Gay Marriages in the Media: Different Opinions About the Question

Topics: LGBTQ, Marriage Words: 672 Pages: 2

Gay marriages are rather common affairs in the modern world. Many countries began to think about the legalization of same-sex marriages. The problem is up-to-date as more people fight for their rights in the global democratization movement.

The opinions about the problem are rather different and even opposite. People, who support same-sex marriages, give their arguments that everybody has his/her right to confirm their love by marriage. The opponents insist that gay marriages can destroy the ancient canons of marriage. (Same-Sex Marriage 2009)

Oliver Thomas in his article in USA Today offers two ways out of the present position, “Put ‘marriage’ and ‘civil unions’ on the proper sides of our church-state divide” (Thomas 2008). The civil laws and religious ones differ greatly. It is a different field of life. The author’s opinion is that the civil legalization of gay marriages has nothing in common with a religious one. Let people have civil marriages, and the religious question will fall out. (Thomas 2008)

The question of church opinion about same-sex marriages is given in the article Church Week, “Our church has always been entirely clear that the definition of marriage involves the life long commitment of a man and a woman and the enormous importance of marriage and the family as the basic building block of society.” (Henschel 2001)

The articles in The New York Times and USA Today describe such problems as an ethical understanding of same-sex marriages, the political items in the discussed topic as people are talking about democracy and the marriages for some people are forbidden. The personal values of people are also stated here as everybody deserves happiness and an only veto on gay marriages prevents it. Of course, marriage is not evidence of love but it is discrimination, in some opinions, when people cannot do what they want only because of some people’s prejudices.

But sill some churches allow same-sex marriages, like the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, “a church known for its support of the gay and lesbian community”.

The question about same-sex marriages is still opened, even though the law of some states and churches allow it.

Purpose, goal, or objective of text: (text can be an article, image, broadcast, speech, etc that presents a message)	The article under consideration has the purpose to inform people that many gay couples want to have legal marriages and that the courts of Vermont made a verdict to give them legal right for this. The question is still open whether the decision was right.
Problem, question, or issueto be resolved or answered	The problem is discussed in the article is whether Vermont made the right choice that legalized same-sex marriages and when and how many other states will join Vermont’s opinion.
Point of View, frame of reference, perspective, or orientation, including assumptions (ideas taken for granted as accepted) from which the author bases their argument	The article gives two points of view about whether the right or wrong decision was made. The lawyers of one side say that every couple has the right to happiness, and marriage is an expression of love, and everybody deserves it. The other side is sure that their opposes have a wrong understanding of the institution of marriage and that allowing same-sex marriages will cause the ruing of ancient roots of such fundamental bound as marriage.
Information / Facts / Data / Concepts / Observations / Experiences used to prove, resolve or explain the problem	The problem of same-sex marriages appeared in the USA in 2004, when same-sex couples became to fight in courts for their rights to get married, and the Vermont Legislature in the 7^thof April, 2009 allows gay couples to get married legally. This is a great step to the way of fighting discrimination in American society.
Conclusions / Consequences / Implications and Inferencessuggested or put forward to resolve the problem or answer the question	The conclusion is made that gay couples understand now that they may have the rights of married couples, even if they are not married legally yet.

Works Cited

Gay couples wed in Canadian first. 2001. BBC News. Web.

Henschel, Kelly. “Church conducts same-sex marriages”. Christian week. 2001.

“Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships” 2009. The New York Times. Web.

Thomas, Oliver. “Gay marriage: A way out”. 2008. USA Today. Web.