 GAY MARRIAGE 2 America is a place where a person man or woman can be whoever they want to be. America is the only place in the world where freedom reigns everywhere in the country. But, Why is it that two men or women who love each other can not get married?. Here and now people in LGBT community are fighting for equality. They want the same right as people who are considered to be regular americans to get married. Opposing forces such as certain religous groups, and several other organizations are fighting to stop this from happening. There is an easy solution to the problem why not let people be. If America is truly a land of freedom and expression then why is same sex marriage is prohibited. HISTORY Gay Marriage is something that has been going on for centuries all around the world. Same sex marriage existed in places such as China dated as far back as the Ming Dynasty. The relationships consisted of men and women mostly women who entered into contracts with younger men and women in a fancy ceremony. These ceremonies are similar to the modern day wedding between a male and female. The first recorded gay marriage occured during the Roman Empire. This marriage was between an Emperor by the name of Elagabus and slave named Hierocles. This marriage still was not fair because in the eyes of the Roman Law, the slave Hierocles was noted as a female. Various Cultures...
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...Gay Marriage Research Paper Did you know that only 17 states in the United States have officially legalized gay marriage? Some of these states include: California Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Maryland became the first state to pass a statute banning marriage between same-sex couples on January 1st, 1973. Then, President Bill Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law on September 21st, 1996. The DOMA mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples. 3 years later, California becomes the first state to create a domestic partnership statute, on September 22, 1999 allowing same-sex couples to receive some, but not all, of the protections afforded by marriage. (History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in the United States). Gay marriage should be legalized in all states because it will boost the economy, it will provide health benefits for the couples , more children will get adopted, and because it can allow same-sex couples to visit their spouse in case they are at the hospital. Making gay marriage legal will boost the economy for sure. Why you ask? It is because the more marriages there are, the more money the state earns. Same-sex couples spend at an average of $9,039 on their weddings, while 31% spent $10,000 dollars or more. New York statistics show that after the first year of legalizing gay marriage, they gained $259 million dollars. (CNNMoney) . Also, according to a 2005 Stanford study cited by the Fiscal Times...
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...thirty-five-hundred years ago” (Haggerty & Lewis). Same sex marriage has been a hot topic in the United States for a very long time. This issue is highly important because marriage is a human right and it a basic moral that all should know. Many people are against gay marriage because according to many right wing conservatives being gay is a choice and that it is against what we learn from the bible. Same sex marriage should be legalized in every state in the United States because it is a basic human right, it shows family values and anti- discrimination, will increase children adoption rates and same sex marriage will also bring financial benefits. Gay marriage should be legal in the United States because it is a basic human right. Although conservatives will continue to debate the issues of gay rights and same sex marriages for years to come, there has been many improvements. Many individuals that oppose gay marriage will “come to understand the fundamental injustice of subjecting gay and lesbian Americans to their own form of Jim Crow rather than sharing in equal rights for all” (Lampo). There is no different from what this nation did to African Americans during the Civil rights movement, to what we are doing to same-sex couples today, not allowing them to get marries. Recognized federal civil rights law in the United States is grounded in the U.S. Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. By this standard, marriage has long been established as a civil right. The operative...
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...Topic: Gay Marriage Student Name Institution In the recent past different stakeholders have tried to define what constitutes the institution of marriage. In effect, some states give marriage licenses to gay couples, while others have approved “civil unions” yet many other states have forbidden same-sex marriages (Rauch, 2013). In 1996, the federal government passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as “…a legal union between one man and one woman” and that “No state shall be required to give effect to any public act, record or judicial proceeding of any other state respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex is treated as marriage” (Rauch, 2013). Consequent to this law, same- sex couples were denied civic advantages otherwise available to heterosexual married couples, and states were not expected to credit same- sex marriage licenses obtained in other states. In 2013, the United States Supreme Court withdrew DOMA section that disapproved gay marriage. However, it left intact the authority of states to acknowledge, or fail to acknowledge, the legality of the same- sex marriage license gotten from a different state (Rauch, 2013). Some legal means that can be used to bring the gay marriage debate to a standstill include the majority rule...
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...Struggle for Equality in Marriage of Gay and Lesbian Couples William Rigney COM156 4-14-2013 Meg Mikovitis Gay marriage, those two words have the power to stir up controversy, feelings and discussion like no others. Those two words have driven a wedge between the people of the United States, a wedge of tolerance and intolerance. There does not seem to be any middle ground with this debate, one is either in support of this issue of gay marriage, or one is opposed to it. Whatever your feelings are regarding this issue, there is no denying that gay marriage will be an issue for debate for a very long time. While religion may say it is wrong many people believe gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights as straight couples and do not deserve to be treated differently. Webster’s dictionary defines marriage as n., (1) the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual or contractual relationship recognized by law,(2) the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage>. This change in definition was made in 2003. Marriage should be about getting married to that special someone that you love, it is not just a piece of paper that ties us together. It also involves legal, economic and social aspects as well. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are discussed every day in society, but neither is the same as a “legal” marriage, and are not afforded the...
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...Sample Final Exam Essay: Legalize Gay Marriage English—Mr. Fichter (This sample essay is based upon a student-written essay from last year. The student author is anonymous.) Homosexuality is everywhere. You can see it in books, on television, in the media; it is rapidly becoming a social norm. Given this trend of greater acceptance of gay marriage, the issue of whether to legalize same-sex marriage naturally arises. Massachusetts has led the way by legalizing gay marriage. Responding to this example, some states have taken steps towards accepting gay marriage while others are considering laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage within state borders. President George Bush has recently proposed a ban on gay marriage in the U.S. Constitution (Hulse). If Americans carefully examine the situation, however, they should all be able to understand the importance of making same-sex marriage legal in the United States. Those opposing same-sex marriage claim that by allowing this act, marriages everywhere will lose their honor and validity (Kurtz). Marriages between a man and a woman would lose their special importance, these opponents argue, if the definition of marriage is expanded to include same-sex couples as well. The test of time has proven this fear pointless. For several years, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands have allowed gay marriage without any signs of damage to heterosexual couples. Social life in these countries continues unchanged, and...
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...Gay Marriage Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. 36 states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet the state of Vermont recently passed a law that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Some other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry. Other people believe that gay people are just like anyone else and should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals do. I think that the United States should allow these couples to marry just like any other couple. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of letting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” Furthermore, it defines a spouse as “ a person of the opposite sex...
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...Gay Marriage People have many views on gay marriage, many say that it should not be legalized, some say that it should. Legalizing gay marriage would end the fight for equal rights gays are looking for. Many area’s of certain countries have already legalized gay marriage, and are very accepting of gay marriage. There is a great cultural lag from other countries about issues that deal with gay marriage. In the District of Columbia, they just recently passed a law that other states have passed that condone same-sex marriages. “The District of Columbia has a distinguished tradition of statutes dating back to the 1970s that protect the rights of gay people. It passed its first domestic partnership law nearly 20 years ago and recently recognized same-sex marriages created in other jurisdictions” (Church 1). If the United States is open to same-sex marriages, and has legalized them, other countries will soon follow in our footsteps and there truly will be equal rights that the gays deserve. With the law recently passed in the District of Columbia, the people practicing catholic religious beliefs have more than a few choice words for elected officials. Most people of the church are trying to get a law passed that states: there are refusal rights for marriage commissioners employed as of 2004, when same-sex marriage became legal, and refusal rights for all marriage commissioners (Same-Sex). The commissioners of churches trying to get this law passed is about their beliefs and...
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...marginalized community. After the legalization of same-sex marriage in Vermont and the advances of gay activists in Massachusetts, a strong and adverse reaction to same-sex marriage started developing in the country. In 2004, President George W. Bush organized and promoted an anti-gay marriage campaign hoping to win the presidency for the second time. Bush put forward the plan of amending the constitution in order to ban gay marriage during his campaign, and he won in all 11 states due to an increase in evangelical attendance at voting polls. Once on his second presidential term, Bush supported the passage of a constitutional amendment that would outlaw same-sex...
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...Gay Marriage: Advocacy or Objectivity Jenay McNair ENG/147 7/19/2015 University of Phoenix Gay Marriage: Advocacy or Objectivity Do you Adam take Steve to be your lawfully wedded husband? I now announce you, man and husband. Marriage: A word that has three meanings, a representation of true love, and a cause of a national constitutional debate. Merriam Webster dictionary reads that Marriage is the relationship that exists between a husband and wife, and similar relationship between of the same sex (“Marriage”, n.d.). So why the big discussion about to same-sex couples marrying one another. Homosexual rights movement in the U.S states travels back to the 1960s where the Stonewall riots. These riots were the start of a notorious political movement during the time a when homosexuality was illegal in all 50 states. As of Feb 9, 2015, gay marriage was legalized in 37 U.S states including the District of Columbia. Even though the political movement of same-sex marriage has surpassed the right to not only be open but also to marry in the United States. People are still manipulating the argument by using religion, the wellbeing of children, and Economy issues to sabotage the right of same-sex marriage. Ultimately, Same-sex marriage has slowly become a significant factor amongst today’s society. Throughout the United States, same-sex marriage has been a touchy issue within the countless religious groups. Opposing practices such as Catholicism, Mormonism...
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...Started from the Bottom Now It’s Almost Here Same-sex marriage has been an ongoing issue for quite some time in the United States and it has existed throughout all of history; it has gone on a roller coaster of decisions just in the past fifteen years. The United States has not always been in favor of same-sex marriage, however, there are regions within the US, such as Massachusetts, that did get off of the path of the rest of the country and made their own laws about granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “Since 2001, ten countries and other nation-states have begun to legally formalize same-sex marriages, including Canada, Spain, and some regions within the United States” (Reidel 275). With the support of gay marriage from President Barack Obama, a few other states were in support also. The support of same-sex marriage comes from the belief that it would better our society and that it is an equal right amongst couples. Despite the factual evidence, there are still many people who believe that same-sex marriage would harm our society, but there is always an argument against that. The legalization of gay marriage would better our society and there are many sources and an ample amount of research to prove that. Same-sex marriage should be an equal right. As African-Americans once fought for their freedom, women once fought for their right to vote, now homosexuals are fighting for their right to marry. The constitution says that everyone has a right to liberty...
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...Table of Contents · Introduction · Homosexual Marriages Should Have the Same Rights as Heterosexual Marriages. · Comparisons to Other Countries · Europe · Africa · Background · First Argument with Gay Marriage · Changes in the Ability to Get Married · Hate Crimes · Identification of Policy Alternatives · Legalizing Gay Marriage Amongst All States · Legalizing Gay Marriage Amongst All States, but Naming it “Civil Unions” · Legalizing Gay Marriage/Civil Unions Against Some States, Recognizing it in All · Recommendation · References INTRODUCTION: Same Sex Marriages Having Same Rights as Heterosexual Marriages Gay marriage has been an active debate amongst politicians, religious figures, and the public. The debate has spanned over a decade with little change for either side. The issue of gay marriage is not just about the name of what the union is called, but the right to be able to legally join as homosexual couples with the same rights as heterosexual couples. Reasons for someone to be in favor of this topic are that there should be a separation of religion and politics, it deprives homosexuals of their natural rights, and this issue has escalated to violent hate crimes towards homosexuals. As it stands, currently 9 million adults are homosexuals, representing 4 percent of the 18 and over population in the United States with no signs of diminishing. Public administrators have done little...
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