Same Sex Marriage?

Question

I'm writing a paper for school. I was hoping to hear different points of view on this topic. Is gay marriage marriage? Should it be called something else altogether? Should there be an amendment to the constitution banning gay marriage? Just want to hear your thoughts.

Answer 1

Of course it's marriage. No, it shouldn't be called something else. No, there shouldn't be an amendment.

Answer 2

If gay marriage were to be banned, than shouldn't infertile straight couples also be forbidden from marriage?

Nowhere in US tradition has marriage ever been solely to procreate. While it is true that nowhere in US tradition have same-sex couples been allowed to marry, consider this: it is a US tradition to expand rights to everyone once injustices and inequities are debated and accepted. Marriage between blacks and whites was once illegal in many parts of the US -- is that a tradition to be preserved? of course not.

Traditions have to be weighed, so the metaphorical babies are not thrown out with the bathwater. Someone's good ol days is someone else's back-of-the-bus.

Today, if we want to continue governmental recognition of and support for basic family institutions (family and marriage), we cannot morally or ethically pick and choose arbitrarily that certain demographic groups can have it while others can't (individual churches can do whatever they want, but the government must be above board for all).

In sum, tradition isn't good enough to say, "no." Since no other argument has been presented, it's time to say, "fair's fair" and act like Americans (in the best sense of the word) by agreeing to defend the rights of those we may disagree with, because freedom and fairness belong to all.

(I'm straight, BTW)

Answer 3

1. I think an amendment to the Constitution banning gay marriage is an abomination; to add something like that to a document that so clearly allows freedom with responsibility just chills my blood.

2. I believe "marriage" is a lawfully recognized union between two people (doesn't matter what sex they are) who have vowed to commit to each other. The argument that "gay" marriage "undermines" the institution of marriage is malarkey. DIVORCE undermines marriage, sex outside of marriage undermines marriage, having children outside of marriage undermines marriage, adultery undermines marriage, but I fail to see how a solid and lawful committment between two people of the same sex undermines marriage.

3. There should be no modifier to "marriage." Marriage is marriage, gay or straight.

That's it. I'm a heterosexual woman happily married to a heterosexual man. I vote independently, based on who's the best candidate. I camp with neither the liberals nor the conservatives.

Answer 4

How about this point of view:

First, the Constitution provides that the gvmt can't interfere with our right to pursue happiness. Second, by implication the First Amendment protects us from gvmt interference of us freely associating with others.

Since marriage is a special and specific form of association, why should the gvmt say that one type of association is better or more desirable than others? That's a contradictory position.

The gvmt should treat everyones unions equally, weather they be straight, gay, married, single, or just living together.

It is our decision to form the partnership we want with our partner, not the gvmt's job to define what our marriage should be.

Social programs like Social Security, Income Tax, Inheritance, should be eliminated. Eliminate or privatize Social Security, replace the income tax with the fair or flat tax, and kill off the death tax so everyone straight or gay is treated equally by the gvmt.

Personal responsibility needs to be taken to insure that everyone has a will, living will, and durable power of attorney to insure your wishes are followed when you can no longer speak for yourself. No law can cover everyones situation every time. You should designate someone to carry out your wishes and your wishes should trump all existing law.

Answer 5

Gay marriage is not marriage, it's a sin. Men and Woman were ment to be together. Proven by religious and scientific facts.

I would like for it to be banned but if gays get "married" it should be called something else, I don't want the meaning of true marriage and the word to become filthy.

Answer 6

On some of your questions -

1) The rights given by marriage are given by the STATE. In the US we value separation of church and STATE. Denying any of these state-given rights to some citizens is discrimination by definition, and against the Constitution. Religion should have absolutely no say in what citizens get what STATE rights.

2) So from above, not giving people who marry of the same gender is against the Constitution. That's why people who are bigoted enough to be against same-gender marriage would have to amend the Constitution to ban it.

3) If you call a wedding ceremony and the giving of rights "marriage" for one type of couple, you must call it "marriage" for all types of couples, or it is discrimination. You may be familiar with the term "separate but equal," which was used to justify discrimination against black people in US schools. Using different words for marriage would set up another situation of "separate but equal" which is discriminatory and illegal.

Those are my thoughts. Obviously I support an end to state-sponsored discrimination, and support same-gender marriage. Good luck with your paper!

Answer 7

Marriage is the uniting of two individuals that are In Love enough with each other that they wish to make that commitment. It should not matter what their sexual preference is. I am really, who cares?
I'd rather have my daughter grow up and announce that she is gay, then grow up and marry a guy because "society" says so, and be miserable for the rest of her life.

Answer 8

If gay people are not people, than gay marriage should not be marriage. Since Gay people are people, and are entitled to the same rights. INALIENABLE rights I might add. It should be assumed that this perspective will carry over into other parts of our government.

Banning gay marriage would be another way to show that we as Americans are not free, but only independent. And that indepedence can be quashed by our government.

Answer 9

Marriage is a legal contract giving specific rights and responsibilities to two people who have pledged to spend their lives together -- and the status of "married" through such a contract is one granted by government.

In the US, any legal status granted by the government through contract BY LAW must be available to all citizens. It is illegal to deny such status to any citizen based on ethnic background, skin color, and yes -- gender. Any law that denies such status to any citizen is unconstitutional.

Now, that hasn't stopped such laws from being unconstitutionally witheld from citizens -- for a very long time it was denied to those of african, chinese, or other ethnic descent. For a very long time it was denied to couples who were not the same "race." At this point in time, all such restrictions on the granting of marital status have been declared unconstitutional by the courts and thrown out...EXCEPT those that deny marital status to a couple because of gender.

Doing so IS unconstitutional. It WILL eventually be declared so, and thrown out -- just like all previous arbitrary restrictions denying this right to certain citizens were. It may not happen right now, but it will -- because it is unconstitutional. Do you see why there's a push by homophobic elements in our society to HAVE a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage -- they want to do so *because* they recognize that currently it is unconstitutional to deny gay citizens these rights. They know that they will eventually lose their homophobic fight unless the constitution is amended.

I'm not talking about religious marriage -- religions can make any restrictions they want on who they allow to marry in their church. It's their church, they can do what they want. However, the legal status of marriage is a government granted status, and as such can NOT be withheld from any citizen.

Why people get so worked up about two people pledging to love and support each other for the rest of their lives, no matter what gender they are, is beyond my ability to understand. Two men or women marrying each other does no harm of any kind to anyone else -- why do they fear it so much?

But hey, like I said, if they want to keep their superstitious, homophobic fears in their religion, they're free to do so. But their religion is NOT the government -- the government by law must give equal rights to ALL citizens, period. Anything else is against the constitution.

Answer 10

If we legalize gay marriage, then next week they will legalize marrying your dog or computer. Oh dell !!! Harder Faster. Yes use that processor!!!!! Oh yeah here I ***!!!!!!!!!!!!! (just a crazy illustration on the stupidity that we are heading toward.

Answer 11

Im not gay but I support it. Marriage is a union of two lovers...who cares if they are straight or not? There are worse things in life then two people just trying to love each other...they could be out trying to kill other people. I support love ... gay or straight!