To Marry or Not to Marry: It Should Not be a Question

Introduction

Close your eyes and imagine this scene: you see two people who are obviously in love. In front of these people, you see a baby stroller and a beautiful baby girl in it. You notice their hands and see that they are wearing wedding rings; they are married of course. This seems to be the perfect American family; two parents, happily married, and an adorable little child. How did you imagine these people? Typically, you would automatically think of a man and a woman. This is not the issue at hand though. These people are really two homosexuals, and the girl is their child. Is this image as beautiful as you thought it was before?

47% of voters from a study that the Pew Research Center conducted say that they either oppose or strongly oppose gay marriage. This leaves 41% who want same-sex couples to get married, and 10% who are unsure (“Gay Marriage Facts and Statistics”). The people who are effected by opinions about same-sex marriage are homosexuals, bisexuals, and transexuals. 15% of the United States population identify themselves as homosexuals. “Homo” coming from Greek meaning same, and “sexual” means the act in which is committed ("Homo-, Hom-"). This doesn’t include another part of the population who have not yet “come out of the closet”, a largely used phase used to explain people who have not yet told family and friends about their sexual orientation.

It is important to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage because of the fact that marriage has and will be around for a very long time. With the longevity of marriage’s existence, there will be many changes in the definition of marriage. This discussion will include the history of homosexuality, history of marriage, what homosexuals rights are now, and the many sides that there are to this issue. Why do people see same-sex marriage as a right or wrong thing? When did this all start? Should homosexuals be allowed to marry who they love, or should they not?