...Homosexuals should be allowed to marry because the disallowance of it violates their constitutional rights. Marriage is an institution long recognized by our government under the right to pursue happiness, and denying that right to any couple, regardless of gender, is unconstitutional. This argument, though, is not disputed. In fact, none of the arguments raised in opposition to the allowance of homosexual marriages takes into account the constitutional rights afforded to all humans. The arguments are only in relation to the possible repercussions (real or imagined) of granting these rights. Our nation was built and has always been based on the fundamental principles of freedom expressed in the Declaration of Independence and through our Constitution. The opponents of homosexual marriage need to remember what freedom means to America, and understand the significance of setting a precedent that denies that freedom. The Supreme Court has long recognized that the institution of marriage is one of the rights guaranteed to all Americans by our Constitution. Banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory. Marriage is a basic human right and should not be denied to any individual. At various times in U.S. history, other minorities have been prevented from marrying: African-Americans, for example. Interracial marriage was also legally prohibited in various states, until the Supreme Court ruled such bans unconstitutional in 1967 ("Should Gay" 31). At this time, however, marriage is only...
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...Gay marriage is a controversial topic in society today. Most Americans do not agree with same sex marriage because of religious beliefs. What they fail to realize is that banning gay marriage will go against the United States Declaration of Independence well known phrase, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Homosexuals have nothing to do with heterosexuals. The homosexual community harms and destructs nobody and no one. That being said, people should not be so hostile against same sex marriage. Americans should have their own rights to enjoy life with their significant other, whether that being with the same sex or not. Society today should learn how to respect other peoples choice of style and preference. Marriage itself is between two people. Therefore, does it matter if it’s with the same sex? People should not be judged based off of their sexual orientation, but by the content of their character. Happiness should not be determined by others nor by the government. When viewed by others people should not see black or white, gay or straight. As a community, we...
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...Marriage Is Not a Special Right We have all heard the discussion and arguments about same-sex marriage, well it is reported that there are over 60,000 same-sex couples in relationships and 21,000 married same-sex couples. Homosexuals are hated on and discriminated against because they like the same gender. It is not fair to them that they have to go through this continuously, what if the LGBT community were to make fun and discriminate against heterosexuals and couples, they would feel sad and unwanted just like many homosexuals. Everyone deserves the right to love who they would like to, and marry whomever they would like because marriage is an essential human right. Homosexuals are no different than heterosexuals just because they love the same gender. Gay rights are a part of equal rights in Canada everyone should have the same equal rights no matter what, same-sex couples should be allowed to marry because they are also people and deserve the many rights available to heterosexual couples. In July of 2005, Canada had become the fourth country to legalize same-sex marriages, the other three countries that had legalized same-sex marriages before Canada were; Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. Way before Canada had legalized same-sex marriages. Homosexuality was a crime. Anyone who had anything to do with homosexuals and homosexuality was charged as a sex offender. An example of this is the case involving Everett Klippert; in 1965 Everett was interrogated by...
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...Professor Tantalo Essay 3 Love Transcends Gender Most people believe that they deserve the rights that they are granted by the government. An upstanding citizen who pays their taxes, serves their community and abides by the law should be afforded the rights of an American. However, not all citizens are afforded equal rights. Gay and lesbians are consistently denied rights that are typically taken for granted by the average American. Specifically, gay and lesbian couples are denied the right to marry even if they are upstanding citizens and are held at an unfair disadvantage solely because of their sexual orientation. This discrimination must stop because gay and lesbian couples are law-abiding citizens as well, who should be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples. If same-sex couples are paying taxes to build roads and help public schools like the heterosexual couples, they should be afforded the same rights. One common problem that plagues gay and lesbian couples that are denied the right to marry is their inability to claim their partner’s social security after he or she has died. Currently, there are no programs that give homosexuals survivor benefits like the ones that are provided for heterosexuals who are married or divorced. Gay and lesbian partners are not able to claim benefits of their deceased, regardless of the fact that all working citizens, heterosexual or homosexual, pay into the Social Security system for survivor benefits. Sadly, this leaves many gay and...
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...Jennifer Zeitlin Ms. Wright English 1010 4 December 2009 Homosexuals Rights Homosexuality has always been a taboo subject. However, recently it has become more and more accepted. Yet those who have chosen to live as homosexuals don’t have all the same rights heterosexuals have. Homosexuals cannot file for taxes along with their partner, cannot receive medical benefits or health insurance under their partner’s coverage, as most husband and wives do, cannot adopt a child, and most essentially, they cannot create a bond of unity to express their love through a legal marriage. Many of these rights heterosexuals take for granted. One of the largest differences for a homosexual is living a life of fear. Along with all of their day to day activities that mirror any heterosexual, they must also deal with the stress of being perceived as different and unacceptable to the society which they are a part of. Homosexuals must know the places they are welcomed as a gay person, and the places where they must hide their true feelings. In recent years, homosexuals have been fighting long and hard to get the same rights and benefits as their heterosexual counterparts. Now, employers and health care providers are being forced to listen to their cries for equality. Most employers offer health benefits to their heterosexual employees and their families. Some companies cover the total cost of this benefit; others cover the bulk of the cost while the employee contributes as a small amount each...
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...Legalise Homosexual Marriage Gay marriage should be legalised in Australia. Marriage is about love and commitment to your loved one, not gender. As Australian citizens we have the liberty for pursuit of happiness; however by denying gay marriage, you are proposing the idea that homosexuals don’t have the right to pursue happiness. In a marriage there is one thing that truly matters: love. Not one couple would make it to asking someone to marry them, if there was not some love. Las Vegas, Nevada is also known for being the place where many weddings occur which are annulled within a week. These marriages do not represent the true meaning of love but simply a drunken night in Vegas. In 2011, there were 48,935 divorces granted in Australia; and still rising today. High divorce rates weaken what marriage is defined as. Why are we not able to teach society what marriage really stands for and make it include a homosexual marriage? The definition of love, according to dictionary.com is as follows: “Very strong affection: an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion.” If homosexual people feel this way then why shouldn’t they be able to be married? If they are happy with each other, then why should they be denied the right to marriage? Nancy Cott testified in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that "civil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage” and that religious leaders are accustomed to performing marriages only because the state has given them that authority...
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...Gay Marriage Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. 36 states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet the state of Vermont recently passed a law that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Some other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry. Other people believe that gay people are just like anyone else and should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals do. I think that the United States should allow these couples to marry just like any other couple. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of letting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” Furthermore, it defines a spouse as “ a person of the opposite sex...
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...Should Same-Sex Marriage be Legalized? Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility SOC 120 Should Same-Sex Marriage be Legalized? For many years, the debate of should same-sex marriage be legalized has been a topic unsettled. I believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized because not allowing same-sex marriage is discrimination against minorities, protected by the constitution, and is not a sin according to Bible verses. Those against the idea argue homosexuality is a sin, marriage should be between a man and a woman, and same-sex marriage will weaken the institution of marriage. So which side is correct? And what side are you on? This essay will provide you with the facts about same-sex marriage so that you will be able to answer these questions and form an educated opinion on the topic. When arguing if homosexuality is wrong or right, religious arguments often quote scriptures. The problem with this is that the scriptures being quote have more to the meaning than homosexuality. For example, in Genesis 2:18-25 (NIV), when God created Adam and Eve, one of the biggest sayings is that “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” The first problem with using this saying is that it is true God created male and female, as this is the way you reproduce. The verse is not indicating that God created Adam and Eve as husband and wife. Another argument from this verse is that “God created our body’s to be used in a certain way, and we should not use them in any...
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...THE BLESSING IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH LOGIC THOUGHTS “SHOULD HOMOSEXUALS BE ABLE TO MARRY?” Karrie Cheek Philosophy 103 Informal Logic Logic: An Introduction Professor Hughes November 11, 2011 THE BLESSING IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH LOGIC THOUGHTS “SHOULD HOMOSEXUALS BE ABLE TO MARRY?” I. The leading cause for counter argument throughout this paper purpose directs focus amongst arguments’ opposing flawed general hasting reasoning toward slippery slopes the human kind sees logical presenting why homosexuals should not be able to marry. II. The political fight for homosexual marriage is important not in the reasoning surrounding the topic that homosexuals should be able to marry. A. Marriage wrap around the meaning of love. B. The topic children affected by homosexual parenting disputes raise issues. C. Homosexual civil rights is not being seen the same as heterosexuals. III. The author’s core elements in counter argument are deep-rooted opinions A. Marriage is love, B. Religion C. Effects raising children D. Homosexuals’ rights. IV. Civil rights applies different meaning defining marriage verses union A. Civil rights based on evidence. V. Author Conclusion Understanding Homosexual Issues Reasoning. A. Love, Honor, and Commitment develops a foundation providing reasoning for marital status. Even though as Author, I can understand the views opposing homosexuals’ marriage. As essayist of this paper, I do find further discussed...
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...Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Kendra Brooks EN101 English Composition I Grantham University February 14, 2014 Should gay marriage me legalized? This has become a very trending topic in today’s society. I think the better question the people should ask is, why gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized? Homosexuals are human beings that deserve to get the same respect and have the same rights as others. There are some states that allow same sex marriages, but there are a lot of states that have placed a ban on same sex marriage. Why do same sex couples want to marry? Does allowing homosexual couples the right to wed change the traditional definitions of marriage? Does same sex marriage harm the government? Is it unconstitutional to deny homosexuals the rights to marry? Should the fact that homosexuality is a sin deny homosexuals the right to wed? There are many pros and cons to allowing same sex marriage. Why do same sex couples want to marry? Marriage means as much to homosexual couples as it does to heterosexual couples. The same as heterosexual couples, homosexual couples want to get married to share a lifetime commitment with the person they love dearly. Does allowing homosexual couples the right to wed change the traditional definitions of marriage? A marriage is defined by two peoples love and commitment. Regardless of the sex, if two people are committed and are deeply in love they should be allowed to wed. Does same sex marriage harm the government? No same sex marriage does...
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...Same-Sex Marriage and Heterosexual Marriage: Two Birds of a Different Feather Terrence A. Bradshaw Composition II May 29, 2014 Same-Sex Marriage and Heterosexual Marriage: Two Birds of a Different Feather Since the nineteen seventies, same-sex marriages have always been something that society, as a whole, has never really came to grips with. When Richard John 'Jack' Baker and James Michael McConnell applied for a marriage license, the two University of Minnesota students were denied the application, by Hennepin County District Court clerk Gerald Nelson, because the applicants were both men on May eighteenth, nineteen seventy. Even though the men fought for what they believed was right all the way up to the Supreme Court, the court agreed with Nelson. The Baker v. Nelson case has been used in other states as precedent to block efforts at marriage equality (Gay Marriage Timeline, 2014). Was the Supreme Court right almost fifty years ago… maybe so?! Same-sex marriage should not be viewed the same as heterosexual marriages. Although same-sex marriages may have some similarities, heterosexual marriages are completely different than same-sex marriages. Marriage has always been viewed as an institution where a union of a man and a woman are uniquely involved in the procreating and rearing of children within a family setting. Around two-thousand three, same-sex marriage once again became a “hot-button” issue in the media. More than half of Americans was not in favor of making...
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...Homosexuality & same sex marriage Homosexuality is not only offensive to a religious person who believes God created a man and a woman to institute marriage, but it is also unacceptable to many who see it as a degeneration of the family, and a danger to a healthy society. Many pressures are put upon people by others and their beliefs. In today’s society one of our major pressures of life and freedom is homosexuality. Many people argue whether it is right or wrong, and some people just do not care or just do not want to talk about it. Homosexuality is on the rise in the United States as well as many other countries. Homosexuality and same sex marriages are rising; marriages are taking place. In the eyes of the church, God and many others this is a socially incorrect relationship. Throughout the United States and other countries, Homosexuality or same sex marriages defies the laws of Christianity and it is an immoral acts in Gods eyes and society. God created humanity to be fertile, Adam and Eve to be heterosexuals to populate the world with a heterosexual raise. Man and woman bodies symbolically as one flesh, to marry create children and their children to create children. How is homosexual to be a part of Gods plains. In Genesis 2:4 to 2:25 it states specifically that a man and woman, one flesh one body. Homosexuals raising a kid, which is not in the Holy Bible, in the Bible it reads Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve or Jane and Anne. Homosexuals raising kids this is...
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...standing views on gay marriage. The argument regarding gay marriage should be legalized or not is extremely controversial. According to an article from the Human Rights Campaign, there is nothing wrong with allowing homosexuals to have the same rights as those who are heterosexual. Every individual person should be granted equal rights, regardless of sexuality. Gay marriage should be legalized in all states and countries, it has been held off for too long. Moreover, there are several reasons why homosexuals feel strongly about wanting to be legally married. One reason that is most commonly heard is, they want to legally show their love for each other by having a marriage license. Homosexuals want the right to marry like anybody else, and for the same reasons too. They are in love and want to spend their lives with this person. Even though it is possible to do this without being married; “they want to honor their relationship in the greatest way our society has to offer” (90). There be no reason two people cannot marry despite their sexuality. If a man and woman get to marry because they love each other, what is the difference between a man and a man or a woman and a woman wanting to marry because, they love each other? Also, another cause why homosexuals want the right to marry their spouse is because they are being cheated of rights. Although, two people love each other, if they cannot marry they are losing rights. Marriage gives both spouses benefits, “same-sex couples in long-term...
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...society, particularly in granting homosexual couples a right to marry. The pros and the cons throw out a ton of arguments supporting their position. This issue, whether or not the same-sex marriage should be allowed, is extremely controversial and the debates never end. In this paper, I take the pro side by providing strong both qualitative and quantitative data, how the homosexual marriage can benefit society, how far they have fought for their rights, etc. Marriage is commonly construed as a legal relationship between a man and a woman or between a husband and a wife to build a new family. According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, a family is “the basic unit in society having as its nucleus two or more adults living together and cooperating in the care and rearing of their own or adopted children.” In spite of this neutral definition of family, it is called neutral because the dictionary never mentions the gender of the adults; many people in our society do not picture lesbian or gay couple when they think about a family. In America, gay or lesbian couples cannot just legally marry as normal couples do in any state, except in Massachusetts; where same-sex marriage is allowed. Same-sex couples have to be ready to receive all the negative consequences because they cannot legally marry; for example, higher estate tax and insurance, difficulties in making end-of-life health care decisions for their partners, etc. But, they still have the right to create their own ‘legal’ relationship...
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...foremost, I need a little help from your imagination. Have you ever been to wedding? Can you imagine the scene, where the groom is standing there, with his bride-to-be. They are standing hand in hand, waiting to read the vows and live happily ever after. Everything seemed perfect, right?? Well, there is one thing I failed to mention just now and that is, the bride-to-be is actually a he. Yes! Today, I would like to convince you that gay marriage, in other word, marriage of the same sex or homosexual marriage should be legalized worldwide. So, what is homosexual? I’m sure you heard of Elton John or Adam Lambert. Well, they are examples of homosexuals. According to the formal definition by Merriam–Webster, the term homosexual is defined as “of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same gender.” Putting it in another way, means that men will have sexual desire towards men, and women will have passion towards women. The most common term for homosexual is gay for men, and lesbian for women. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, a sexual orientation law and public policy think tank, estimates that 9 million that is about 3.8% of Americans identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (2011). They are many more around the world. Until now, there are only a few countries in the world that allows homosexual marriage like Netherlands and Belgium. Unfortunately, homosexuals are treated like a crime or an illness. Therefore...
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