Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legalized - Essay Example

Same Sex Marriage Should be legalized Proposal Topic The topic for this scholarly argument is “Same Sex Marriage Should be Legalized”. This topic has been selected because this subject is under heavy scrutiny as individuals who are involved in same sex relationship are fighting for equal rights which have been awarded to the couples of different sex marriage. Opinions Those in the favor of this form of marriage hold the opinion that it is a discriminatory act to treat same sex couples and different sex couples differently by law, they even believe that this form of marriage is ethical as it has more benefits to offer than costs, these marriages have gained social acceptance, a few of the states have even legalized this marriage, legalization of same sex marriage will allow same sex couples to enjoy the same rights as different sex couples. Those who are against this form of union by marriage are of the opinion that it is religiously incorrect for individuals from same sex to get married, this form of marriage will lead to weakening of the institution of marriage, legal status of this form of marriage will be manipulated by those who are not even involved in this form of marriage, these marriages cannot be recognized a marriage because these marriages do not lead to formation of traditional family system, acceptance of this form of marriage will lead to a slippery slope and other issues will be raised and parents of the same marriage will fail to provide knowledge regarding the difference between male and female to their children. Thesis Same sex marriage should be awarded with legal status because it will lead to the wellbeing of the society as it has more benefits to offer to the society than costs on the basis of cost benefit analysis. Same Sex Marriage Should be legalized Introduction Legally, marriage has been defined as the union between two individuals representing different gender and is the eventual method through which partners express their affection for each other. The constitution of the US has not yet accepted same sex marriage as a legal marriage even though the society has accepted such unions. A change in the structure of families within the US societies has been experienced and a huge number of stakeholders are raising their voice in the support of such marriages. Similar gender marriages should be awarded with the legal status by the constitution of US because it is a discriminatory act to treat same sex couples and different sex couples differently by law, they even believe that this form of marriage is ethical as it has more benefits to offer than costs, these marriages have gained social acceptance, a few of the states have even legalized this marriage, legalization of same sex marriage will allow same sex couples to enjoy the same rights as different sex couples. Body Marriage is a Worldly Act Groups that are religious in nature are of the idea that same sex marriage is against religion and is even equal to a sin as such marriages are against the will of God, the reality is that religion even supports love and affection and due to this such marriages should not be considered as a sin. The constitution of US has stated that under the 1st Amendment all individuals residing in US will be protected by law for their own religious views (Davis 158). Marriages are seen as a worldly act and if legality of marriage is based on religious grounds, policy makers are working against their own policies (Stevens 261). Illegal Status Deprives Couples from Legal Benefits There are several benefits enjoyed by couples when they get married, they benefit from different rules regarding taxation, insurance, ownership of assets rule of agency. Gay marriages even positively impact various judgments. Health care law states that only couples who are married are allowed to make decisions for each other and are allowed to meet each other if one of the couple is hospitalized (Luppino 79). Since gay marriages are not yet realized as legal, the couples involved will suffer emotionally as they will not be allowed to meet each other and make decisions that are medical in nature on each other’s behalf as their union has not yet been legalized. Socially Acceptable The issue of same sex marriage is not novice to the world, it has existed since the period of the early Roman and the Greek empires and now in the 21st century even it has gain acceptability in the society. The term lesbian which represents an intimate relationship between two females first originated during the Greek era when the similar relationship was recognized by the term Lesbos and a whole region was named as Lesbos as this region consisted of females who were in an intimate relationship (Baker 29). In Compliance With the Constitution Individuals who protest against same sex marriages are working in violation of the American constitution. The constitution of US accepts that those who are in the majority are the dominating force but this force can not violate the rights of those who are among the minority. This piece of constitution has led to acceptance of various issues that were being experienced by the minority, for example: women rights, rights of African Americans and equal opportunity rights. The US constitution even has accepted that individuals living in the region of US are equal and these individuals should have equal access to opportunities and they are even free to choose. If rights of couples of same sex marriage are not realized, then a violation of the equal opportunity right and violation of freedom of choice right will be taking place (Bond 72). Utilitarian Stance The acceptance of marriage of same sex as a legal marriage is an ethical decision under the umbrella of utilitarian rule of ethics. The utilitarian believe that those actions and decisions are ethical that result in the highest amount of benefits for the society and lowest amount of cost as compared to several other decisions that can be taken for the same situation (Daft 167). Legalization of same sex marriages have several benefits for the society, for example: same sex married couples will adopt children who have not yet been adopted and this will result in a better life of those children who were not accepted by their biological parents (Knox 262). Increase in adoption rate will even decrease the cost of government that the government spends on taking care of such children. It has even been figured out that states such as Massachusetts where such marriages are legalized have experienced a decline in the rate of divorce which is a major issue experienced by United States (Strong 73). Costs associated with same sex marriage are very few and due to this the decision of legalizing same sex marriage should be made. Same sex marriage or relationships are similar to opposite sex marriage in which two individuals accept each other under the guidance of religion and law and promise to help each other in any situation. It does not harm the society in any form and thus should be recognized as a legal form of marriage. Opposing Views Research conducted by PEW on the issue of same sex marriage states that the social acceptability of same sex marriage has increased significantly from 36% of the surveyed population favoring same sex marriage during 2009 to 42% of the same sex marriage favoring this form of marriage during 2010 (PEW 2010). Still a significant portion of the population still opposes same sex marriage, PEW reports that 48% of the population surveyed during 2010 was against such marriages (PEW 2010). The criticizers even have a bunch of reasons to oppose the legalization of such marriages. They argue that this form of marriage is against the will of God and is considered as a sin in compliance with religion (Knox 262). Policy markers even take shelter under this belief and state that Bible provides guidance to the legal system and they cannot operate against the Bible and legalize same sex marriage unions. Those against even assert that such marriages will be manipulated by those who are not even in same sex relationship. They will use such kind of marriages to attain benefits that are offered under the constitution to married couples (Knox 262). Those against such marriages state that gay couples are just attracted to each other and the attraction will be lose soon so this will lead to an increase in the rate of divorce and further weaken the poor institution of marriage which already is suffering from high rates of divorce. Conclusion Same sex marriages should be realized as legal marriages as it has various benefits to offer to the society and have zero or very few disadvantages for the society. These marriages will decrease the emotional suffering of gay couples that they are experiencing due to illegal status of such marriages. These marriages will even decrease the burden from the shoulders of the government of taking care of un-adopted children as such marriages will result in higher adoption rate as such couples cannot produce children. Works Cited Baker, Rosalie F., and Charles F. Baker. Ancient Greeks: creating the classical tradition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. Bond, Jon R., and Kevin B. Smith. Promise and performance of American democracy. 10th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth ;, 2011. Print. Daft, Richard L., and Martyn Kendrick. Management. Andover: South-Western/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Davis, Derek, and Barry Hankins. New religious movements and religious liberty in America. 2nd ed. Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press, 2003. Print. Gay Marriage Gains More Acceptance | Pew Research Center." Pew Research Center | Nonpartisan, non-advocacy public opinion polling and demographic research. N.p., 6 Oct. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. . Knox, David, and Caroline Schacht. Choices in relationships: an introduction to marriage and the family. 10th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth :, 2010. Print. Luppino, Grace A., and Justine FitzGerald Miller. The paralegal's guide to family law and practice. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2002. Print. Stevens, Jacqueline. Reproducing the state. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999. Print. Strong, Bryan, Christine DeVault, and Theodore F. Cohen. The marriage and family experience: intimate relationships in a changing society. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Read More