Same Sex Marriage

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Anastasia Iselin Dana Monday/Wednesday 10 February 2013 Same Sex Marriage Should same-sex marriages be legalized? This is the question that may be a determining factor for the upcoming presidential election. But before you can form your beliefs on legalizing same-sex marriages you must first understand both the government and the people's definition of marriage and how some Americans push for same sex marriage to be forbidden. According to the government, the term marriage is defined as, "The exclusive commitment of a man and a woman to each other, their express for love and mutual support”. However, The people's definition of marriage is, "Two individuals showing that they truly love each other, enough to take a vow to be with that person and support that person until death do them part." It's not as if homosexual's are taking a sworn vow of love to advertise to people, “Look at me, I'm attracted to the same sex, Come join me!” They just seek to be respected as a couple, and get granted the same right by marriage as heterosexual couple's get by law. For example, some of the many rights that many couples abuse and look past are, public health, safety or even welfare. Many gay-right activists’ claim that marriage should not be determined by sexual orientation like it was once judged by race. Activists protest the fact, that they pose no threat the society, and/or heterosexual for that matter. They do not push their ways of being homosexual onto others just like religion is not pushed. Okay, so you may see some homosexuals out in public advertising their way's, but the government does the same with what is known as indirect

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advertisement. Advertising and pushing is two completely different aspects of life. Gay marriage is protected by the Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. The US Supreme Court declared in 1974’s Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur that the "freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause.” US District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote on Aug. 4, 2010 that Prop. 8 in California banning gay marriage was "unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses”. Also, studies show that same sex marriages can bring financial gain to state and local governments. Revenue from gay marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes ("marriage penalty"), and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. According to The Comptroller for New York City, legalizing gay marriage would bring $142 million to the City’s economy and $184 million to the State’s economy over three years. The main factor that is often brought up is that the Bible specifically states that a marriage is between a man and a woman and that it is a perversion to do otherwise. When many people were polled on their opinions of same-sex marriages, they gave the reason as, "that's not the way God intended", or "If that's the way God intended us to be then he wouldn't have made man and woman love each other at the beginning of creation", or even going as far as to say "same-sex marriages are just another proving factor that the devil is once again at work." However, Isn’t it in the United States constitution that religion and government are two different aspects of life and should remain separate at all times? If true, then how can the term marriage be defined by the bible, which is a book the religion of Christianity is studied from? Wouldn't it also be true that refusing marriage to homosexual couples is discrimination, just as bi-racial marriages once were?

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Same-sex marriage advocates argue the issue with that fact that a child brought up in a same-sex household is often "corrupted" in one way or another. Studies show that this theory is proven to be true seven out ten times. The children prove to have hatred towards or are easily intimidated by the sex of which their home is in lack of. Children who have had both sexes in their life at birth, and are suddenly deprived of one enter a completely new world. One of which they are unfamiliar with. They often turn into the laughing stock of their school or are made fun of by "bullies." this causes them to go into a state of depression where they turn to drugs as a way out. Isn't this the same reactions any child who is going through a parents divorce goes through? Or the same reaction that kid's who enter into a world from bi-racial parents went through when biracial relationships were looked down upon? These are some aspect's you must look at before make your decision of whether or not you support same-sex marriages. Regardless, there is always going to be two views on gay marriage; it is up to each individual to decide which view they agree with. Gay marriage should be legally recognized. Nobody should have the right to determine what is considered “right”, marriage makes a couple officially together; it does not affect anybody but them. Labels should not define love, and by not allowing same gender couple the right to marry is unfair and wrong.

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Works Cited "Florida Gay Adoption | Domestic Partnership | Orlando Attorney." Gay Facts & Statistics for 2011 and 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . Gay Marriage Debate. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . "Gay Marriage ProCon.org." Gay Marriage ProCon.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . "Same-Sex Marriage Pros and Cons." Lawyers, Legal Forms, Law Books & Software, Free Legal Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. .