Gay marriage?

Question

I want everyone reading this to come up with three reasons why gay people in America should be allowed to be married, and three reasons why they shouldn't.

Answer 1

3 reasons??? One reason should be enough.. they are American Citizens who deserve the same rights, freedoms, and privileges of any other American Citizen regardless of their sexual orientation

Answer 2

As an intellectual exercise:

Pro's:
1. Banning gay marriage disenfranchises American citizens. Marriage conveys legal and economic benefits, such as inheritiance privileges, tax breaks and insurance for spouses. By denying marriage to homosexual couples, society is also denying these secular benefits to them. Thus, a heterosexual couple has more rights and benefits than a homosexual couple.

Source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_bene.htm

2. It would strengthen society by creating greater stability. Marriage creates stability within heterosexual couples, because the relationship is "official." Homosexual couples are currently denied making their relationship "official" within the eyes of the law and of society in general. A married, heterosexual couple is a unit. A long-term homosexual couple, no matter how commited, is just that, a long-term couple, not an "official" unit. And while some people, gay and straight, do not need to have the "official" status to form stable, long-term relationships (and there is certainly nothing wrong with that), marriage is more permanent. It is relatively easy to break up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It is quite a different matter to get a divorce, and requires second thoughts and a desire to work to make the relationship last. Long-term, stable relationships will benefit the gay community and larger society by providing all of the "psychological" benefits of marriage, as well as providing an optimal, two-parent home for raising children.

Source: http://www.divorcereform.org/mel/abenefitsofmar.html

3. There is no good reason not to allow gay marriage. All of the arguments against gay marriage are either Biblically based or rely on specious reasoning. If someone personally feels that homosexuality is a sin, fine, but the U.S. is not a theocracy and does not base its laws on the Bible. There is no indication that allowing gay marriage would open the door to legalized polygamy, bestiality or pedophilia. Neither is there any evidence that it would harm children or bring about the downfall of society, quite the opposite, in fact (see #2 above).


Con's:

1. Marriage is traditionally defined as the union of one man with one woman. Western society has been built on this tradition, and to mess with marriage will "undermine the foundation of Western culture and result
in deep, permanent fractures that will fundamentally alter American
culture, indeed all of Western civilization. "

Source: http://www.nogaymarriage.com/kansascity.asp

[Most of those who argue against gay marriage claim it will somehow topple American and/or Western civilization, without offering any reason to back this up other than vague "we've always done it this way so this is how it should be done." However, considering that Western civilization has somehow survived such cataclysmic changes as the fall of Rome, the discovery and colonization of the "New World," penicilin, Napolean, Hitler, the Reformation, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Communist Revolution, the telegraph, the radio, the television, and polyester leisure suits, I think that it will somehow withstand gays walking down the aisle. And the idea that marriage is somehow a static institution is false; ideas about what a marriage is and who can get married has changed with the times, from the acceptance of polygamy in Jesus's day to marriage as a political union, to the idea of romantic marriage, and the forbidding of inter-racial marriages.]

2. The purpose of marriage is for procreation. The state is interested in regulating marriage because it is interested in procreation and the raising of children. The state wants to produce a stable future generation. Homosexuals can not reproduce without outside help, therefore there is no purpose for gay marriage.

Source: http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/userdocs/response_special_action.pdf

[This is a patently ridiculous. Many heterosexual couples do not produce children, either by choice or because they are biologically unable to do so. No one claims that the marriage of childish heterosexual couples is illegitimate. There are plenty of ways for childless couples, both homosexual and heterosexual, to become parents, such as adoption, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy and foster parenting.]

3. Marriage is a holy, Biblically-based alliance between a man and a woman. The Bible says homosexuality is an abomination. To allow homosexual marriage would be to give legal sanction to an abomination before God.

Source: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=16715

[Again, the US is not a theocracy. Homosexuality may or may not be a sin, but it is not illegal. To deny a person secular benefits (see #1 under "pro's") just because they have commited a "sin" according to the Bible is wrong.]

Answer 3

All arguments I ever heard against are religion based, and as there is separation of church and state, those arguments are invalid to my way of thinking. I do not care if 2 same gendered people marry, as it will not alter my life in any way. If anything, it would be a plus to society, as the more stable committed households you have, the better off you are in terms of crime, taxes, neighborhood livability. etc. And, though I've heard it would ruin the sanctity of marriage, I don't buy that for a second. I am not sitting here waiting for this to be legal to then become gay and marry a woman. People who are gay will continue to be gay, and those who are straight will always be that way, will always want to marry and have families. Someone else's family functioning does not effect mine in any way, and I believe that if you've found your perfect someone on this whole earth, then good for you! I would never want to stand in the way of something like that.

Answer 4

I can't think of any reasons why any gay person should get married SORRY! But here are three reasons why they shouldn't.1) It's immorral. 2) Children need a mother and father. Separate sexes. 3) If you want to be gay why do you have to flaunt it? Because you can? I don't like my kids who live with a traditional family seeing couples of the same sex carrying on in public. It disgusts me, and sends the wrong message to my kids.

Answer 5

Why they should...

If Two people love each other they should be able to have it recognized.

If legally married, when one partner passes away...the other will have the legal right to the other partner's estate.

They deserve the same civil rights as everyone else in this Country.

Why they should not...

Marriage should be for a Man and a Woman...but they should be able to have a legal civil union.

It will piss many people off...mainly Conservatives.

Many Religions forbid it...yet they seem to have a hard time practicing what they preach, like The Roman Catholic Church having so many Priest's abusing altar boys and the Evangelical Church guilty of similar things too.

My personal opinion...They should be able to have a legally recognized civil union but it should not be called a marriage.

Answer 6

You want me to play devils advocate with myself? OK, a little mental masturbation never hurt anyone.
Against:
1. Marriage has and will continue to be the union of one man and one woman.
2. If you allow Gay marriage you open a Pandora's box. Polygamy, Incest, bestiality... who's to say where it would stop.
3. I am a Catholic and it violates my religion, as well as most other religions.
For:
1. People should be allowed to express their love for each other in a traditional ceremony.
2. Gays are asking for no more and no less than is allowed straight couples.
3. Love is blind. 10% of the population (est.) is gay. This disenfranchises a huge portion of the population and might violate civil rights laws.

There ya go... this being said, I am against Gay marriage, but for civil unions. I believe if two people are willing to make a commitment to each other they should be allowed to make it legal and binding.

Answer 7

YES:
1. two people that love each other deserve the right to be togeheer
2. the government should have no say in love
3. gay people deserve the same financial privilages (tax breaks, health care...) as everyone else.

NO:
1. because people feel the need to stick their nose where it doens't belong
2. small minds feel that it would break up family values, despite the fact that the divorce rate is alreay at 50%
3. closed minds think that it's up to them to spread Gods word though the bible says 1 time that man shouldn't lay with man, but a million times that we should teach forgivness, not to judge, and to honor thy neighbor

Answer 8

To quote Whoopie Goldberg " If you don't like the idea of gay people getting married......then don't marry one."
The argument that it somehow errodes the meaning of marriage is laughable. If these moral upright citizens were so concerned with those who degrade the meaning of marriage then they should take aim all those who cheat on their spouses, abuse their spouses and get married and divorced repeatedly. To me, they are the ones who don't understand the true meaning of marriage, not two men or two women who are in loving, committed relationships who would like to make a legal commitment and enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples.

And for those of who are you no doubt quoting the bible to reinforce your small minded views, remember these quotes as well, Love thy neighbor as thyself and judge not, lest ye be judged.

Answer 9

yes:
- God created everyone equally, so they should be given equal rights.
- The Constitutional amendments provide laws for all people, not black, white, straight, or homosexual. Again, people should be treated equally.
- Discrimination.
- Revoking rights [pretty much stated above].


no:
- Religious reasons : marriage is a binding promise between a man and woman.

Answer 10

They are people who deserve to be treated with the same respect as any other people. You don't need another reason.

Answer 11

I can't think of a single reason why they should except maybe they will quit whining so much. I can think of a few why they should not 1) Its against God ,2) sodomy is against the law in most states and 3) they can't procreate together. Sperm and Sperm can't make a baby and an Egg and an Egg can't make one either. So until they can figure out how to do that. They shouldn't be able to get married.