I wrote this essay for my English class my freshman year in college. It is one of my best papers to date. Also the cast of Will & Grace is for same sex marriages, so I thought I would include this.
For Same Sex Marriages
By Rachel Hogan
How would you react if someone told you that you could not marry your boyfriend or girlfriend because they think it is wrong and immoral? You would be pretty upset wouldn’t you? That is how same sex couples feel every day. There are not really any good reasons to prevent same sex marriage, so I think it should be allowed.
Most straight people assume that homosexuals have a choice about whom they are attracted to, and that a gay person could be heterosexual if they wanted to. In straight folk’s eyes, same sex marriage is unnecessary because homosexuals could become straight and marry a member of the opposite sex. That assumption is false, because gay people have about as much choice in whom they are attracted to as heterosexuals do. Many individuals need to realize that sexual orientation is not a choice, it is a characteristic everyone in the world in born with. You cannot choose which gender you are attracted to. So to tell a gay person to stop being gay and marry a straight person is the same as telling an African American to stop being black. It just does not work and will not happen. Another reason society does not allow same sex marriage is that people believe that homosexuality is merely about sex and is a sexual perversion, and a marriage based on sex would never last. The problem with that belief is that homosexuality is much more about love and affection than it is about sex. Sexual orientation is about who the person is, their identity, who they love. Gays want a way to publicly acknowledge their love for one another, and marriage is the way. Sex is just a tiny part of the whole.
In addition to people misunderstanding why gay citizens want to get married, another reason why people do not want homosexuals to marry is simply because of discrimination. The United States Constitution says, “All men are created equal.” That saying is not true if some people are not allowed to marry whom they want. Another way that it is discrimination is when people who oppose same sex marriage say that marriage is a “special right”. A “special right” for who? Denying someone one of his or her rights is a form of discrimination. Besides, ninety percent of the US population has this right to marry, so I would hardly call it a “special right.” What makes extending this right to the other 10% of the population a special right? The answer is nothing. It is a weak argument against same sex marriages.
Another reason same sex couple want to get married is so they can have the same rights as all other married couples. By not allowing homosexual couples to marry, people are denying them rights that so many others can take advantage of if they choose to marry. Without marriage, gays and lesbians do not have the right to do many things, such as change names, enter into a premarital agreement, divide property after the relationship has ended, in vitro fertilization coverage, and no right to support from spouse or after divorce. Same sex couples also do not have the right to visit a partner in the hospital because they are not family. No one should have to suffer or die without being able to see a loved one. I believe same sex couples should have the same rights as everyone else.
Adding on to all the other claims of why same sex marriages should no be allowed is the belief that marriage is defined as one certain thing or idea and gays are not included in the definition. Marriage is not one certain idea or thing. It means many things to different people. Some people believe that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman and is for procreation. Since gay people cannot have children without some form of outside help, some people say homosexuals should not be able to marry. If that idea were true, then if one of the individuals in a marriage became infertile, then the couple would have to divorce because they are not able to have children. You do not see married couples getting divorced just because one is unable to have children, so that argument is very weak. Also, gay couples would relieve the adoption problem, which is a benefit of same sex marriage. Many homosexual couples, especially men, would adopt children because that would be their only choice besides artificial insemination for women. Unfortunately, gays cannot adopt without being married, which brings me to the objection that same sex couples are not ideal for raising children. Who thought of that? Are people afraid that gay parents will “recruit” the children and make them gay? First of all, you cannot make someone gay, and secondly, gay couples are just as capable of fully loving children as anyone else. Studies have proven that children raised by same sex couples turn out the same as those raised by straight couples. The only difference is how much the parents love the kids. Gay people are not automatic child molesters. A white married male is more likely to molest a child that a gay man. In this country we let former murderers and felons raise children, and I do not think a gay person is any more dangerous than a murderer.
One final reason that people are against same sex marriage is that they are uncomfortable with homosexuality, and the Bible says that gay relationships are wrong and immoral. The Bible has absolutely no standing in American law. In fact, the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, so Christians may be against gay marriage, but not everyone in America is Christian. By telling gays they cannot marry because the Bible says it is wrong, the public is forcing religion onto gay people, and they might not be Christian or religious at all. I always thought freedom of religion meant freedom from religion as well.
In conclusion, there are many reasons to allow same sex marriage. Not a single one of the reasons that I could find to prevent marriage was very strong. Everyone in the world should have the right to marry, and homosexuals should be included because they are people too.
Copyright © Rachel Hogan, 2000
