ENGL 1302
Joul Smith
September 22, 2014
Marriage: a Right or a Privilege?
“I’ll tell you this, religion is far more of a choice than homosexuality. And the protections we have for religion – we protect religion! And talk about a lifestyle choice. That is absolutely a choice. Gay people don’t choose to be gay. At what age did you choose to not be gay? – Jon Stewart to Presidential Hopeful Mike Huckabee
In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage; since then, more than 8 states have made same-sex marriage legal including New York, New Mexico, Iowa, Vermont and Washington. On May 9, 2012, President Obama made history when he told ABC News, “I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” Why is gay marriage still being banned across the United States of America? I believe marriage equality is an issue that is appropriate for a semester of continuous research.
Gay marriage did not use to be such a controversial topic just a few decades back, but the world has changed. Now a day the term “openly gay” is often heard in the media and other places. Every day, society is becoming more open to the lifestyle of homosexuality and it is mainly because there is so much information that anybody can access easily. Through education, we have learned to support same-sex marriage. Many celebrities like Louis C.K. and even politicians like President Barack Obama have said same-sex couples should be able to get married.
I’ve learned more about same-sex marriage in the past four years than I have in my entire life. Although, I got really passionate about it when I first saw a stand up comedy show performed by Louis C.K. While being incredibly hilarious about it, he made some surprisingly good points. As a consequence, I adopted the same beliefs, began to be passionate about it and started conveying my message to family and friends. Since then, I read articles and watch documentaries about it every time I get the chance to.
Even though I have a relative amount of knowledge about it, there is still plenty of questions that have been popping in my head. For instance, what would be the benefits of legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States of America? I believe the answer to this question would clear many people’s doubts about this topic. Also, why is is moraly wrong to not let them unite in holy matrimony?
Our generation have clearly showed a support on gay marriage, however our ancestors not that much. Past generations would definitely be an audience who would be interested in this issue as they have many questions left unanswered. Also, small business owners and big business owners could also look into more information about same-sex marriage. Legalizing it could greatly impact business industries like weddings and customer services.
On the other hand, there are also many people who disagree on gay marriage and I think is mostly because of what these people grew up believing in. They try to talk about it like it’s a social issue. A common question we often hear is: How am I supposed to explain to my child that two men are getting married? I believe society has to stop for a second and realize it doesn’t have any effect on anybody’s life whatsoever. Also, some people are against gay marriage because of what their religion says. I