...Legalizing Gay Marriage throughout the U.S.A “According to the 2000 census 1.2 million people are in a relationship, not counting the LGBT community. The 2000 census also declared the Gay community to consist of 594,391 couples and growing” (Alper, G. 2013, January 1). This means that over 500,000 people are in a relationship. All of these people share multiple things. They all live in the United States, the land of the free. All of these people have committed themselves to someone else. All of these people just want equal rights. All of these people would simply like to be seen as people and not outsiders. All of these people do matter. Why shouldn’t the government legalize homosexual marriage in all fifty states? Americans shouldn’t be discriminated against because of a unique approach to relationship values and views, yet they still are. Only thirteen states allow Gay marriage and just a few allow a civil union, or a marriage without the word marriage. Why is this though? The number one reason most people oppose homosexuality is religion. The Bible says, "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). There are also a few other references in the Holy Bible which refers to homosexuality, but since when does the government conform to a religion? America has been known to be the melting pot of the world where all religions, ethnicities, gender, and other differences...
Words: 859 - Pages: 4
...and sale of marijuana. This article touched on how those states came to legalize recreational use, what the future holds for these states since they’ve legalized marijuana, and how the other 48 states can and/or will go about legalizing marijuana. One stated premise I found in this article was that Washington passed a law legalizing marijuana before Colorado did in 1998. Another premise I found was that Washington legalized marijuana on December 6th 2012. An unstated premise would be that the author is a supporter of the legalization of marijuana and I gathered this from her tone in the article. In conclusion this article was written to educate others on how Colorado and Washington were able to legalize marijuana. It included information on how marijuana is taxed, who wrote up the bills that were made into laws and even information on how many other states have legalized marijuana. I believe that the author is a supporter of the legalization of marijuana based on her tone in the article. I believe that the legalization of marijuana could help America a lot especially when it comes to reducing the national deficit. As a country we continue spending and giving money we don’t have to other countries and it’s only leading towards us being more and more broke. Using marijuana as a means to make more money shouldn’t be that much of a stretch. I believe that the biggest issue the government has with fully legalizing marijuana is admitting they basically were wrong about...
Words: 725 - Pages: 3
...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 not...
Words: 924 - Pages: 4
...Gay Marriage Research Paper Did you know that only 17 states in the United States have officially legalized gay marriage? Some of these states include: California Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Maryland became the first state to pass a statute banning marriage between same-sex couples on January 1st, 1973. Then, President Bill Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law on September 21st, 1996. The DOMA mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples. 3 years later, California becomes the first state to create a domestic partnership statute, on September 22, 1999 allowing same-sex couples to receive some, but not all, of the protections afforded by marriage. (History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in the United States). Gay marriage should be legalized in all states because it will boost the economy, it will provide health benefits for the couples , more children will get adopted, and because it can allow same-sex couples to visit their spouse in case they are at the hospital. Making gay marriage legal will boost the economy for sure. Why you ask? It is because the more marriages there are, the more money the state earns. Same-sex couples spend at an average of $9,039 on their weddings, while 31% spent $10,000 dollars or more. New York statistics show that after the first year of legalizing gay marriage, they gained $259 million dollars. (CNNMoney) . Also, according to a 2005 Stanford study cited by the Fiscal Times...
Words: 1538 - Pages: 7
...(Argumentative) Essay “Legalize Gay Marriage” In today’s society a big issue is whether homosexual couples have the same rights as heterosexual couples. About fourteen out of fifty states have generated laws that permit same sex marriage in that certain state. Five out of the fourteen states were decided by court decision these are; California, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey. Six out of fourteen states were decided by state legislature these include; Delaware, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont. The last three states were decided by popular vote and those states were; Maine Maryland, and Washington. Gay marriage should be legalized because people want to legally show their love for each other by getting a marriage license like a heterosexual couple, gay marriage is a legal issue not a religious matter (separation of church and state), and gay marriage should be made legal because of everyone has civil rights (country were all men created equal). One reason to why gay marriage should be legalized is because people want to legally show their love for each other by getting a marriage license. For ages people have honored their love for each other by legally getting married. Heterosexual couples get married and divorced every day, so there is no reason why homosexual couples shouldn’t be allowed that civil pleasure as well. One thing that some people may like to argue is there is another way that homosexual couples can get legally tied together...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...society is gay marriage, and whether or not it should be legalized. I personally think it should be because it doesn't affect society, and if two people love each other why shouldn't they be able to get married. I don't understand what the big deal is, if you don't support it, you don't have too but it shouldn't really effect those people, it should only effect the people that are gay or support the cause. Many people don't see the good in legalizing gay marriage such as adopting children, when couples are married it is easier for them to adopt children, so you can give thousands of children a better home. If this issue was reversed, and we were fighting for the legalization of heterosexual marriages, how would all the non-supports of gay marriage feel? Society isn't effected by two people getting married, if it was then marriage in general would probably not even exist if it caused that many issues. Not only is society not effect, no one else is for that matter. “A marriage is a relationship between two people. How does it hurt society or people not involved in the marriage? It is a personal commitment that really is no one else's business. Society shouldn't be dictating what two people can or can't do when no one else is hurt in the process. If the church or certain groups disapprove, that's their right, but it isn't their right to stop it”(Messerli). Marriage is a good thing, and it will benefit gay families, and their children without causing harm to anyone. Gay marriage may be...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6
...Should same-sex marriage be legalized federally with all states required to comply? As of Feb. 9, 2015, gay marriage has been legalized in 37 U.S states. Twenty-seven percent of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be legal in 1996, according to a Gallup Poll. Fifty-five percent of Americans think it should be legal in 2014, according to the same poll. Legalizing same-sex marriage could have benefits related to an economic boost and the sanctity of marriage. Another reason it should be legal is because marriage is not only a human right, but it is also a civil right. I don’t see why the other 13 states shouldn’t be required to comply with the legalization of same-sex marriage. Many argue that the legalization of same-sex marriage would require more government spending and less revenue, but that is incorrect. The country’s economy would benefit from the legalization of same-sex marriage. The legalization of same-sex marriage has been proven to provide an economic boost to those states and countries that have made same-sex marriage legal. Government revenue from marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes in some circumstances, and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. Allowing gay couples to marry provides businesses in this industry with a large and new market to access. Nearly $260 million was injected into the New York City economy in the year following the legalization of same-sex marriage. Gay marriage tourism benefits those states which...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...Jessica C. Cruz PHI2604 Professor Anthony Kreider Gay Marriage “To Love and Be Loved” “Marriage should be a choice between a spouse and a spouse, not a gender and a gender.” (Hendrick Hertzberg) This quote cannot be expressed any better. It is not about gay marriage being legalized only in certain states, but rather being legalized, period! It is unethical allowing some people to marry, while others are being denied. The veil of ignorance is set upon many people when it comes to the decision of the legalization of gay marriage. Why should it matter if the couple is heterosexual or homosexual when it comes to making decisions for their other partner? Unmarried partners are denied the rights in making decisions with their partner, as well as being in a situation that only family can be in a certain place. Little by little insurance companies and many others are beginning to allow the partners of homosexual couples be put onto the other partners insurance, giving them the opportunity of help, as an illusion of marriage, although it is not legal to actually be married. What is marriage? One can look up the definition, but what marriage really is, is not what a dictionary shows. The meaning of marriage should be more obvious than what it is brought out to be. The true meaning of marriage consists of sexual intimacy (which both heterosexual and homosexual couples can achieve); the couple’s mutual effort in dealing with economic and domestic necessities of life, and it is most importantly...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...was unbelievable and disgusting. Same-sex marriage has been one of the most debated and controversial arguments in these recent years. Gay marriage is meaning that two same-sex people get married instead of a man and a woman gets married. As time goes by, more and more people are open-minded and accept gay marriage. However, there are still a number of people who cannot agree with gay marriage and even hate it. In the United States, some states have already legalized gay marriage but most states haven’t yet. Gay marriage should be legalized in the United States because homosexual love is a normal phenomenon, everyone has his own right to choose his marriage partner, and gay marriage legalization is good for the United States becoming a more democratic country. Traditional people think that a man should get married with a woman but should not get married with a man. Homosexual love is different from straight love. Because homosexual is different, people consider it a mental illness. Actually, homosexual love is a normal phenomenon. It has been proved that homosexual love is not mental illness. A gay’s gene distinguishes them from normal people’s gene and homosexual love is also related to gays’ growth environment (Whitley, 2011). At least five percent of people in this world are gay. How can people define that these five percent of people are abnormal and they have mental illness? Reviewing the long history, a lot of grand people are gay. For example, Socrates is homosexual. He...
Words: 1064 - Pages: 5
...Pro’ Gay Marriage There are many ways to describe marriage. There are legal definitions, biblical definitions, and personal definitions. Which one is the right definition? The decision of which definition is the right one depends on where you live and what you believe. There are many different types of unions that can be viewed as marriages. Comparing these different relationships gives insight to how relationships are formed and joined. Although marriage is just a civil union in the eyes of the government, it is so much more to the people involved. I feel that there is a rite of passage when forming a marriage. It is not just to form a union so that the government can give you benefits. I believe it is a gift from God when you find that person that makes your life better. Even if a person doesn’t believe in a higher power like Christianity does, a person’s natural instinct is to love and to be loved. It is normal that being loved makes a person feel good and become more secure. A marriage is supposed to have the foundation of love, trust, and forgiveness. I do believe same-sex couples should be able to get married because we live in a democracy, not a theocracy. For people to deny same-sex couples from marrying is discriminating, prejudice, and unreasonable. People who are against gay marriage will try to use the “One man and one woman" argument, (Eric Shepherd) forgetting that marriage was originally and still is a civil union that predates religion for over a thousand years...
Words: 1238 - Pages: 5
...POL210: Final Project Gay Marriage Abstract Gay marriage has many viewpoints both for and against. These viewpoints are from religious organizations as well as studies that have provided statistics regarding gay marriage. There are many articles that are used for research that disprove many of the theories that religious organizations use to defend the opposition of gay marriage. Religious based bias against gay marriage comes from beliefs and a person’s moral make up. Gay marriage has been legalized in places like Massachusetts for over eleven years. There has been little to no impact on gay marriage. Studies show that gay marriage is actually a benefit rather than a disadvantage to the general population. An analysis of those for or against gay marriage show that arguments that are solely based on religion can be disproved by actual studies that have been conducted rather than religious rhetoric. There are five basic arguments against gay marriage. They are: 1. It would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. 2. It would further weaken the traditional family values essential to our society. 3. It could provide a slippery slope in the legality of marriage (e.g. having multiple wives or marrying an animal could be next). 4. It confuses children about gender roles and expectations of society, and only a man & woman can pro-create. 5. The gay lifestyle is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to...
Words: 1787 - Pages: 8
...Gay marriage should be legalized ? Gay marriage has been a widely debated in many countries for a long time, such as America and UK which started approving gay marriages, In 2013, homosexuals are fighting for their right to get married to someone of their same sex. There are several reasons why gay marriage should be agreed. First of all, it is a human right that every person who has the right to marry, and it is possible for everybody to show their love and affection to their beloved one. In addition, they want to marry to create a firm personal and legal foundation given by the government or the community through specific right, such as economic, taxes, and the right to make medical decisions. Furthermore, it's claimed that children who are raised by gay parents can do as well as whom by normal parents, and they are more open minded. Also, the same sex parents can raise the adoption rate. In 2010, the census revealed that a quarter of same-sex couples are raising children, with 65,000 children being adopted by homosexual partners alone. It’s better allowing theirs two moms or dads to settle down and have the job of being responsible parents Every individual person should have equal rights, the love they commit to one another must be equal as well, regardless of the sexuality,Even though to most of the traditional people think gay marriage shouldn't be legal. It's necessary to set aside from gender issues and look at this debate from a new standpoint. The tide is...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 3138 - Pages: 13
...2012 CEP # 1 Gay Marriage in Washington The controversy of gay marriage has always been an issue, whether mentioned in the confines of a home, a school or even, as stated by David Masci, the hallways of the U.S. congress, white house and courtrooms. As times change and generations pass, gay and lesbian relationships are becoming more acceptable, but that does not mean the problem is completely solved. Gay marriage has been legalized in six states as well as the District of Columbia, while twenty nine states have passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting same sex marriage in that state (Masci). Each side of the argument is very black and white. Either you believe that there is no right to tell someone they cannot be legally bonded with the one they love. While the counterpart, mostly religious aspects, is that it is not morally right for two members of the same sex to be together. Whether or not gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to wed is only part of the problem. The other issue at hand is whether the law should be decided by a peoples vote, or by a proposition to legislature by the Governor. Most states rest this choice with the people, deciding the content of their states constitution themselves. But the Governor also has the power to decide if their state is mature enough to be passed, though it would still not be a for sure thing. In the midst of this budget crisis in Washington State, there is also talk of legalizing same sex marriage. Christine Gregoire...
Words: 1018 - Pages: 5
...Gay Marriage Word Count:752 It’s not a secret that the relations between men and women become different when they start living together. The period of dating is something like a preparatory stage for the creation of the family. Once that happen things become more different between men and women, but is it a difference when gay people get marry? Gay Marriage has always been a very sensitive topic throughout the past decades. People have always had good or bad views about gay marriage. In this essay I will analyze and go in depth about gay marriage. I will be analyzing articles from Andrew Sullivan and William J. Bennett about people who are for gay marriage or who is against it. Gay marriage has gradually become a very significant factor amongst individuals of today’s society. Similarly, this leads to the discussion of gays having the right to marry in society. Ultimately, conflict from the opposing position of ‘against’ gay marriage may arise that gay marriage can complete destroy the concept of marriage and mock the importance of procreation. In reference to this statement; everyone in society has the right to marry regardless of gender, thus it should be socially acceptable. However, this is why it is so significant to discuss both sides of the argument, regardless if a person is ‘for’ or ‘against’ gay marriage in society. In relation to gays, contradiction constantly arises that gay marriage should not be legalized. However, gays don’t necessarily want to get married...
Words: 746 - Pages: 3
