Gay Marriage

Currently, gay marriage is a serious problem in the society that we live in. Nevertheless, gay marriage is not viewed as the problem due to its violation, contradiction, or defilement of the sanctity of customary marriage. Gay marriages are amongst the most controversial social issues in the contemporary society, even though the public opinion regarding this issue appears to be evolving. For instance, Burns (2005) asserts that “a yearly poll has been carried out by Gallup since 1968 in order to illustrate the opinions of people about the legalization of same-sex marriages. The report shows the proportion of favorable responses to this issue has improved from 27% to 53% up to 2013. Even though this does not represent a big majority, it shows that the support for gay marriages in the United States is likely to be increasingly prevalent over the next few decades. Nevertheless, there are still a number of religious as well as political groups that are against the gay marriages idea. This opposition typically arises from the belief that same-sex marriage is sinful, but the distinction of church and state should make this perspective legally irrelevant. Even though most American people disagree with this, the actual issue is more problematic as well as multilayered. The underlying intentions, hypocrisy, humiliation, as well as preconceptions regarding the issue illustrate a mental state among American people- one which is increasingly tearing the society farther as well as farther apart (Hunter, 2012). This paper will make an analysis of gay marriages from the social perspective.

Description of Gay Marriage: Gay marriage refers to a union that takes place between two people of the same gender. The legal status of gay marriage has been an issue that is hotly contested. Whether to legalize or not to legalize such marriages is still a source of debate among civil rights activists, political leaders and the society. The debate is attributed to the fact that marriage ought to be between a male and a female.

Societal Cause of Gay Marriage: Gay marriage in the society has been caused by the gradual acceptance of same-sex love and relationships by different individuals or groups in the society (Mello, 2004). For instance, there has been support of gay marriages by activists of Equal rights in America. This has led to gay groups fighting hard for the states to pass legislatures that legalize gay marriages.

Recent Popularity of Gay marriage the issue of gay marriage has been very popular in the media as well as the public. This has been attributed to the increasing efforts by pro-gay marriage groups that have been pushing more for the legalization of same-sex marriages. There have been as well an increasing number of gay marriages in different nations, which has placed the issue in the media’s limelight (Mello, 2004). The controversies that influence gay marriages have been resourceful in popularizing the issue.

Current Status of Gay Marriages: Gay marriage is legal within nine states within the United States. In addition, there are several other states which are considering to make gay marriages legal. President Barrack Obama openly declared his support towards the gay marriages in May 2012, which, according to some people’s views, has had measurable consequence on the public opinion regarding this issue.

Argument against Gay Marriage: even in the presence of different social as well as legal changes that have occurred in the past decades, there are millions of individuals within the United States who are ardently in opposition to the issue of gay marriage. A number of the Republican Party have made the issue of gay marriages as a component of their campaign strategy revolving around amending the United States’ Constitution to ban gay marriages countrywide (Hunter, 2012). Actually, when a member of the Republican Party bucks this customary standpoint, he/she regularly faces great antagonism from their contemporary members. Those opposing this issue contend that the legalization of gay marriages will act as a threat towards the heterosexual marriage.

Religion against Gay marriage: Arguments against the debate of gay marriage often revolve around religious factors. Different religious associations refute offering services towards gay couples. Christian groups which are against gay marriage argue that these sort of relationships are immoral, subvert human sexuality’s goal, and it is against the will of God to produce children. The Islamic faith as well openly rejects the idea of gay marriage, citing Lot’s story in Sodom as a disapproval of gay marriage. Most of those who assume a specific position on gay marriage do so as a result of their beliefs regarding the family. Many individuals argue that children have a right to be brought up with a father as well as a mother, and raising them in a gay household is paramount to denying them that right.

Argument for Gay Marriage: Although cynics claimed that the legalization of gay marriage may hurt so-called customary marriages, there is no proof that the nine states which consent gay marriage have experienced any decline in heterosexual marriages. Actually, the only assessable change experienced within these states is a large boost in terms of economy. For instance, gay marriage produced $259 million in the New York state within one year. Additionally, the positive economic influence, the Declaration of Independence assert that all Americans were equally created. In accordance to one study that was carried out by the Williams Institute, more than nine million individual within the United States who recognize as gay, bisexual or transgender, as well as although this places them within the marginalized, the law still provides them with equal rights.

The Extent of Gay Marriage Issue: Gay marriage is a social issue that affects the United States, even though its legality has been of concern among different states as well as individuals. Nevertheless, gay marriage is not only an issue that affects the United States; it is a global issue. Gay marriages are legal in many other nations globally. Therefore, gay marriage affects different societies in the world.

Legality of Gay Marriage: the legality of gay marriage in the United States is only limited to a number of states that have made these sort of marriage legal. The legality of this issue has been affected by the debates that surround this issue.

U.S. States that legalize Gay Marriage: In the United States, there are 35 states which have legalized. The legalization of gay marriage is through State legislature, Court decision and popular vote. States that have legalized gay marriage through court decision include: Alaska (2014), Arizona (2014), California (2013), Colorado (2014), Connecticut (2008), Idaho (2014), Indiana (2014), Iowa (2009), Kansas (2014), Massachusetts (2004), Montana (2014), Nevada (2014), New Jersey (2013), New Mexico (2013), North Carolina (2014), Oklahoma (2014), Oregon (2014), Pennsylvania (2014), South Carolina (2014), Utah (2014), Virginia (2014), West Virginia, Wisconsin, as well as Wyoming (2014). The states that have legalized gay marriage through state legislature include: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island (2013), and Vermont (2009). Legalization of gay marriage through popular vote has taken place in the following states: Maine (2012), Maryland (2013), and Washington (2012).

Countries that have Legalized Gay Marriage: As the debate regarding the legality of gay marriage continues to heat up, there are several nations that have legalized this sort of marriage already. They include: The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal, Argentina, Denmark, France, and Brazil (Tan, 2013).

Pros of Gay Marriages: There are several advantages that are associated with gay marriages. They include the following:

Gay marriages are safeguarded by the United States Constitution’s pledge to freedom and equality. During the 1974’s Cleveland Board of Education versus LaFleur, the United States Supreme court made a ruling that the “liberty of individual choice in marriage matters as well as family is amongst the freedoms of individual choice in issues of marriage as well as family life is amongst the liberties safeguarded by the Due Process Clause.” On August 4, 2010, Vaughn Walker, a U.S. judge ruled that the banning of gay marriage in the Californian State was “unconstitutional in the Due Process as well as Equal Protection Clauses.”

If marriage’s reason is stringently for reproduction purpose, infertile couples could not be permitted to marry. The capacity or desire to produce offspring is not a prerequisite for marriage. Four United States presidents, including George Washington, who is often referred to as "the Father of the Nation,” did not have any children with their wives.

Marriage is a worldly institution that ought not to be limited by religious oppositions towards gay marriage. In Perry v. Schwarzenegger, Nancy Cott testified that “civil law has at all times been supreme within defining as well as modifying marriage” and religious leaders are familiarized to carrying out marriages merely because the nation has given them the authority (Scherer, 2006).

Cons of Gay Marriages: The following are the cons of gay marriages:

Permitting gay couples to conduct wedding will weaken the marriage institution. Customary marriages are presently threatened by the soaring divorce rates (40 percent to 50 percent) as well as 40.6 percent of children being born to mothers who are unmarried. Allowing gay marriages will further weaken the marriage institution. The redefinition of marriage to comprise of same-sex relationships would leave the emotional intensity as the thing which distinguishes marriages from other bonds.

Children raised in same-sex marriages would not have an optimum environment since they need a mother as well as a father. According to Scherer (2006), girls who are raised away from their fathers are generally reported to have high-sexual activity risk as well as teenage pregnancy. Children who do not have a mother do not have emotional security as well as the unique advice that are offered by the mothers. A study that was published in the American Sociological Review in 2001 suggested that children who have gay or lesbian parents have a high likely of engaging in homosexual behavior

Gay marriage does not fall under civil rights issue, and conflate it with interracial marriage is confusing. The unifying qualities of the secured classes inside the 1964 Civil Rights incorporate (1) a history of longstanding, broad segregation, (2) financial burden, and (3) changeless attributes. 'Sexual orientation' doesn't meet whichever of the three target criteria imparted by the generally secured social liberties classifications (Pew Research Center, 2013).

America’s Outlook on gay marriage: the United States has a different outlook on the issue of gay marriage in comparison to most nations. The United States amongst the pioneer nations that have acknowledged the same-sex marriage. The outlook of America on gay marriage is distinctive mainly due to the Equal Rights that have been fought for by many individuals as well as groups. Nevertheless, it is not in all the states that gay marriage is viewed in a positive manner, as it is only in 35 states where it has been legalized.

Future of Gay Marriages- regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, there is a changing opinion among the public, which is increasingly favoring the gay marriage. As a result, regardless of the position that one stands regarding gay marriage, it is nearly a certainty that it will become legal countrywide at one point in the future.

Possible Solutions to Gay Marriages: There are several solutions that can be utilized in addressing the controversial concern of same-sex marriage. Some of the possible solutions include:

Amendment of the United States Constitution: the U.S. Constitution’s section that define marriage as being between two individuals rather than merely a man and a woman. The section should be amended to signify something like “marriage should be recognized by the federal government and the state governments as a union between two adults who are over 18 years. This amendment would likely have the bipartisan backing to pass since it doesn't legitimize gay marriage however keeps courts from being able to gradually obliterate the meaning of marriage. Laws could then be made without needing to stress over the "full confidence and acknowledge" statement being utilized as an issue to squash them. Expresses that are more liberal would have a reasonable approach to stop what they see as an issue of separation. The more traditionalist expresses that don't acknowledge the thought of gay marriage would have the capacity to maintain things as they are, or basically change at the pace they can acknowledge.

Making marriage to be a private matter as it ought to be. When two individuals wish to spend their eternity together, they should not be bound to have permission from the state to do so. If marriage is deemed to be amongst the most personal,