Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage

I do – the shortest sentence in the English language, and yet the fight for the freedom to utter these two words together has yielded one of the greatest social controversies of all time. The Stonewall riots let the world know that they exist – they were here, they were queer, but what next? Their existence was undeniable, but even though mere acknowledgment was a big step, they had no overarching plan. Lacking a clear goal, gay and lesbian liberation took on an erratic character (Newton, 4). Small marches, divorcing their opposite-sex spouses, and promiscuity formed the face of liberation. However, the extremely disorganized, "take that!" attitude of the movement achieved little in the way of true progress. As a result of this lack of formal organization, real progress for the gay community came very slowly in the way of a rocky, disjointed journey of lawsuits that has yet to cease. Recently, however, as equality and acceptance has become more and more attainable (and, indeed, attained), a greater sense of unity was born. A countless number of gay rights organizations began fighting for the same specific issues, thus making it impossible for people to ignore them (Newton, 6). To date, the most radical fight has been for the right to marry. Recently, the details and arguments on all sides of the debate have resonated throughout American media and culture. The controversy of how to approach same-sex marriage is at the forefront of social agenda, and it is time for a decision to be made. Legalizing same-sex marriage is a necessary and logical step in America's continuous mission to create a diverse and accepting society. Most importantly, it is a necessary step because it will help to dispel the exaggerated assumptions and stereotypes about same-sex couples and what they will "do" to society. In addition, it will help foster a greater sense of community as a whole by encouraging a more diverse participation in society. Finally, it is a logical step...

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