GAY MARRIAGES
Love is a feeling we all hope to achieve in our life. The feeling of cuddling next to the one your love, the emotions that run through your body when you kiss that one special person. But, what if the government told you who you should, and who you shouldn't get the opportunity to love? On 2000-DEC-19, the Netherlands made it a law where gays' can marry and adopt with the full privileges enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. This is the first country in recent history to have legalized gay and lesbian marriages. On June 4, 2001 in Canada, gays can now register and obtain most of the benefits that heterosexual married couples enjoy, this excludes the right to adopt children. On August 2nd 2001 in Germany gay and lesbian couples started to register same-sex partnerships. They will have the same inheritance rights as married couples, and may adopt the same last name. But the current law discriminates against homosexuals by not giving them the same tax advantages and the right to adopt that married couples have. We all choose unique roads to take in life, no one needs to agree or follow in the path of someone else, as long as all paths are respected. Should gays beable to marry? Of course they should, its love...why should the government choose your lover? Should gays beable to adopt and raise a family?
Dr. David Eggebeen, a sociologist with expertise in family demographics, testified that single parents, adoptive parents, lesbian mothers, gay fathers and same-sex couples can create stable family environments and raise healthy and well-adjusted children. Dr. Thomas S. Merril found that the sexual orientation of a parent is not an indication of parental fitness. Dr. Merril also stated that gay and lesbian couples with children do have successful relationships. Dr. Merril also stated that that children should not be denied benefits (e.g. health care, education, housing) on the basis of their parent's status. Dr. Charlotte Patterson, a psychologist with expertise in lesbian and gay parenting and the child development within such families. She has completed two studies of such children. One study showed there is no data or research which establishes that gay fathers and lesbian mothers are less capable of being good parents
Gays, lesbians, most researchers into human sexuality and most mental and physical health professional organizations believe that homosexuality is a natural sexual expression that is not a mental disorder, is determined at least to a large degree by one's genetic makeup. They know that lesbians have the lowest sexually transmitted disease infection rate of any gender/orientation. Many believe that homosexuals should have the same rights as all other citizens are routinely granted.
