Over the past years, there have been debates on whether people of the same sex should be allowed to marry or even enter into a relationship. This has raised concerns on civil unions leading to formation of movements intended to protect them.
Although same sex couples have been given the choice of civil unions in some states, they should be completely permitted to marry since these unions are not actual marriage but are simply partnerships offering the privileges of traditional marriage (Matthews, 2006, p. 1).
Same sex couples should be allowed to marry because denying them would be depriving them of their religious rights. Although homosexuality is considered a sin by almost all religions, a person’s views on religion must be protected as a civil right according to the Amendments of the constitution. According to the state, marriage is a secular activity and therefore the government should not make laws based on religious belief.
There is more to marriage than just the legal status. The benefits of marriage such as decision making and joint ownership of property are important and should be available to all couples. Same sex couples should be allowed to make important medical decisions (Matthews, 2006, p. 1). For instance, if one partner gets critically ill, his/her spouse should be allowed to visit or even take important measures such as deciding whether surgery should be done.
Homosexuality has been linked to biological causes due to hormonal switch and not by choice. Most homosexuals have secondary sexual features that are similar those of the opposite sex. For example, a male may have a softer voice and this will attract him to fellow men that have deeper voices.
Similarly, a female with a masculine body will be attracted to females that have feminine bodies. Most homosexuals do not choose to live that life but nature does as a result of hormonal switches and therefore should not be discriminated but rather allowed to exercise human rights as any other person would.
Denying same sex marriage would be discriminating the minority which would defy the America’s concept of rule by the majority and protection of the minority rights. The Bill of Rights and equal protection amendments are meant to ensure that all citizens exercise equal rights. A marriage is a commitment between two people and it does not hurt the society and therefore the society should not dictate other peoples’ lives that do not affect them.
The church and other religious groups have the right to only criticize but do not have the power to prevent any marriage. More so homosexuals marry not for status but for the love they have for one another which should be the ultimate reason for marriage and as long as they love each other and they want to live together forever, there should be no hindrance (Jackson, 2010, p. 1).
Like any other normal marriage, a same sex marriage may lead to the desire by the couple to have a complete family. Since homosexuals cannot pro-create naturally, their desire to have children would drive them to adopt. The number of street children and others who are in need would decrease and children would benefit by having a family too.
Although many may think the opposite, homosexuality promotes family values since same sex partners do not engage in unprotected sex with different partners. This helps reduce problems related to sexuality such as STD’s. Married homosexuals like any other married couple, offer financial support to each other considering today’s economic situation.
Reference List
Jackson, Gregg. 2010. Same Sex “Marriage”: Illegal in All Fifty States. Web.
Michael, Mathews. 2006. Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legal? Web.