Gay Rights

"When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one" (Matlovich). Gays and lesbians all around the world are still, to this day not given the same rights as heterosexuals. Proposition 8 continues to be passed and then overturned in this battle for the right of gays to marry. This issue is one that many people tend to be very passionate about and it is seen as very controversial because of the fact that there really is no middle ground. The only two options are to either allow same-sex marriage or to not allow it. The constitution clearly states that all men are created equal, therefore, homosexuals as well as heterosexuals deserve the right to marry and it is unconstitutional for anyone to not be given this freedom.

People that wish to not allow same-sex marriage use arguments such as, gays and lesbians should just choose to be straight then get married and also that it increases the number of children living in a same-sex household, imagine that. If a child had two parents of the same gender that were not married and were simply in a civil union, it would impact the child in a more negative way than if they were married just like their friends parents. Having two unmarried parents shows kids a future without a marriage and also teaches a lesson of inequality. It would also be very difficult to explain to children why their parents were not married (Wadley). Also, children with parents of the same sex are more exposed to diversity and are typically more open minded. And to address their other point, being homosexual is not a choice. Scientists have conducted tests on twins and when one twin was lesbian or gay, the majority of the time so was the other twin (Swidey). This demonstrates that homosexuality has to do with genetics. While I can see why staunch republicans would feel this way, I believe that it is absurd, unjust and needs to change.

The 9th amendment gives Americans all of the unsaid rights such as the right to privacy (Walenta). A marriage is a private affair and would not in any way effect an outsiders' life. Also, since the right to marry is not blatantly stated in the constitution, wouldn't that also be a part of the 9th amendment? Gays and lesbians deserve equal rights all heterosexuals because America is a free country. In the year 2012, homosexuals should not still have to fight for equality. Proposition 8 has been around for decades and has yet to be repealed. Let's give the gay community not only justice, but happiness as well.

But, it is obvious that America is not ready for such a transformation in society, so there must be a compromise. The current alternative to allowing gays to marry is domestic partnership. A domestic partnership is like a marriage but it is only recognized by the state government and not federal because not all states have legalized it. It seems as though this a great compromise, but the fact that married