Same-Sex Marriage

Same-Sex Marriage

        Imagine that a person has found the love of their life; the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, but they cannot marry them.  Because they cannot marry the person that they love, they are also denied every legal right that comes along with marriage.  Times are changing and the country needs to continue to grow with the times.  In the mid 1980’s, 75% off all people were against same-sex marriage, while today almost 60% of all people are now in support of it (Frost, 2015).  Same-sex marriage should remain legalized and recognized by every state because same-sex couples deserve the same equal rights as opposite sex marriages, they are good parents, and marriage is about the love between two people.

        A person marrying their partner is about more than just having a paper that says they are married; it is also about the legal rights and the love that comes along with marrying someone.  Same-sex marriage is recognized by the individual states and will also be recognized by the federal government allowing all married couples to take advantage of the benefits available to them such as tax code, adoption, and health care to name a few (Frost, 2015).  For example, if a gay couple were to have a child through a surrogate, the biological father is recognized as a father to the child.  However, the biological father’s partner has no parental rights unless he is either married to the biological father or he adopts the child (Hawkins, 2007).  This is just one example of the rights that opposite sex marriages have.  Another example would be health insurance benefits.  Many companies now have a domestic partner clause that allows a same-sex couple to add their partner to their insurance coverage.  Some companies do not, therefore making marriage a necessity to add a spouse or partner to an insurance policy.  Having equal rights through marriage is not the only benefit of legalized same-sex marriages.

        Does sexual orientation really have anything to do with how a person parents their child?  To parent, a person is to ensure children’s health and safety and prepare children for life as productive adults (Positive Parenting, 2016).  Men and women alike can provide a child with everything that they need materialistically as well as emotionally to grow and learn.  It is obvious that a same-sex couple cannot have a child naturally like opposite sex couples, therefore they have to find other ways to rear a child.  Same-sex couples make conscious and planned decisions to become parents and are generally more financially ready which also allows them to be ready to dedicate time and energy to parenting (Power et al, 2015).  2 million – 3.7 million U.S. children under the age of 18 may have lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender parents and about 200,000 are being raised by same-sex couples (Gates, 2015).  Substantial evidence shows that marriage promotes stability in couples and in families (Gates, 2015).  Who a person is married to and what gender they are does not define their marriage or a person as a parent.

        Marriage is not about race, gender, or age; it is about the love between two people and the connection and commitment they make to each other.  Marriage is when two individuals achieving self-fulfillment through a mutual gift of themselves to each other and rearing children (Rowe, 2011).  Two people love each other create a personal intimacy with each other.  Within that intimacy, it is likely that children are created, whether it is naturally or through another means.   Love knows no boundaries; it is blind to differences and similarities.  “No union is more profound than marriage.  It embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” (Frost, 2015, p. 5).  As times begin to change, same-sex couples are being treated the same as opposite sex couples, allowing it to be okay to love.