Gay Love

Love is something that is very popular in today's world. Everyone should be able to love and be loved, to be joined in marriage. But, some people don't get those rights simply because they're gay. Congress combines church and state to make marriage illegal. But, people have different religions, different beliefs, and different views on everything. Banning gay marriage violates a person's constitutional freedom. The constitute states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Church and state are being combined to rule out marriage for gays. Same sex marriage is illegal in all fifty states, and the U.S. Congress has passed a "Defense of Marriage Act" to block recognition of any future same sex marriages. The also have restricted rights to adoption and child raising.(Smith, Haider 14) But yet there is probably a population, small if any, of gays in every state. In 1977 Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to a public office in California. Milk's career was cut short in 1978 when he was assassinated in City Hall on November 27, 1978.(Smith, Haider 129) People were so against Milk being openly gay they stuck back. President Bush indicated he opposes extending legal rights to homosexuals, saying he "believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and I think we ought to codify that one way or another."("Reserved for Heterosexuals") So he chooses to discriminate a group of people simply because they don't have the same beliefs as him. And in a later story, Bush states," I think it's very important for our society to respect each individual, to welcome those with good hearts, to be a welcoming country. On the other hand, that does not mean that somebody like me needs to compromise on an issue such as marriage."("Reserved for Heterosexuals") Bush will welcome you with understanding, open arms, as long as you're not gay. Yet the Constitute reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Court ruled marriage is a fundamental human right.( Allison "Church and State") And a fundamental human right means that everyone should be allowed to have it, no one should be left out. It has often been noted that in the Western tradition homosexuality was first called the sin of sodomy… next considered the disease of psychological inversion, but now has become like an ethnicity.(Smith, Haider Preface 15) Prior to the civil war, Africans were not allowed to marry in some states. And then again, prior to 1948, interracial couples were not allowed to marry in California and other states. Nineteen years later, the U.S. supreme court…ruled that mixed raced marriages were legal anywhere in America(Allison "Church and State").
It took nineteen years just to allow people of two different races to marry, not even considering if they were homosexual. "This court has long recognized that freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process of the Fourteenth Amendment.(Allison "Church and State")" But still, gays are stripped of that right, because they don't have the same sexual preference. A poll showed that the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage back lashed causing people who agreed with homosexual relations being legal to fall from 60% to 48%. And only 40% support civil union.("Reserved for Heterosexuals") In addition to being outnumbered, gay people are despised… no other group of Americans is the object of such sustained, extreme, intense distaste… such hostility does not face any other group in electorate.(Smith, Haider 12) As of now, only Vermont allows civil union(Allison "Church and State"). But still, the federal government's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act affirms that states are not required to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state("Reserved for Heterosexuals"). A group of same sex couples sued the state of Vermont for the right to marry, arguing that not allowing same sex couples to marry constituted unlawful gender discrimination. In December 1999 the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that the state could not deny same sex couples the protections, benefits, and responsibilities of their heterosexuals counterparts. The court instructed the legislature to allow for same sex marriages or create a similar system that would have the same benefits and responsibilities for the involved parties. During the 2000 legislative session, the Vermont legislature created civil unions, which provide same sex couples with legal standing akin to marriage.(Smith, Haider 137)
In other countries only Belgium and Netherlands have legal marriage in which they are also allowed to adopt a child.( Allison "Church and State") Although the country views gay marriage to be unreasonable, there are other types of marriages that are obscure from the one male, one female in love relationship. The polygynous marriages, which were in the bible, were where a man married multiple women and they all lived together. The Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints still believe in polygynous marriages. Another type of marriage is levirate where a woman who was widowed with having a child would be required to leave her home, marry her brother-in-law, live with him, and have sexual relationships. The woman was considered "fortunate" if she happened to like the man. Another forced relationship in the bible is a male who raped a female virgin that is not engaged to be married must marry her attacker (Allison "Church and State").
It is legal to openly discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, credit, consumer service, and public accommodation in most jurisdictions. (Smith, Haider 14) Everyone views marriage differently. Many people have different religions. Many Christian denominations look at marriage as being ordained by God, patterned after God's creation of the first couple, Adam and Eve.(Allison "Church and State") Christian Churches consistently and strongly oppose gay rights. They opposed and ejected known homosexuals from it's ranks, clergy and offices; would not allow homosexual rights committees to meet on Church property, and considered AIDS to be God's revenge on homosexuals.("Religion") To some Christians, the relationship between two spouses is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and his church. But, other faith groups have a broader definition of marriage: a religiously recognized commitment by a couple to support each other and live together monogamously "til death do them part." A growing number of religious organizations do not require the spouses to be of opposite genders. And to most atheists and agnostics, a marriage will be entirely secular in nature, without any religious significance(Allison "Church and State). Islam is probably the most rigidly and inhumanly anti-homosexual in it's practices of all the world religions. Islamists deny human rights to gays.(Allison "Church and State") Judaism does not accept homosexuality, and as the very concept of homosexuality was not formed at the time that the Hebrew Bible's texts and traditions were formed, the issue was not addressed.("Religion") Many congressional parties also have different views on gays and marriage. The 200 Democratic platform stated that that party supported "the full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of the nation," including "an equitable alignment of benefits". That party's presidential nominee, Vice President Al Gore, did not specifically mention sexual orientation in his acceptance speech. However, Gore had made his support clear throughout the campaign. The Republican Party nominee, George W. Bush, had noted that "an openly known homosexual is somebody who probably wouldn't agree with his philosophy." making it obvious that he does not agree with it. Yet still, some activists suggested that a positive aspect of the convention was that fact that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President nominee Dick Cheney, sat publicly with her mother and sister. The Libertarian Party addresses sexual rights with the following: "We believe that adults have the right to private choice in consensual sexual activity. We oppose any government attempt to dictate, prohibit, control or encourage any private lifestyle."( Smith, Haider 168) Regardless of a sexual orientation two people should be allowed to share love and marriage together as a happy couple. Even congressional parties are divided on their opinions on gay marriage; everyone should be allowed to love who ever they please. Religious groups have different beliefs. People have different view on life. So, it should be open for decision, not closed off because one group says its right. American's deserve the right and have the freedom to marry whomever they want.

bibliography
Books

Smith, Raymond A. and Donald P. Haider. Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Partcipation. Santa Barbara, California: ABC CLIO, 2002.

Internet

"Bush Wants Marriage Reserved for Heterosexuals" CNN News. October 28, 2003. CNN. March 13, 2005. http://www.cnn.com/2003/allpolitics/07/30/bush.gay.marriage

"GLAAD: Eye on the Media" GLAAD. Throughout 2004. March 25, 2005. http://www.glaad.org/media/resource_kit_detail.php?id=3737

"Same Sex Marriage, Separation of Church and State" The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State. March 20, 2005(last updated). Jim Allison. March 25, 2005.

"Homosexuality and Religion" Homosexuality in Islam, Christianity, and Religion. December 7, 2002. Vexen Crabtree. April 13, 2005.