Gay Rights Essay

There is not a single piece of history that determines whether or not same sex marriage is right or wrong. There is absolutely no legal, logical, or governing reason that same sex couples cannot be wed and it's extremely unconstitutional in every way to tell them they can't. Same sex marriage should be legal for a number of reasons, a few being, it's no one else's business if two men or two women want to get married, not allowing them to marry makes them seem inferior, and it rids them of their civil rights.

In the book Gay marriage by Kate Burns, it states "Who owns marriage? In other words, who defines marriage? Who allows marriage, and who enforces it?" (22) It's wrong to tell two people who love each other that they cannot marry; it's nobody's business who you fall in love with. Just like it is no one's business to tell same sex couples they should not be able wed. Same sex couples just want the benefits of being married like everyone else and there is no proof saying that it is wrong for them to have those benefits. By not allowing them to marry all that America is doing is depriving same sex couples of their rights to care for each other and provide for each other. A common married couple gets benefits on health, gets to make decisions that are best for their spouse in extreme cases, and gets to inherit their spouse's belongings in death. Making same sex marriage illegal also makes the people who are attracted to the same sex feel inferior.

Nobody likes feeling inferior, or like they a below standards, by making sex marriage illegal you are making people who are attracted to the same sex feel and seem inferior to others. Homosexuality is not a conscious choice; it's something they are born with. Just like you didn't choose who you love, neither did they. So it's unfair to make same sex marriage seem inferior when it is no different. In the book Historical Guides to Controversial Issues in America Same-Sex Marriage by Allene Phy-Olsen it states "Recent decades have seen much interest in the idea of diversity. The argument for same sex marriage asserts that it is hypocritical to deny the full rights and opportunities of citizenship which includes the access to an institution as basic as matrimony" (76) You would never make a women feel inferior for being a women, so why should you make a man or a women feel like they are less just based on who they love. Same sex marriage being illegal rids the couple of their civil rights.

Civil rights are something people have worked hard to maintain over the years, abolishing slavery and treating women equally. Homosexual couples are no different. They deserve to have their civil rights fulfilled, just like women deserve to vote, they should be allowed to get married. Majority of the population against same sex marriage firmly believe the bible states that it is unholy for couples of the same gender to marry. Many people think that the word of the bible is comparable to law; however we have an amendment which protects our country from that exact situation. In the book The Constitution of the United States of America The Bicentennial keepsake edition, the first amendment provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...." (51) The fact that it's in the bible should not dictate the laws against same sex couples becoming wed. Not allowing same sex couples to marry is like saying all people born with a certain hair color should not be allowed marry people of other hair colors, It makes no sense. Laws have been changed for all sexes, races' and genders for the same purpose, equal rights. It is hypocritical to not allow same sex marriage to occur when it appeals to a large growing group of people.

In the end same sex couples are really just couples and should be treated as such. They should be allowed the benefits of marriage, treated equally, not like they are inferior, and same sex couples should be allowed their civil rights. One day in the future this will be achieved.