Should Gay Marriage Be Legalized - Assignment Example

Should Gay Marriage be Legalized? Should gay marriage be legalized? Of all the issues that have attracted widespread opinioned views, of whether gay marriage should or should not be legalized is one of them. This debate traces its roots to as early as the 1950’s when people gradually got the confidence to openly declare their homosexual status (Beker, 1008). From the 1970’s, same sex couples began seeking certificates to legalize their unions and partnerships. Today, with the revolution and advocated rights and freedoms of people, the situation concerning gay marriages has changed. By 2013, an excess of 19 states had legalized and given consent to same sex marriages being officially married and recognized (ProCon). The state of Massachusetts was the first to legalize gay marriages in 2004, and other states have followed suit (Johnstone, 289). However, even with these revolution and changes in time, over 35 states in the U.S.A had banned gay marriages and this has caused a lot of uproar, demonstrations and momentous campaigns advocating for the respect of the gay society and their rights (ProCon). Presently, a discussion is going on at the federal on state levels on whether gay marriages should be legalized. All factors put into consideration, gay marriages should not be legalized. Why? Presently, the institution of marriage is already too feeble, with many divorces and children being born out of single families. Records show that by 2012, the rates of divorce stood at 47% whereas of all the children born in the United States of America, over 40% were born to mothers who were unmarried (Johstone, 300). The revisionist view that has already weakened the marriage institution makes it appear like the needs of the adults are given preference to the needs of children. Legalizing gay marriages further weaken the already weak institution. Instead of legalizing gay marriages and subjecting the marriage institution to these weakening forces, the federal and state leaders should embark on figuring where people went wrong, why the divorce rates are so high and why the society has become what it is today (TFP). Actions should be taken to ensure that the marriage institution is delivered from the crumbling hill that it is going down to. Traditionally, marriage has always been defined as a union between a man and a woman. There aren’t any examples in the ancient past of men who married men, or of a woman who solemnized their vows with another woman. This traditional structure and knowledge of marriage should be preserved. One of the most famous court rulings that gives a voice to the idea of marriage being between a man and a wife is the Barker versus Nelson case (Beker, 1009). Barker and “his spouse”, a man, James Michael McConnell sought a certificate to license their gay union. Gerald Nelson ruled and denied the two the certificate on the basis of them being of the same sex. Their appeal was also rejected and the decision of Nelson upheld, with the courts arguing that in Minneapolis, the union recognized is that between a man and a woman, and after all, this is what it has been since Genesis (ProCon). Why do we want to disrupt this traditional structure? Why do we want our children to grow up with a different view about what marriage should really be? Legalizing gay marriages is a distortion of what marriage was and should always be, and shall further lay less importance on the essence of child procreation and rearing, an undeniably important aspect of the traditional marriage (TFP). Before legalizing gay marriage settings, one should keenly evaluate the effect that this type of setting will have in the growth and upbringing of children. In the traditional marriage setting, the child is brought up by both the mother and father (at least in most cases this is the scenario). Consider the case of a child who grows up in a family where the parents are both men. The child lacks the physical and mental support that one gets from a mother (TFP). The advice and emotional security that children usually get from their female parents will be denied to the child and as a result, they might end up making unsuitable decisions. In 2012, a research comprising of 40 girls brought up on same sex marriages and in a traditional marriage setting was conducted in Virginia (ProCon). The findings of the research show that 55% of the children raised up in same sex relationships engaged more in homoerotic relationships. This was as compared to 9% of those brought up in a traditional setting relationship (ProCon). In addition, girls who have been brought up in a same sex marriage are more likely to fall victims to irresponsible sexual activities and are at higher risk of getting unwanted pregnancies. The main reason attributed to this is the fact that in same sex marriages, especially that involving man, children lack the moral counsel and emotional support that mothers provide. In addition, they do not understand why their peers have a mother and a father but they have two men posing as parents. Gay marriages will subject the children to more of this confusion and the issues of teenage pregnancies, homoerotic sex activities among other undesirable issues will increase. Legalizing gay marriages will act as a springboard for other forms of unions to be legalized. Polygamous, incestuous, and even the dreaded bestial relationships will further be campaigned for and their legalization will be demanded (Dorf). As earlier mentioned, the marriage institution has also been weakened enough and hence, legalization of gay marriages will lead to a demand for more unions that are not currently allowed in the society to be legalized. What kind of society shall develop when this happens? Ask some people and law makers from Scandinavia and they will tell you why it is a bad idea to legalize same sex marriages. The people in this place have witnessed a decline in the effectiveness of marriages. The number of irresponsible parenthood has greatly increased and the marriage institution is slowly crumbling. The number of people getting into same sex marriages for fear of responsibilities, and the number of those siring children but not fathering them has increased drastically (Johnstone, 305). Do we want such a society all over the United States of America? Marriage is not just a union but is an aspect that gives continuance to life, love and a growth in population. If gay marriages are legalized, several decades from now, there is doubt on whether we shall still have a society similar to the one we have today. On the other hand, there are groups of people who are adamantly advocating for the legalization of gay marriages. What are their proposals? It is argued that all marriages are based on love. The proponents of gay marriages say that in the traditional marriage setting, marriage is based on love, and on a concession of two people who decide to love together. If two people of similar sex feel thus about the same way, why shouldn’t their union be legalized? Another argument is that legalizing gay marriages shall help to reduce the number of children who are in need of adoption. Records show that by 2012, there were over 11, 500 children in need of adoption (Beker, 1010). If about 500 gay couples in each state have their marriages legalized, and about 50% of these decide to adopt a child each, shall this not help in providing love and a home to these children? Another advantage that the proponents of gay marriage forward is that legalizing gay marriages shall help in reducing the rate and number of divorce cases. As earlier mentioned, records indicate that in 2012, the number of divorces stood at 47%, and this was expected to steadily increase in the following years (Johnston, 308). However, gay marriages have lower chances of divorce cases and hence it should be legalized. Lastly, they argue that the 1st amendment of the constitution insists on the protection of any persons religious beliefs (or lack of it thereof), including those in the minority category. However, some of the gay people argue that the traditional marriage setting was based on the religious beliefs of the Christians and the Muslims. They argue that the rights and beliefs of atheists are not considered and this is a form of discrimination. However, even with the arguments given by the proponents of gay marriages, it is evident that the traditional marriage setting should not be weakened any further than it already is. What will happen to the society if gay marriages are integrated into the mainstream? What path and direction will the children in the next generation follow? What about the morals and codes of conduct that have always guided the society? Gay marriages do not create any family but instead, they create a naturally barren affiliation where procreation cannot be shown. In addition, legalizing gay marriages only turns an ethical wrong into a civil right. The debate on legalizing gay marriages shall continue for a very long time from now, but those states and countries that have opted to ban gay marriages in their societies appear to have taken the right path to spear them into the future. Works cited Beker, Amy. What’s marriage (and family) got to do with it? Support of same sex marriage, legal unions and gay and lesbian couples raising children. Social Science Quarterly, 93(4), 1007-1029. 2012. Print. Dorf, Michael. Congressional Republicans offer three based arguments for upholding the Defense of Marriage Act. VerdictJustia.com. February 2013. Web. 12th May 2014. Johnstone, Rebekah. Marriage and metaphysics of bodily union: Framing the same sex marriage debate. Social Theory and Practice, 39(2), 288-312. 2013. Print. ProCon.Org. Should gay marriage be legal? ProCon.Org. April 2014. Web. 12th May 2014. TFP Student Action. 10 reasons why homosexual “marriages” is harmful and must be opposed. TPFstudentaction.org. May 2014. Web. 12th May 2014. Read More