S. Cooper
Point/Counterpoint Paper
11/25/08
Legalizing Same Sex Marriage
Homosexuality has always been in society just not in the open like it is today. Recently in the 1980s did the gay rights movement start with many homosexuals coming out and not having a problem with it. One major concern dealing with gay rights is same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage by definition means legally or socially recognized marriage of two people of the same sex. The term same-sex marriage was actually used freely in during the Roman Empire until year 342 when it was banned illegal. As of right now, there are eleven states as of now that recognize domestic partnerships and civil unions. But yet, there are only three states in our country that allow same-sex marriages, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Legalizing same-sex marriage would actually give benefits to homosexuals, heterosexuals, and society as a whole (Wikipedia, 2008).
Before any current reading or reflection, I hold that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry because the United States is suppose to be the land of the free, and it’s really not a free country if two people can’t get married just because of their sexual orientation. I just don’t think that’s right. We can have the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to bear arms, why can’t we have the freedom to marry who we want. When you put yourself in their shoes, you realize how wrong it is, and how you would feel if you couldn’t marry a person that you love because of your sexual orientation.
Denying two homosexual people the right to get married is violating their religious freedom. According to the United States Constitution it clearly states that we as citizens have the freedom to practice any religion we want. Since, marriage is considered a secular matter by the state, so the government technically can’t say that same-sex marriage is illegal. According to an article in The New...