The topic of the same-sex marriage has always been a controversial one. Furthermore, with the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States the public has divided the views on this point into two opposite frameworks. While on the one end of the spectrum there are people who support gay marriage and see it as an institutional right of an individual’s freedom, on the other end, there are predominantly conservative people that view same-sex marriage humiliating for the country and the world as a whole. Despite all negative implications, I agree with the Senate legalizing same-sex marriage and will always support the right of any individual to love whoever he or she wishes.
Why Homosexuality Is Natural
One of the most spread opinions that dominate among the opponents of gay marriage is that homosexuality is unnatural; however, I would like to disagree and give some examples for why it is very wrong. Homosexual behavior in some animals is as spread as in people; furthermore, over four hundred and fifty species exhibited evidence of such behavior. For example, Gentoo and King penguins of the same sex were seen to engage in mating rituals a similar way different sex penguins were. Some male giraffes were evidenced to engage in such behavior by rubbing their necks together, paying no attention to the females.
In addition to that, scientists have found benefits in animals exhibiting such behavior, for instance, the pairing of two female Laysan albatrosses can provide better care for the offspring thus accounting for the shortage in the male population. Thus, comments that relate to the assertion that homosexuality is unnatural can be easily disproven by the scientific observations of the wild nature and animal behavior.
Why Gay Couples are not Bad Parents
The second point gay marriage opponents often raise is that gay couples are unfit parents for the future generations that will ‘grow up gay as well’. Also, people mention that a homosexual couple is unable to produce a child without outside help thus there is no point in such couples marrying. However, these points can also be easily contradicted. For example, if the point of the marriage is to have a child then why couples that are infertile are not excluded from the right to marry?
Furthermore, calling homosexual parents unfit to raise children is not supported by any substantial evidence. On the contrary, the study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that children raised in a family with the same-sex parents develop the same way as their peers raised by heterosexual parents. In addition to that, research performed by Bos and Gartrell gave evidence of children raised by lesbian couples developing even better than their peers.
It was proven that on average, children raised by lesbian parents do better in school, have a higher level of self-esteem, and rarely develop issues with their behavior. Thus, there are studies, which show that children raised by same-sex couples sometimes even do better than their peers, which diminishes the assertion that gay marriage should not be allowed for the reason of homosexuals being unfit parents for the future generations.
Marriage and Divorce Then and Now
The third point I would like to address in relation to gay marriage is that there is a misconception that same-sex couples are rarely lasting. However, the same can be said for any couple, regardless of the orientation. Furthermore, such an argument is quite outdated since it could have been possible in the 1950’s when divorce was very rare, and adultery was considered a crime to be punished. Nowadays, on the other hand, approximately a half of all marriages end in a divorce.
Apart from that, approximately fifty-seven percent of men and fifty-four percent of women admitted to having cheated on their husband or wife. Thus, any kind of marriage is not the same as it was in the 50’s. Saying that same sex marriage will not last is the same as saying that any kind of marriage will not last, which is true in the 50 to 50 ratio.
Why Religion Should not Dictate Marriage Laws
The last contradictory point I would like to mention is the very restrictive religious beliefs. While I respect the right of an individual to his or her religion, I disagree with the assertion that same-sex marriage should be banned just because some religions deem it wrong. As mentioned in the First Amendment, the state is separated from the church; and the right of an individual to marry is a social right and not religious.
I think that religious people that oppose gay marriage are just prejudiced and narrow-minded, driven by the word written in the religious works they usually refer to. If to speak about homosexuality being against religion, I can mention the horrible sexual assault crimes conducted by some Catholic priests predominantly against young boys. According to Stephen Fry (a writer, actor, comedian) in his Intelligence Square speech against the Catholic Church, the celibacy and other restrictions put on the monks, priests, nuns, and other members of the religious community make these people more prone to opposing any kind of sexual behavior just because they are not allowed to exhibit it themselves.
Thus, despite the contradictions, the right of an individual to marry a loved person is a human right that should never be frowned upon. On the contrary, it is important to support same-sex marriage for it to become a norm and not a topic of controversy anymore.
Common Misconceptions about Same-Sex Marriage and Conclusions
As already mentioned, same-sex marriage does have many opponents that see it as the violation of the natural law and the entire institution of marriage. Some people even view it as the moral wrong that should not be promoted to become a civil right. To go even further, there is an assertion that same-sex marriage is not a civil right at all thus it should not be supported. Despite all opinions that go against same sex marriage, it is important to remember that, at the end of the day, we all are people that deserve a right to love and to marry, regardless of whom we love. In addition, there can be no negative consequences of gay people getting married – they will just get married and go on with their lives.
To conclude, I personally support same-sex marriage because all arguments against it hold no ground in my mind. Sometimes I imagine what if the world was the other way around and same-sex marriage was the generally accepted norm, and heterosexual marriage struggled for acceptance. Wouldn’t heterosexual couples like to be accepted and granted a right to marry on the constitutional level? I think they would.