Writing an essay on why same-sex marriage should be legal...in need of examples?

Question

My essay is supposed to be based loosely off of a newspaper article, and I'm also supposed to state my opinion and my reasons for holding that opinion. Well, I obviously support same-sex marriage but I need some legal examples of a few things stated in the article:

the first being this quote "We just want to protect our relationship and our children like any other couple would."

An example of how would an official marriage be "protecting" a relationship, please?

and the second being this one: "If two people are married, they wouldn't have to pay for a lot of things others take for granted."

Could you give me an example of what those things might be?

Thank you very much! I'm trying to make my essay as professional and clear as possible because there's a lot of homophobia at my school and I'd like to take a small stab at discouraging it. :-)

Answer 1

In regards to "We just want to protect our relationship and our children like any other couple would."...

A lesbian couple with their two children were going to go on a cruise departing from Miami when one of them suffered a brain aneurysm and died. Despite their children being adopted jointly and the couple doing all that was legally possible to acknowledge their union in their home state of Washington, the hospital did not recognize her or their jointly adopted children as part of a family, they were not allowed to be with her in the emergency room, and her partner's authority to make medical decisions was not recognized because Florida does not recognize any form of same sex relationships.

In regards to "If two people are married, they wouldn't have to pay for a lot of things others take for granted."...

The remaining partner of a lesbian couple may have to sell her home because she lacks the legal and financial protections that would come automatically if she had been married. The house was purchased in both names with rights of survivorship, but the remaining partner must pay taxes on her share of the house, which would not be the case if they had been married. The remaining partner also won't get her partner's Social Security benefits or pension, while the survivor of a married couple would have collected both.

Answer 2

Just a few facts on why gay people want marriage on the same basis as anyone else.... Marriage gives certain legal privileges. A couple of key ones are that if you have a serious illness, often hospitals will not give out details except to next of kin, which has meant that on occasion, gay people have been deprived of being told about what is going on with the person they love. The other that immediately comes to mind is that marriage usually means you can pass your property on without death taxes, inheritance tax or whatever it's called. This can and has resulted in the surviving partner having to sell their home in order to pay the tax. Married couples don't have that problem. A famous case of this is the actor Sir Nigel Hawthorne. If marriage didn't give couples a privileged legal status, gay people wouldn't be agitating for it for themselves. I know many religious people go on about marriage being a religious institution, but that ignores the reality that it is more than that.

Answer 3

Whatever it is, the government shouldn't have one single damb thing to do with our personal lives.

I speak the truth.


I think it should be legal. Why? Why are straight people allowed to marry? Gays aren't being friendly. Were teaching our children that everyone in the earth needs a "role model" and they need to fit themselves in. There a married straight couple, both of them have never done anything wrong in their lives, they were both virgins when married, they have a boy first, then a girl. The Dad works a job while the wife happily prepares meals and dose all the housework. The have a dog, and the kids take care of that, never doing anything wrong. The children aren't ever going to make a mistake. Every night there is an apple pie on the table. That is a family? In America's eyes, yes. It's sickening.

Oh, and as a plus. If we had more married gay couples, they can adopt and get the same benefits as a straight couple's child. There are thousands of children who need a home.

Answer 4

First off, never start off with "we," that's called "talking". You are presenting an idea, not talking about it. Say it like this...
"Homosexuals just want to protect their relationship and their childern like any other couple would."

Here are some reasons:

Religion:

-The ban is based off of religion and our goverment is suppose to have seperation of church and state.
-Slavery was seen as biblical in the past, now that it is gone, people believe it is not biblical, just their culture

Goverment and Marriage itself:

-Marriage is about love and the relationship, not sex
-Canada has not had a problem with Gay Marriage, since it is now legal
-Bring up the rights of marriage
-"Every man was created equal" (quoting the Decleration of Independence) but is ever man treated equal? -- no

Reproduction:

-"Gays Can't Reproduce" -- so should non-fertal parents be denied marriage?

I would group them together (what ever order you choose)... religious, reproduction, and goverment itself

Answer 5

There are hundred of benefits that are afforded to married couples, tax breaks, etc. If a man's partner is critically injured and in the hospital, and he goes to see him, he can be denied the right to see his partner, make decisions about what to do in terms of treatment/life support/surgery... A very strong reason why gay couples should be able to get married is because of the legal protections - being equal parents to children, surviving the death of their spouse, sharing property/assests, insurance, and many other things that married men and women don't tend to think about - so many priviledges that are taken for granted because they don't have to give it a second thought, nor do they consider what it would be like if they were discriminated against in so many ways, countless ways, really.

civil unions and the like don't grant rights to a couple like marriage does. it's very sticky business because marriage is really a religious insitution, but it isn't something that only religious people do, it is secular and a legal institution as well.

folks thought all hell would break loose when black people and white people (as well as all kinds of interracial couples) were FINALLY allowed to be legally married.

definitely check out the websites listed above, equality california is a good site as well. you can find the list(s) of benefits that married people get just for signing their names on a certificate, including people that are drunk out of their minds that get married by elvis in las vegas on a dare, you know, the sacred bond of matrimony. the majority, well over 50 percent, of marriages end in divorce, and it is no longer unusual for people to have several marriages and divorces in their lifetimes, and there are several countries that no longer legally discriminate against gay couples - look up information about countries that legally support same sex marriages and find out if families are breaking apart by the thousands as predicted. the u.s. really is behind the times, yet again.

good luck with your paper, and with what will be a lifelong struggle for human rights. our struggle will continue, even after we are granted legal partnerships (abolish marriage as a legal institution). our struggle includes the struggle of all women everywhere, the struggle of all minorities, immigrants, the poor, the disabled, and all the scapegoats past, present and future. ((peace))

Answer 6

the olny argument is there is an issue with the church , if it is a court house marraige filed under domestic partnership there is no problem and is unfair that to people of the same sex are unable to reap the same benefits of a straight marraige
such as tax exemptions
household dependents
even to go as far as married couple vacations
there are issues with banks and credit cards if you arent married
money is the main thing that married couples benefit from

Answer 7

marriage will grant us the same benefits that a heterosexual couple would have. It is difficult when one of the partners is hospitalized, when inheritance is involved, and the right to have children or adopt without prejudice. As American we should have all the same rights. There is no prejudice in our Constitution and none should be allowed.

Answer 8

This is just too good to pass up...... You support same sex marraige but you can't argue for it? It's a logical argument. It's not about tolerance, acceptance, etc. It's about logic. That's where your conflict is.

I think you probably already have the entire argument for same sex marraige in your head. The argument is just so, so very miniscule, tiny, small and weak that even you can't see it.

But, hey, good luck on that paper!

Answer 9

Visit this site and see if it gives you some ideas.

Answer 10

wow dats alot to read but good luck on your essay.