In America today, one of the biggest social issues is gay marriage. For very different reasons, some believe that gays should not be allow to marry, while others believe that they should. Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry in the United States. Someone elses marriage shouldn’t be anyone else's business but their own, no matter if others think it is morally wrong, religiously wrong, unnatural, or any other opinion that others have.

Same-sex marriage is only legal in 14 out of the 50 states of America. Out of all countries in the world, you would think that America would be the place where everyone is considered equal and has all the same rights of any other citizen. Aren’t we the land of the free for a reason? People come here just to feel free and have the rights that they deserve. We won’t ever truly be equal without every citizen in America having the same rights. We use the phrase “Liberty and Justice for All” when trying to describe Americas true spirit and identity, though it is ironic that an entire group of people get denied basic rights.

Some say marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage is allowed, though it is completely legal for strangers to get hitched in Las Vegas without any type of love or meaning. The fact that couples who are completely in love cannot get married because they are homosexual is a sad part of America that we need to change.

Many of those who oppose same-sex marriage have said that children of gay parents will never succeed in life without “normal” parents...though in America single parents are praised for raising children on their own and i wouldn’t say that is considered normal either. Also they are saying that gay parents will end up raising gay children, as if all straight parents raise straight kids. What exactly are “normal parents”? The definition of being a parent is someone who has given birth to or has nurtured and raised a child which is something gay couples are completely capable of doing.

People who oppose same-sex marriage sometimes say that the only reason marriage exists is for procreation and by legalizing same-sex marriage, we would no longer be able to keep up the human race. Though it is not illegal for couples who can’t have children to be married and it is not illegal for individuals to be single their whole lives if they choose to so the argument about procreation does not make sense to me. Besides, most people do not see marriage as just a reason to procreate, most people marry out of love or friendship.

I believe the biggest reason why so many people oppose gay marriage in America is because of their religion. Why does someone else’s religion have to do with anyone elses life? In a theocracy like ours, why is the value of one religion imposed on the entire country? The reason America is so different than anywhere else is because we are known as the melting pot. Which means there are all different varieties of people, cultures, and religion. One religion shouldn’t decide the moral values of everyone in America. If one religion is going to be brought up for the reason why same-sex marriage should be illegal, than we might as well make premarital sex, birth control, and divorce illegal too. Another person's religion shouldn’t be the reason why others can’t have the rights they deserve.

If same-sex marriage was legal in the United States, it would slowly help end the discrimination against homosexuals. Gays in America have been treated a lot better than they used to be treated in the past but there is still so much discrimination. There should be no reason for someone to hate another person because of their sexual preference. Even though they are so much more socially accepted in society today, i believe there is still way too much discrimination against them because of the fact that i even have to argue about gay marriage right now. We make them seem like completely different creatures than we are. They are human, no more, no less. The fact that we call it “gay marriage” and not just “marriage” still shows that we put homosexuals in a different category and i don’t believe that’s what America is about. Equally is one of our most important civil rights. Legalizing same-sex marriage would show to the world that gay marriage is just as equal as straight marriages which would help reduce prejudices and discrimination and would enhance the human spirit and support diversity which would make everyone’s lives better.

For those who say being homosexual is “not natural”, i believe are just saying that because they are homophobic. Since when is being unnatural considered wrong in America when in america you can have plastic surgery, botox, and pretty much anything else you can pay for? Never in my life will i understand why people still believe that homosexuals choose to be gay. Has anyone ever in their life chosen to be straight? Attraction and love just doesn’t work that way. You never choose who you love. There are gays that hate who they are because of how hard they are judged for being homosexual but there isn’t anything they can do to change that no matter how bad they want to. The hate that some homosexuals get, leads to so many deaths because of suicide. As a country, this is something that needs to change.

Same-sex marriage has been a social issue in America for a very long time and it needs to end. The prejudice, discrimination, and overall fighting makes our country weaker as a whole. Love is blind and we need to stop judging people just because we aren’t the same. We need to stop feeling the need to change people and just accept that fact that we are all different and it is what makes us The United States of America.