For a while the thought of homosexuals being able to legally get married has been brought too many people’s attention. People have different ideas on why it should not be legal. What about the people who think it should? The religion someone believes, how people think it will affect children’s lives, and that thinking that marriage is just for a man and a woman only does not matter. Love is love, so why cannot same-sex couples make their love legal like everyone else?

Religion is one of the main reasons some people do not like the idea of homosexuals having the right to marry. One of the most used arguments about the issue is that God says that same-sex interactions (marriage, sex, lesbian, homosexual acts) are an abomination. How could it be an abomination if people are being themselves? Why would God only hate homosexuals if it says that he loves everyone? The fact that homosexuals will threaten religion is wrong. Some homosexuals follow the Bible that says that God does not love them, but they follow it nonetheless. The church would not be forced to marry homosexuals. They have the right to turn anyone down. Another thing that is said is that homosexuals could just become straight and then get married. Is that fair to make someone love or be with someone they do not feel attracted to?
The fact that same-sex marriage will violate the meaning of marriage is not one of the best arguments one can come up with. Who decides the true meaning of marriage? The Bible? The President? Some random person on the street? Everyone has their own definition of marriage. One definition that would be agreeable to everyone is the fact that marriage is a legal bonding between two people that are in love. This does not say between man and woman. It also does not affect the marriage of heterosexuals; they are still allowed to get married, nothing has changed that.
Marriage’s tradition of only man and woman is something people would like to have remain the same. Traditions sometimes need to change with the times. It does not have to be the same way forever. As the years go on, people change, and so can the laws. In the old days parents chose the kids’ future spouse; now people have the freedom to chose themselves, because the laws changed with the times. Why should we not now? Marriage between man and woman only has been around so long because no one has accepted homosexuals or given them the right. Same-sex marriage cannot weaken the institution of marriage. It will help marriage, for the fact that more people will be getting married.
According to Pew Research Center for the People & the Press more Catholics are now in favor of marriage equality. 49% of Catholics favor the marriage equality, and 41% are opposed to the idea. The reason for the change in percent numbers since last year is because non-frequent services goers are in favor of the equality. (http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/).
Republican candidate, for New York State Governor, Carl Paladino, is against the idea of homosexuals having the right to get married. He says in general that homosexuality is not “an equally valid or successful option”. (www.cnn.com). He does not want kids to think this is okay either. To some people the well being of future generations will be affected in a bad way if they do not grow up in a traditional family. Those same people believe that same-sex couples will not be able to raise kids in a good environment. Paladino thinks, “I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a normal family.” (www.cnn.com). Does it matter what gender some parents are if they can teach a child manners, what the ABC’s are, and the difference between right and wrong? How can falling in love and getting married not be a successful or valid option? A good environment for growing up does not actually exist, because nobody is perfect. How can homosexuals have a great marriage if heterosexuals are getting divorced left and right?
If people protect what is thought to be the traditional family, those same people make it impossible for everyone to have equal rights. Is the United States not all about, freedom? Everyone desires to get married and homosexuals are a part of that everyone. Why deny someone the right to get something that will make them happy? People do not want kids to grow up thinking that being a homosexual is okay. The schools will promote the idea, and it would destroy western civilization. Destroy western civilization? That cannot happen if two people love each other and want to adopt a child who needs a family. How can someone not let a poor orphan or homeless child have a warm and open minded home, just so that homosexuals cannot get married? Paladino, the non-supporting Republican, has a homosexual nephew. He says, “I enjoy a close relationship with my nephew who is gay and I certainly consider him to be a functional child of God.” (www.cnn.com). If he believes this then, how can he be against the thought of his own nephew getting married? It seems that even if people do not think it is right for homosexuals to get married they still know a homosexual that is close to them, and yet they still believe what they do.
One of the other ways people say it will be a bad idea is the fact that they think other things will be legalized. Incest will become legalized too! Incest is nothing like same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is about the bonding of two people of the same gender not family. Bestial marriage, polygamy, and the apocalyptic will not happen either. Just because one allowance becomes legal does not mean other forms of marriage will too. If people think other forms of marriage will be legalized, then the thoughts will go to others and they will start the fight for that right. One thing homosexuals want is the same rights as all other couples. They want to be able to decide what will happen to a loved one if the plug needs to be pulled. Families usually exclude the homosexual members of the family, and if one is on their last breath they will most likely pull that plug against the person’s significant other’s wishes. They just want to be able to visit a loved one in the hospital like everyone else without having someone hold them back because they are not ‘family’. Would that be fair if that happened to everyone else? Giving someone the same rights as everyone else is not a ‘special right’, it is an equal right.
This debate has been going on before it was political, but now since everyone wants a law on it; it has been taken to the judges and politicians. The thought of it as an untried social experiment is not true. Other countries like Denmark where it has been legal since 1989. It’s been done before, so how could it be an experiment? The Democrats have 53% in favor of the same-sex marriage, and only 38% are opposed. The Republicans are the opposite. They have 24% for, and 69% against. (http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/).
Allowing homosexuals to get married would not only help them, but it would also help the economy. Getting married costs a lot of money. Expenses for catering, floral, clothing, someone to help plan, invitations, D.J., and the decorations. Those expenses do not include paying the for a place to hold the wedding and reception.
A law that was voted on in 2008 was the Proposition 8. Six-hundred thousand people voted “yes” for it to take effect in the state of California. It was the same number of votes as in the year 2000. Proposition 8 says that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California”. California’s Constitution stated in Article 1; Declaration of Rights; Section 7.5, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized as constitutional”. Yet in Section 7 part B, it says that one “may not be granted privileges or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens.” Does marriage not count for part of this law? Looking back some people didn’t know what “no” and “yes” meant. The confusion came up, because one was not really sure if it meant “yes homosexuals should get married” or if it meant “yes I want Proposition 8”. If people knew the real meaning of yes and no the vote in 2008 could have been really different to the point where it wouldn’t have passed. Luckily Vaughn R. Walker ruled the Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Which ruled out Proposition 22 that legalized same-sex marriage.
The support for same-sex marriage has been increasing. Six thousand adults were interviewed by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. They pulled out a few polls on who really does support the same-sex marriage equality. IF one were to add any of the groups opposes with the favors they would realize that some did not vote. This could have been because they do not care, they did not want to share their thoughts, or they could not pick a side. In the past few months 42% favor for the marriage equality and 48% opposed (this is the lowest it has ever been). They also looked at it from the different genders thoughts. Forty-six percent of women are in favor, and 45% are against. In men, 38% favor as well as oppose.
Another person, Shannon Donnelly, took a poll on what people at Omaha North High Magnet School would think. Of the twenty-eight people interviewed 46.43% said that same-sex marriage should be legal. 21.43% could not decide or did not care about the issue. There was only 32.14% who did not support that issue. Most of the people who said “no” said it was either unnatural or that God said it was not how He created us. If the thought was unnatural, how is one able to still fall for one of the same gender? An anonymous source had said, “I can’t make up my mind either way! I have nothing against same-sex relationships, but I was raised Christian which teaches that marriage is between a man/woman.” Some people are torn between religion and the fact that they do not mind.
There are many other reasons for not wanting same-sex marriage. Some think marriage is for pro-creation. Is the world not already full of people? China has laws that say you can only have one child, and one will not let homosexuals get married because they should have kids to populate an already over-populated world. The world could live with a few non-procreative couples, even if they were born fertile unlike some of the people who cannot have kids but are still allowed to get married.
Same-sex marriage offends religion. Is there not more than one religion out there other than Christianity, or is the world in denial about that too? Other religions are not against same-sex marriage. Pagans welcome anyone as long as they follow the “harm none” code of conduct that Pagans hold dear, and they are not the only ones open minded to the idea of same-sex marriage. The right for homosexuals to marry is not even a religious issue. Marriage is sacred, and people should not get married because they are the same-sex, because that will ruin it. How could that be? If two people are in love, and want to be bound together let them. Getting married, as a homosexual, will not affect marriage other than the increase of the amount of people who actually get married. It might even decrease the divorce rate, because people can marry the person they love and not someone just to say they are married.
One of the few arguments that people do not really say, but feel is the fact that they with uncomfortable with the idea. Does one who is homosexual ever feel uncomfortable around a bunch of heterosexuals? They probably do; which means the discomfort is a two way street, but at least one is able to marry down one of those ways. The thought of it being unnatural has been scientifically proven wrong. Psychologists and scientists have found out that you are born homosexual. The brain has a chemical released through someone’s body letting them know who they are attracted to. Some people have that chemical react when one of the same-sex walks by, is it by choice? No, it is because of the chemicals in the brain. That does not mean that their brains are broken or malfunctional it just means that their brains react differently like how some use the right hand more than the left.
Two men getting married will betray all that is masculine? How if some of the big macho guys happen to be homosexual. Just because one likes a guy does not mean that one has to dress like a girl or talk with a girly voice. Homosexual men like the same thing that other men do, they just prefer to date other guys. The thought of two guys (or two girls) being together is repulsive to some people. It is not like one has to watch them be a couple. One just need to think, “Oh, they are together,” and move on. If one does not like, it don’t think about it. The idea of a man and a woman together is probably equally repulsive to homosexuals as well, but they do not make a big deal out of it.
Homosexuals are not the army, and they are definitely not a crazy occult trying to recruit one. They respect that not everyone likes the same gender. How come heterosexuals do not respect homosexuals’ wishes to like the same gender? Are heterosexuals not mature enough or open minded enough to even consider that? The one argument that is definately not a good one to use is that the new law that would legitimize homosexuality. Hello? Homosexuals have existed for a while now, they are already legit. One should stop living in a cave and open their eyes to the fact that there are homosexuals everywhere and that they are just like everyone else.
“Unity through diversity,” is what a poster says in an OPS school. This poster is suppose to support the idea of having different kids work together. What happened to that when one grows up? Diversity includes in sexual orientation. Why do people not recognize that? How can someone say “no” to something that they have never experienced before? One should not judge too harshly on something that they have yet to experience. Jason Rodriguez once said, “The way I see it, there is no reasonable explanation as to why anyone would want to put such a harsh restriction on something as fundamental as love.” (www.timesheraldonline.com). One would think to follow his thoughts and know they could not tell what is wrong when it comes to someone being in love or allowing that same person to marry. How could one choose who you love? Does it not just happen?