Marriage is defined as the “legal or
religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of two people to live as a
married couple”. Yet it can also
be defined as “the formal union of a man and a woman…”, but why is it that this
union should be restricted to heterosexual couples? Isn’t everyone worthy of
committing to the one they love? I have many people in my life that I’m close
to that are gay, and most of them have been discriminated against in some way.
In this speech, I will explain to you why gay marriage should be legalized in
all 50 states. First I’ll discuss separation of church and state, how we have
overcome other discriminations in the past, and lastly what the majority of
today’s society views as “right” and “wrong”.
First of all, when you hear the term
“separation of church and state”, what does that mean to you? Because to me it
means exactly what it says. So why is same sex marriage illegal in the United
States? This is an old law created long before our time, and it could easily be
changed. There are so many good people out there who love their same-sex
partners as much as any straight married people loves each other, but they are
not allowed to make that decision for themselves. Andrew Sullivan, a gay
individual says “We do not seek equality in marriage because we despise the
institution of marriage, but because we believe in it and cherish it and want
to support it”. As far as I see it, the only valid argument against gay
marriage is that it goes against the Christian religion. Didn’t our ancestors
come to America in search of religious freedom? Does this not include being
able to interpret your religion in your own way? Lorraine DeArmitt says "As a
straight woman and as a Protestant minister, it takes nothing away from me for
people to have rights in a loving relationship”. This is true, what harm is it
you if someone else gets married? Is it really necessary to force your morals
on other people and deprive them of the happiness of civil union? The most
common argument against same-sex marriage is that it isn’t “right”? But what
does this mean? Right by the bible? Right for society? Does denying gay men and
women the right to get married keep them from loving each other? No. So what
difference does it make if they make a legal and emotional commitment to each
other? What I consider unfair is not only that gay people can be in love and
want to get married and can’t, but that they are deprived of the financial
advantages of marriage as well. In today’s society, who’s to say what’s right and
wrong? Who has the right to exclude people based on their sexual orientation?
The way I see it, not allowing gay couples to get married is just as bad as not
allowing women to vote, or counting an African American as 3/5ths of
a person. Everyone deserves the freedom to love who they want to love and do
what they want to do. Don’t you think?
Much like
the illegality of gay marriage, interracial marriages were illegal until the
court case Loving v. Virginia in
1967. Until then, there was a law called the “same-race restriction” which
stated “all marriages between a white person and a colored person shall be
absolutely void without any decree of divorce or other legal process”. This is
oddly similar to the “different-sex restriction” which stated that “any
marriage between persons of the same gender is null and void from the
beginning”. The “same-race restriction” was shot down after the Supreme Court
deemed it an attempt to maintain white supremacy. To me, this is suggestive
that the straight community considers themselves superior to gay individuals,
which is unacceptable and primitive to our time. We’ve overcome racism and
discrimination against women in the past, why not terminate discrimination
against homosexuals? “For centuries, marriage was by definition a contract where the wife was the legal property of
her husband. And we changed that. For centuries, marriage was by definition between two people of the
same race. And we changed that”. So I ask you this: what is the difference
between these changes and the topic at hand? Times are different now, things
are changing, and everyone deserves to live the life they want to live.
David G.
Myers wrote What God Has Joined Together: A Christian Case For Gay Marriage.
He says, “the Bible has very little to say about same-sex sexual expression”,
in fact “the word homosexuality is never used in scripture”. It apparently
wasn’t even a word until the late nineteenth century. The Bible mentions
same-sex sexual acts such as rape or promiscuity, but it doesn’t speak against
same-sex love or relationships. Most Christians in today’s society learn what
they know about the Bible from someone else, not their own interpretation. So
what does this say about their opposition to same-sex marriage? Commonweal, a
biweekly Catholic magazine, poses the argument that “the purpose of marriage is
procreation”. But, is this true anymore? Does every married couple have
children? No. Yes, some are unable to and therefore don’t count in this argument,
but many choose not to. They get married. Interestingly enough this is a common
point against the legalization of gay marriage. Jonathan Cordes, an
acquaintance of mine, agrees with this idea. Another opposition he has to gay
marriage is the belief that gay couples’ relationships are more temporary than
straight couples’. But in this day in age, the divorce rate for heterosexual
couples is alarmingly high. In a census report from 2009, it was recorded that
only 52% of married couples stay married. So if marriage already virtually has
a 50/50 chance of survival, how could gay marriages differ? What does sexual
orientation have to do with the longevity of a loving relationship?
In
conclusion, I believe gay marriage should be legalized in the United States
because it’s unconstitutional to deprive gay couples of civil union and has no
negative effect on the Christian population. Homosexual individuals should have
the right to commit to their partner and enjoy the advantages of marriage, both
emotional and financial. A great man once said “All men are created equal”, and
I think they should be treated as such.
