Same Sex Marriage

This is not an attempt to change the beliefs or morals of people who do not accept the life style of homosexuals, this is however an attempt to allow those who do accept homosexuality to fully peruse and achieve happiness. In the United States constitution, in the first amendment it clearly states that the government is not allowed to pass any laws that are based off of religious beliefs. Therefore: making it unconstitutional to put a ban on same-sex marriage. Currently couples and individuals that are homosexual are allowed to adopt children and under common law are considered married. If they are allowed to have children either through adoption, artificial insemination, or surrogacy they should be allowed to provide and support their families the way that heterosexual couples do,through benefits from the government. Currently in the United States there are 500, 000 children in need of adoption into a loving home. These loving homes can be provided by homosexuals. Continuing on the topic of homosexuals raising children it is not proven that gay parents are more likely to have gay children; straight parents do not always have straight children. In addition not all families are made up of a mom and a dad and their children. Single parents are capable of raising children, so are two mommies, two daddies, or step parents. As long as the children are being fully taken care of, loved and are shown a functional way of life they will be fine.

Homosexuality is something you are born with. Researchers have proven that homosexual relationships are seen through out the animal kingdom. One example of this occurrence is in Central Park Zoo two male penguins had made their nest together, and had been using a stone as a replacement egg. They were nurturing and protecting the stone as if it were their own egg. Zoo keepers decided to test the situation by replacing the stone with a fertilized egg. When the egg hatched the two male penguins raised the

penguin as if it were their own. This proves that homosexuality is more than a psychological choice is something you are born with.

One of the commonly mistaken assumptions is that AIDs is most commonly found in gay people but the truth is there are more straight people in this world who have AIDs then there are homosexual people who have aids.

Due to the fact that same-sex couples are not allowed to marry in most states they and their families are denied over 1,138 federal rights, and protections that are automatically granted to married heterosexuals. A few of those rights are:

- The right to make decisions concerning health issues when a partner is in a medical emergency

- The right to take up to 12 weeks of leave from work to help take care of a seriously ill partner.

- The right to petition for same sex partner to be allowed to immigrate or gain citizenship.

- The right to have some form of visits or custody of a child after a break up.

- The right to share all equity and jointly shared property and debt in the case of a break up.

- The right to inherit property after a partner's death in the absence of a will.

- The right to purchase continued health insurance for a partner after the loss of a job.

With these rights not being granted to homosexual couples the cost of raising a family will increase.

One of the most difficult situations same sex couples have to deal with is when something happens to their partner and they are hospitalized and only family members are allowed to see them. This seems unfair that when a loved one is going through a life threatening situation their partner would not be allowed to see them, because