Taylor Brown American Government Issue Paper 8 November 2013 Same-Sex Marriage Today, in our society there are

many different issues that people discuss; one of the most recent and most popular issues that people discuss today is same-sex marriage. There are many different viewpoints on same-sex marriage, Americans either think same-sex marriage should be legal, and some Americans think that same-sex marriage should be illegal. Most Americans are basing their viewpoint based on their religion, and others want to be equal and free just like everyone else in America. One main case regarding same-sex marriage is Lawrence v. Texas. There are many stereotypes against this relevant issue. Americans today are conservative towards their religion. This issue is not a recent issue that just came around, same-sex marriage has been around for many years and it is starting to come to a bigger issue. One side of the argument of same-sex marriage is Americans are for same-sex marriage and equality. Many Americans today fight for equal rights, one of those equal rights is fighting for same-sex marriage. There are many reasons why Americans want to push same-sex marriage. One of the most if not it is the most important reason Americans are wanting same-sex marriage to be legal is because of equal rights like heterosexuals have. I am pretty sure everyone in this world wants to be equal, and have equal opportunities. If same-sex marriage is not legal, then how can those people that fall in love with each other feel equal with the rest of the world? In fact they cannot feel equal. According to the Gay Marriage Pro Con article that same-sex marriage in the United States could help bring financial gain to the states and local government

by marriage license (Gay). With that being said same-sex marriage could help us Americans out in many different ways. Another reason that same-sex marriage should be legal is that couples of the same-sex could adopt children. According to the Gay Marriage Pro Con article again that Same-sex couples could adopt and provide stable homes for the children that are in foster care and it could also decrease the children that do not have families or a stable home to live in (Gay). In 1967 Loving v. Virginia which let coloreds get marries, so if colored are allowed to get married in the Civil Rights, why cant two of the same sex get married? Back in the day blacks and whites where not equal at all, today blacks and whites are equal and have equal rights, but now two people of the same sex want to get married and they cant? Why? They want to be equal like the rest of us. Not to mention the statics from Gay Marriage Pro Con article that Same-sex marriage is legal in 14 U.S. states (Gay). Same-sex marriage should not matter to others when it has nothing to do with them or even affect them. This should not be a major issue, as what it is today. There is nowhere in the constitution where it says the same-sex marriage should be illegal. Many Americans today are fighting towards equal marriage for samesex marriage couples. Homosexuals are just like the rest of Americans, they pay taxes, obey the laws, and etc. Homosexuals should be provided with equal opportunities such as other Americans. Relating back to the Constitution quoted from the article Gay Marriage Should be Legal that according to the 14 amendment All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal

protection of the laws. (Kellard). Homosexuals are not bothering or hurting anyone, they are not asking people to change their religious beliefs, but themselves. The other side of the argument relating to same-sex marriage is against the ideal of samesex marriage being legal. There are many different reasons to why Americans think and believe that same-sex marriage should be legal. One of those reasons is that Americans see same-sex marriage as violating many religions. Eric Teetsel quoted in his article Why I Fight Against Same-Sex Marriage that The science may be debatable; what isnt- at least for Christians- is the importance of sex differences. The first time our lord declared that something was not good was the lack of a suitable partner for Adam; the remedy was Eve. Male and female he created them (Teetsel). This point is leading back to the religious views for Americans, how they believe God only wants marriage to be with Man and Women. Americans believe traditionally marriage is only for man and women but this argument will not stand far with all the other arguments for Americans wanting same-sex marriage to be legal. According to the Gay Marriage Pro Con article basically if same-sex marriage is allowed that it will lower the value of a marriage and getting married. Also same-sex marriage couples cannot produce children together like a couple that is man and women. In the case of Lawrence v. Texas according to Alex McBride that the Supreme Court had ruled that state laws banning homosexual sodomy are unconstitutional as a violation of the right to privacy. (McBride). Many Americans say that marriage is a privilege not a right. According to the article of Gay Marriage Pro Con that Marriage was created to allow society to support heterosexual couples in procreation and society can choose not to give the same benefits to same-sex couples (Gay). Which Americans do not want their tax paying dollars to help support the same-sex couples. Back to the argument of same-sex marriage is not religious, according to Joel Hilliker God created sexual attraction,

to draw a man and a woman into a love relationship. He created marriagea binding covenant relationship with prescribed, God-ordained roles (e.g. Genesis 2:18, 21-25; Ephesians 5:29-33; 1 Timothy 5:8), and gave laws confining the use of sex to that marital relationship (e.g. Exodus 20:14, 17). He intended this covenant relationship to bring stability into our lives, to teach us faithfulness and loyalty, and to give each mate the opportunity to learn to live unselfishly with another person, different from himself or herself, as a harmonious team (Hilliker). Most Americans are conservative to their religious views. The main argument for Americans that do not want same-sex marriage to be legal is mostly concerning religious beliefs of others and also Americans do not want to support same-sex marriage. Adding my own opinion toward the argument if same-sex marriage should be legal or illegal, I personally do not know which side of the issue I would decide with. My personal standing on this argument is that it is not my problem. I dont know why same-sex marriage should matter to others when it is not concerning them. Americans today want to feel equal and what is the true meaning of equality when Americans do not want to allow same-sex marriage. Should we all follow what God says and believe that marriage is between a man and women? Is same-sex marriage moral or not? There are many questions to be answered with this topic and most of those questions are relating to religious beliefs. I personally do not support same-sex marriage one hundred percent because of the way I have been raised and have been brought up. I see it as; if two people are happy together, let them be happy together no matter what their sex is. Same-sex couples are not out there to bother anyone else; they are not affecting anyone or asking anyone to change their religious beliefs, but their own. Personally I do not want anything to do with same-sex couples, they are not bothering be, but now if I have to start paying for same-sex couples then there will be a problem. I can see how the states and local governments can make

money off of same-sex marriage couples with the marriage license, but how I see it is let two people that are in love be in love. It is their problem and they have to live with, not ours, they are not bothering any of us that are not attracted to the same-sex. Therefor with all of that being said that I am neither for same-sex marriage nor against same-sex marriage.

Works Cited American Civil Liberties Union." American Civil Liberties Union. 07 Nov. 2013 <https://www.aclu.org >.

"Gay Marriage ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. 07 Nov. 2013 <http://gaymarriage.procon.org/>.

Hilliker, Joel. "Why Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Illegal." TheTrumpet. 07 Nov. 2013 <http://www.thetrumpet.com>. Kellard, James. Gay Marriage Should Be Legal. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 2012. www.icgalegroup.com Masci, David. "The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. 9 July 2009. 07 Nov. 2013 <http://www.pewforum.org>.

McBride, Alex. "Lawrence v. Texas." PBS. Dec. 2006. PBS. 07 Nov. 2013 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/future/landmark_lawrence.html>.