Gay marriage is one of the most controversial subjects in the 21st century debates. People have different opinions about whether it is immoral or wrong. Religious leaders feel that the practice is immoral and should not in any way be legalized. However, those who support it argue that those people who practice same-sex marriage should enjoy the same benefits a heterosexual marriage enjoys. The primary arguments by those against gay marriage include the fact that it will undermine the basic principles of the institution of marriage, and that is having children. Gay marriages cannot have kids in the natural sense. This paper will bring forth the different arguments for whether gay marriage should be legalized.
First, the legalization of gay marriage will turn a moral right into a civil right. Same-sex couples will have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits that a typical heterosexual couple enjoys. This is simply because those people who chose to take a gay marriage orientation were born as those in a heterosexual marriage. In other words, they are both human and, therefore, have the right to enjoy all the benefits a typical marriage enjoys. Legalization of gay marriages will make those in these relationships take them seriously and be responsible (Hackl, Reyn and Paz 515). In addition to that, legalization will have deep spiritual significance as it will reflect the fact that every individual’s dignity is respected and all citizens of a nation are protected. All citizens of a country pay taxes to the national government. The tax system does not exclude gay couples from paying taxes. Therefore, there is no reason why they should be denied their right to enjoy the very rights and benefits that a heterosexual couple enjoys.
Secondly, marriage is something that somebody chooses to undertake voluntarily. Every person has the right to marry any person he or she chooses. And this is reflected in the legal process of a heterosexual marriage. Then, those people who choose to marry a person of the same sex have a right to do so, and nobody has the right to question his or her decision. No government or body has the right to question the marriage of two individuals who love and care for each other regardless of their sexual orientation (Quinn and Erica 150). In cases where a person is not able to marry the person he or she loves because of the existing norms and beliefs, that person’s freedom of marriage is denied, and that is against the law.
There is an increased rate of suicide and divorce cases in the 21st century. This is because most people marry people they are not in love with just because they want to be in line with societal norms and beliefs. People commit suicide because they get disappointed in marriage just because they got married to a person they were not in love with in the first place. In extreme cases, the couples end up killing each other. But in case gay marriages are legalized, it will be a slingshot to ending the numerous divorce cases in the world and the unsolved homicide cases that no one is able to solve. This is because homosexuals will get the chance to marry the people they love and care about, thus decreasing divorce cases and suicide cases due to disappointments in marriage. Some people get divorced because they are infertile or because they are incompatible with each other.
Other than that, teenage suicide cases are on the rise because of discrimination in school due to their sexual orientation. Therefore, making a move to make same-sex marriages legal will make the kids feel that they are not different and they are accepted in the community. In addition to that, legalization will make the young generations understand that being different should not make them lose focus in life. This will reduce the rate of teenage suicide as they will not feel the need to take their life just because of their sexual orientation. Homosexual individuals will receive respect and acceptance from society if their institution is legalized (Kreitzer, Allison and Caroline 798). This will reduce the suicide cases and the rate of divorce that has soured in the world.
For those who advocate for heterosexual marriages, they may argue that gay marriages are not able to have children. However, it is evident that there are so many children who are in children’s homes who need adoption. In addition to that, most of the world’s countries are overpopulated already, and governments are struggling to reduce the rate at which the population is increasing (Gates, 70). Legalization of same-sex marriages will help reduce the rate at which the population is increasing and thus ensure that the current population receive the best services from its governments. Other than that, most gay couples have a higher chance of adopting a child or children, thus helping those who could not have had a chance to have a better future. Giving those children a home not only reduces the number of thugs in the streets but also increases the number of people who will be productive to the economy in future (Wight, Allen, and Lee 342). This is because the kids adopted by gay families will have access to better education and parenting, thus growing to be successful people.
However, most adoption agencies discriminate against gay couples; thus, they don’t have equal opportunities to adopt a child. The agencies make it almost impossible for gay couples to adopt a child but give heterosexual couples the chance to adopt. But in a logical sense, the couple that has enough resources to adopt a child is a gay couple since they cannot have a child of their own. This means that the adopted child will be the sole beneficiary of the couple’s love and care. But in the case of a heterosexual couple, they are able to have their own kids, and therefore, their love toward the adopted child may be biased, thus reducing the chances of the adopted child growing to his or her full potential. But if gay marriages are legalized, agencies will stop looking at a couple’s sexual orientation and start looking at the ability of the couple to take care of the child effectively (Gato and Anne Marie 249). This will mean that more children will have foster parents and thus be able to have access to high quality education and parental care.
In conclusion, gay marriage should be legalized all over the world. It is evident from the arguments above that marriage is a voluntary undertaking, and no one should, in any case, interfere with a person’s decision regarding who to marry. Violation of that is a direct infringement of a person’s rights and freedoms. Besides, the legalization of same-sex marriages will help reduce the rate of divorce and homicide cases related to marriage disputes. This is because people will get married to people they love thus reducing the rate of disappointments in the family. Teenage suicide cases will also reduce as they will feel accepted regardless of their sexual orientation. Most importantly, children who end up in children’s homes will have a chance of getting adopted by gay parents without any discrimination and thus be able to have access to high-quality education and parental care. This means that there will be a reduced number of thugs in the streets and thus reduced crimes.
Works Cited
Gates, Gary J. “Marriage and family: LGBT individuals and same-sex couples.” The Future of Children 25.2 (2015): 67-87.
Gato, Jorge, and Anne Marie Fontaine. “Anticipation of the sexual and gender development of children adopted by same‐sex couples.” International Journal of Psychology 48.3 (2013): 244-253.
Hackl, Andrea M., Reyn Boyer, and Paz Galupo. “From “gay marriage controversy” to “endorsement of same-sex marriage” Framing bisexuality in the marriage equality discourse.” Sexuality & Culture 17.3 (2013): 512-524.
Kreitzer, Rebecca J., Allison J. Hamilton, and Caroline J. Tolbert. “Does policy adoption change opinions on minority rights? The effects of legalizing same-sex marriage.” Political Research Quarterly 67.4 (2014): 795-808.
Quinn, Therese, and Erica R. Meiners. “From anti-bullying laws and gay marriages to queer worlds and just futures.” QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking 1 (2013): 149-175.
Wight, Richard G., Allen J. LeBlanc, and Lee Badgett. “Same-sex legal marriage and psychological well-being: findings from the California Health Interview Survey.” American journal of public health 103.2 (2013): 339-346.
