Same-Sex Marriage Is a Highly Controversial Subject - Essay Example

Same Sex Marriage Same Sex Marriage is a highly controversial from whichever angle it is approached, be it from the ethical, moral or religious perspective. Until quite recently in our modern history, homosexuality was not part of the collective social norm. Specifically in the United States, homosexuality was seen by many as taboo as recently as the 1970s. Homosexuality was even seen as dangerous, especially with the rise of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s. In more contemporary times, homosexuality is becoming more widely accepted. Analogous to other civil rights movements, a shift in societal norms calls to question the laws of the land, in this case the notion of marriage in legal terms. There is no denying the fact that marriage is an institution traditionally reserved for the heterosexual couples. Given the traditional legal definition of marriage, same sex couples face certain challenges. Same sex marriage is a controversial issue with staunch opposition due to deeply entrenched religious and patriarchal opinions. Those in favor of same-sex marriage have a lot at stake on this particular issue, as many financial and legal benefits are bestowed upon married couples. Pragmatically speaking, marriage ought to be an institution that allows two loving people to legally fulfill their commitment towards each other regardless of their sexual orientation. Thus, legalizing same sex marriage is beneficial not only to the individuals involved, but to the society at large. While it is the belief of many that allowing same-sex marriage is legalizing a practice that is against the standard of norms of the society, the truth of the matter is that same sex marriage provides an opportunity for individuals to live a fulfilling life, devoid of psychological and emotional trauma (Polikoff, 101). This does not only benefit the homosexual individuals, but the whole society, considering that such individuals will live a healthy life, which will in turn reduce the costs involved in sustaining or rehabilitating the health of such individuals whenever they suffer from stress, depression and other psychological and mental disorders, arising from their discomfort and the prejudice they face in the current society (Guillen, n.p.). There is an agreement on certain aspect of the argument against homosexual marriage, the most important being the argument that same sex marriage poses a threat of human extinction, considering that when a marriage does not produce children, then, there is the danger of the shortage or lack of a new generation to take up the responsibility of running the world (Guillen, n.p.). Nevertheless, some of the arguments against same sex marriage are just refutable, owing to the fact that they are mostly aligned towards favoring one sectional attitude of the society. The argument that same sex marriage poses the danger of human extinction is not plausible, considering that legalizing same sex marriage does not amount to making it mandatory. Therefore, individuals with a heterosexual orientation will continue with procreation, while those who do not have the prospective for having children can still be comfortable in the society (Polikoff, 104). Additionally, the recognition of same sex marriage will work towards establishing a society of equal values, where the rights of all individuals are respected, and especially the rights of the minority groups. Through the recognition and legalization of same sex marriage, the society will be acknowledging that all individuals in the society are of equal standards (Carroll, 24). However, there is still on agreement on the argument that same sex marriage poses a danger of children disorientation, since the children being born will never know the expectation of the society as regards the gender roles, and they may not recognize what feelings are accurate, since the world will already be tainted with mixed marriages (Polikoff, 107). Nevertheless, the recognition and legalization of same sex marriage does not cause the disorientation of children regarding the gender roles in the society, considering that gender role is a relative subject, which is only applicable based on the culture, belief and the attitude of the individuals or the section of the society involved (Babst, Gill, and Jason, 11). Through the legalization of same sex marriage, the individuals whose orientation is towards other individuals of the same gender are given the opportunity to live the normal life that the other heterosexual couples live, considering that such individuals will no longer be involved in hiding their feelings towards other people of the same gender. Therefore, their happiness is upheld. The most unique of all argument however against same sex marriage, which also seems agreeable, is the argument that the recognition and legalization of same sex marriage would pave way for other bizarre sexual demands, such as bestiality, backed by an argument that it is a natural and biological orientation, which also needs to be recognized and respected (Messerli, n.p.). Nevertheless, the argument that allowing same sex marriage will pave way for other sexual orientations demands such as bestiality is not accurate, because the same can happen, even in a purely heterosexual society (Guillen, n.p.). Finally, the recognition and legalization of same sex marriage serves to end the social isolation not only of the individuals involved in the homosexual marriage, but also that of their families and relatives, who are isolated by the society, on the basis that their relatives are engaging in unnatural and anti-social practices (Babst, Gill, and Jason, 12). However, there is an agreement on the argument that same sex marriage denies the individuals involved an opportunity to establish a procreation family of their own (Carroll, 27). Since the engagement in same sex marriage has no prospective of producing children, there is no benefit of family establishment for the people involved, and thus there lacks children to inherit their created wealth. Nevertheless, the engagement in same sex marriage does not utterly inconvenience the homosexual couples for not being able to produce children, because there are equally heterosexual couples who are in marriage but they do not want to have children, and thus they pose the same danger of non-procreation, like the homosexual couples (Carroll, 33). Works Cited Babst, Gordon A, Emily R. Gill, and Jason Pierceson. Moral Argument, Religion, and Same-Sex Marriage: Advancing the Public Good. Lanham, Md: Lexington Books, 2009. Print. Carroll, Janell L. Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning, 2010. Print. Guillen, Lina. Same-Sex Marriage Pros and Cons: Same-sex marriage facts to help you decide whether it's for you. Nolo, 2013. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/same-sex-marriage-pros-cons-30219.html Messerli, Joe. Should Same-Sex Marriages be Legalized?: In a Nutshell. BalancedPolitics.org, 2013. http://www.balancedpolitics.org/same_sex_marriages.htm Polikoff, Nancy D. Beyond Straight and Gay Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law. Boston: Beacon Press, 2008. 101-107. Print. Read More