Human Rights

            Same-sex marriage is marriage between people of the same-sex. Currently in the U.S, only eight states that allow same-sex marriage. The eight states are New York, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, and the District of Columbia. (Gay Marriage Facts and Statistics) I believe that if two people are in love they should be allowed to get married regardless of what their race, gender, or sexuality is. There are many reasons as to why the majority of states should allow Same-Sex marriage like the approval from more than half of the citizens, religion should not be a factor in politics nor should person opinions, and homosexuality being something that comes naturally to them.

            According to an article by Gary Langer, ABC News took a survey on whether people believe same-sex marriage should be legalized or not and more than half of the people who responded believed it should be allowed. Gary said, “From a low of 32 percent in a 2004 survey of registered voters, support for gay marriage has grown to 53 percent today. Forty-four percent are opposed, down 18 points from that 2004 survey.” The survey in 2004 indicates that more than half of the people who actually took the essay believed same-sex married should be legal and have looked beyond the belief that god hates people who like others of the same sex.

Also, in a survey I gave titled Same-Sex Marriage Survey, 76% believed that same-sex marriage should allowed in all 50 states. (Aguirre) We, as Americans, live in a democratic world where we vote for mostly everything; therefore, we as the people should be the ones who decide if same-sex marriage should be legal. If the majority of the state believes that it should be legal, then it should. We are no one to tell people who to love and what they are allowed to do with their life, as long as it is not hurting anyone. 

            According to a graph by Darren E. Sherkat, the two most reasons as to why some people do not agree with same-sex marriage are religion and the fact that they are liberal conservatives. (Sherkat, etal.) Religion is in fact, a major part in people’s life and it affects their choices. It also plays a major role in politics; however, making political decisions based on just what you think and how you were raised is not practical. People think differently and you have to accept that no matter how much you dislike it. Not because you believe being homosexual is not right, should you ever take the right for someone to be happy away.  

            People believe that homosexuality is caused by a genetic problem in the X chromosome. In 1993, Dean Hamer and his co- worker, who were both scientists, did research on homosexuality. According to Dara Newman, “Of the thirty-two pairs, Hamer and his colleagues found that two-thirds of them (twenty-two of the sets of brothers) shared the same type of genetic material.” If so, homosexuality should be looked at the same way race, religion, and gender is. If people are simply born with a sexual preference to people of their same sex without having a choice, then we, as human beings, have no right to discriminate against them for being what they were born to be. Before Dean Hamer researched the possibility of sexuality being a factor to a problem in the X chromosome, liking someone of the same sex was called sexual preference and now it is called “sexual orientation” because of the proven fact that it is not a choice to some people but rather something that comes naturally.  

            People of the same-sex have the opportunity to adopt children in eleven states; however, only eight states allow them to get married. (Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights) If it is legal for them to adopt children, then it should be acceptable for them to get married. After all, they live exactly like a married couple so we should give them the right to be one.

            People who want to get married to a person of the same-sex are most likely already a couple and live like one. Getting married would only give them a document and make it recognized by the law. The right to get married should be given to anyone regardless of who they want to marry and who they are. Marriage is a human right, not a heterosexual privilege; therefore, marriage should be a right given to every human being.