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.â€
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,
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