Same-sex Marriage | Teen Ink

Same-sex Marriage

April 6, 2011
By shanabud BRONZE, Boulder, Colorado
shanabud BRONZE, Boulder, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Same-Sex Marriage

If you are gay, researchers say you’re that way from the day you were born. It’s not a choice or a way of life, it’s who you are. People are against gay marriage because they think it’s a violation of religion that people are making an immoral choice, but God loves people exactly how they are. No matter whom they marry. Same-sex marriage should be legal in all 50 states of the United States.

There are many legal benefits to same sex couples that come with marriage. One legal benefit is medical care. Only when you’re married can you visit your spouse in the hospital when they are in intensive care, and make medical decisions for your partner. According to Marriage Equality USA, in times of crisis, spouses have hospital visitation rights and can make medical decisions in event of illness or disability of their spouse. Also, married couples in elderly care facilities are generally not separated unless one spouse's health dictates hospitalization or special care. Another legal benefit is automatic inheritance in absence of will. You automatically receive all the money in absence of children; you decide what child gets what. Also you get joint rights of children when you’re married. You get joint adoption rights, and joint foster care rights.

Same-Sex marriage should be a personal choice. When it comes to same-sex marriage it should be up to them, it’s their life. You should be able to marry the person you love, no matter what sex they are. “I deserve to marry the person I love,” (Del. Anne Kaiser, a gay lawmaker). People say that they are against gay marriage because it will hurt society if its legal, but letting someone marry the person they love won’t damage society. It would show society that we are more evolved and have moved past discrimination and being prejudice against our own race.

When you deny homosexuals of marriage, it is a form of discrimination. It violates religious freedom to deny them of marriage. “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance,” (The Constitution). A gay man should have the same rights as a strait man. All men and women should be able to get married. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, “America's gay, lesbian, and bisexual populations estimated to be around 8.8 million people.” Right now, in Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire you’re allowed to have a civil union. In civil union, you still have most of the rights of a married couple, but it’s still not marriage. According to an American history scholar Nancy Cott "there really is no comparison, because there is nothing that is like marriage except marriage."

Ultimately, it should be that same sex marriage should be legal in all the 50 states of the United States. When it comes to same sex marriage, there are many legal benefits, it is a personal choice, and when you deny homosexuals of marriage, it’s a form of discrimination. Imagine if your own child was gay or lesbian. Do you not want your child to get married and be with they one they love? Do you not want them to be happy?


The author's comments:
Same-sex marriage should be legal.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.