Same-sex marriage has been a controversial topic with numerous supporters for it as opponents. Yet being able to marry who you love shouldn’t be denied doing if your partner is the same sex as you.
It’s nobody’s business on who should get married to whom, regardless on if it’s the same sex or not. Restrictions shouldn’t be the last say on who can and can’t get married.
Religion can be seen as one of those restrictions. Many Christian denominations see marriage as a secular institution between a man and a woman. But according to Ross Douthat in his Aug. 8, 2010, article entitled “The Marriage Ideal” and published in the New York Times, there is no universal definition of what traditional marriage is. The definition of marriage changed throughout the years as the foundation of family arrangements are based on ideals like polygamy and communal childrearing.
Religion has been one of the biggest factors in why same-sex couples shouldn’t be married. There is a separation of church and state in America in which religion does not dictate the outcome of decisions like marriage. Therefore, people should be given the ability to marry whomever they want to.
Though I don’t know any same-sex couples who got married, I do know same-sex couples who are very compatible with one another, one couple being my aunts. They have been together for more than five years and have been able to set an example in what a stable relationship should be. Though they don’t talk about getting married, those who wish to be married would have to find a state where they have are able to.
If we deny same-sex couples marriage in all states, it sends a message to people that it is okay to discriminate against homosexuals. It would also give people the impression that homosexual families are inferior, and it’s okay to treat them differently if they’re of a sexual minority.
However, a person of a sexual minority are protected under the Due Process Clause, as stated in the Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleu in 1974, that “freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by Due Process Clause.”
The way I see it, same-sex marriage can help flourish communities financially and for sexual minorities. If same-sex marriage were permitted, there would be the possibility of bringing in financial stability in state and local governments. For example, in New York City’s budget notes from the Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. from June 2007, it was noted that legalizing gay marriage would bring in $142 million to the city’s economy and $184 million to the state’s economy over the course of three years.
But with all marriages, same-sex marriage runs the risk of divorce, since divorce rates between all couples are between 46 and 50 percent. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriages. It’s had the lowest divorce rate since 2008.
Marriage shouldn’t be denied for same-sex couples. We live in a time where religion and state are separated; therefore we should be the same. Love isn’t blind. We shouldn’t be either.