Gay Marriage

Chanise Sessions
Writer’s Workshop
Persuasive Essay

Gay Marriage
According to the American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline, gays have been fighting for rights since the 1920’s, and today those pleas for rights and equal opportunities still go unheard. I do not believe it is fair to discriminate against gays for being together. America is a free country and people should be able to be in a relationship with whomever they desire. Banning marriage amongst a certain group of people is unfair and it is discrimination. I believe that we should allow same-sex marriage because banning it is unfair, love is all that matters in marriage, and gay families have certain family values that some straight marriages lack.

America. The first thing that should come to your mind is a nation of peace and equality. But it’s not, is it? We live in a nation of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Banning an issue doesn 't make it go away. The American Constitution states that everyone deserves the same, equal rights -- that includes gay people. According to an article published in Slate, a Daily Online Magazine, “the Supreme Court has decided marriage cases under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment. The Due Process Clause protects fundamental rights while the Equal Protection Clause prohibits discrimination. Seen as a denial of a fundamental right under the Due Process Clause, the case for marriage equality for same-sex couples should be obvious.” Therefore, banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Making this issue illegal is also a form of discrimination. “Homophobes” ridicule and abuse gay citizens, and gay teenagers are scared to go to school because of the excessive bullying and teasing. And gays are just being themselves! We are all created equal, so why can 't we all just try to get along?
What 's the main reason people get married? The answer is Love. Who’s to judge someone based on whom they love? No one has the right to do so. How could a same-sex couple who are in love and want to legally commit to each other, hurt anyone else? Marriage is a way for two people, who love, honor and respect each other to join their lives together, legally and religiously, and partake in the ultimate commitment. Marriage is a way for people to declare in front of their loved ones, their God and to each other that they wish to spend the rest of their lives together. How is it fair that a couple of the same-sex cannot offer the same things to each other? Do heterosexual couples love each other more than homosexual couples? The answer is no. Bottom line is, Gay couples are going to fall in love no matter how distasteful some people may find that, but that doesn 't devalue any other heterosexual marriage. Gays have feelings too, and them getting married isn 't hurting anyone. Having said that, love has no gender. So let 's stop saying that marriage is just a heterosexual advantage.
You may not think about it, but gay couples have family values too. Love, support and solidarity are the most fundamental family values. To me, family is a place where people offer each other love, warmth and support. When people are faced with obstacles or hurt by others they turn to the warmth of their nest that is family. Unfortunately, today there are huge numbers of young people who are afraid to open up to their parents because they are afraid they might lose a mother or father for being themselves. Others live discontent, afraid that their friends or neighbors may think bad of them. To say that love, respect, and solidarity are restricted to gay people who genuinely love each other is as stupid as it is evil. As one person put it: “Respect and honor their commitment. Embrace them within the state 's marriage laws,” says Lance Dickie in an editorial “Same-sex couples strengthen and affirm basic family values,” printed in the Seattle Times Newspaper. Furthermore, Gay couples are more likely to have stronger family values because they are more open-minded and accepting. Same sex couples are people who are able to sum up the courage to stand up to an environment of hate and disrespect on a daily basis. To me, they are the champions of love and family.
I feel very strongly that gays should be allowed to marry. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, and transsexual people deserve to have the same rights as everyone else. Banning the issue in unfair and it will not make it go away. Love is all that matters in marriage; let us stop all the “narrow-minded” discrimination! Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a nation of peace and equality?

Works Cited
Litchwick, Dahlia. “Why Obama’s Words Didn’t Go Far Enough.” Slate.com. The Slate Group; A Division of the Washington Post Company, Inc., 1996. Web. 11 May 2012.

Dickie, Lance. “Same-sex couples strengthen and affirm basic family values” Seattletimes.com The Seattle Times Company Network, Inc., 1896. Web. 19 January 2012.

"American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline" Infoplease.
©Information Please® Database, © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. , publishing as Infoplease.
05 Dec. 2012 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html >.

Cited: Litchwick, Dahlia. “Why Obama’s Words Didn’t Go Far Enough.” Slate.com. The Slate Group; A Division of the Washington Post Company, Inc., 1996. Web. 11 May 2012. Dickie, Lance. “Same-sex couples strengthen and affirm basic family values” Seattletimes.com The Seattle Times Company Network, Inc., 1896. Web. 19 January 2012. "American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline" Infoplease. ©Information Please® Database, © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. , publishing as Infoplease. 05 Dec. 2012 &lt;http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html &gt;.