Same-Sex Marriages

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Same-Sex Marriages by Rob Halford

Today, the social traditions are more and more often put into question and the truths, which were accepted as the key reference points through the centuries are challenged time and again. What was unthinkable 20 years ago became this day reality. The same-sex marriage is one of such issues, one of principal topics of world outlook which evokes wide-ranging debate throughout the society. The problem is equally advocated and attacked by the proponents of opposing viewpoints. At the same time, the unions of people of same sex have already become the reality in the number of countries and the entire tendency to less and less social restrictions and conditionality seems to be promising for same-sex marriages to be accepted everywhere and unconditionally in the nearest future.

It, actually, seems normal in modern society that two people willing to unite their lives apply for the right to be married. Whether the opponents of SSM like it or not the marriage is first of all the union of loving people and only then the social institute called to be the basis for our society. The key problem why there is an established aversion and aggression against not only the SSM but homosexuals and lesbians in general, is the lack of comprehension.

Incomprehension seems to be the key problem under any conflict, whether it is SSM, the Arab-Jewish war or the Nazism. It is typical for people to deny and suppress the things they cannot realize and accept. For contemporary opponents of same-sex relations the very fact of acceptance, even just the reconciliation with the idea that two men can love each other as they do women is ruinous. The key stereotype under the attitude to gay or lesbian relations is adverse reaction, taking such people as not only being wrong, but knowingly bad and negative. It is though true that among them much more beautiful personalities and good people could be found than among the general population. Rarely one accepts that the homosexuals are not morally damaged, but are merely different. They are the people with another psychology, the one which is not contrary but rather different from that of heterosexual majority. Thus, taking decisions in respect to same-sex marriages could not be made by fiat but the comprehension of the psychology of same-sex relations should serve the starting point for legally addressing the issue.

Even the basic law of the United States contains no argument or claim of why the same-sex marriages should not be permitted. The act of marriage is the process which affects explicitly the people involved in it and serves the legal recognition of their relations by the society. The United States is the country founded on the Constitution which recognizes that all people are created equal and grants equality of rights and freedoms to everyone. With regard to this prerequisite, the people cannot be denied to marry judging by their sexual preferences. The emotional bonds have the same origin for both the same- and opposite-sex couples thus the legal right, which is moreover not contradictious to the constitution should be guaranteed. (Is Same-Sex Marriage (SSM) a Bad Idea? Seven Reasons Why They are Undesirable (With Rebuttals) 2004).
However that may be, the homosexual marriages are the issue for keen controversy between different social groups and forces the most irreconcilable of which are not even the politicians or scholars, but perhaps the Christian movements. One of key assertions against the SSM is based on religious grounds. It presumes that there is no mention of the same-sex marriage in the Bible. The book of Genesis records only the opposite-sex marriage as the institution created by God. (Is Same-Sex Marriage (SSM) a Good or Bad Idea? Eight Reasons Why They are Desirable (With Rebuttals) 2003). This argument however is not sufficient to protest the right to marriage for the same-sex couples. Fortunately, the United States is the free country, which grants its citizens the freedom from ideological coercion. One of our key values is the freedom of conscience which at the same time grants us the freedom from being obliged to believe only one religious authority. Religion has also no right to command the way we live our lives, thus the SSM issue cannot be legally refuted on the grounds it was not mentioned in the biblical texts.

The legalization of homosexual marriages is often claimed to foster other social problems like legalizing prostitution, street drugs, child molesting, physician assisted suicide and other “sinful behaviors.” (2003). While regarding these statements it is important to remember that speaking of same-sex marriages we address the voluntary decision of people to be happy by officially living together. On the other hand, assisted suicides, prostitution, trade in drugs etc. are the acts which lead to violation of one’s rights, involve intention to harm someone and are surrounded by the aura of crime. It is also true that the prostitution, the use of drugs and euthanasia are the controversial issues themselves. They are legalized in different countries thus their incorrectness and illegal status are merely the local regulation functioning in United States and some other countries. Also, there is no evidence that the marriages between the representatives of same gender can anyhow conduce to increase in drug use or assisted suicide.

Another commonly cited claim addresses the SSM as the key to the destruction of marriage. It assumes that the current trend in the decline of the institute of marriage will be accelerated by the legalization of homosexual couples. (2003). In light of this statement the recent trend in the prevalence of divorces should be traced. Having composed about 3% by 1965 the rate of divorces in the United States has grown to 50% by 1985. (Raffel, Lee, 2006). This enormous leap could not be attributed to the influence of same-sex marriages and is only characterized by the stile of life typical for modern American society. The change of human priorities and values, feminism, emancipation of women and the decline of manhood in men, growing social service and sexual equality etc., are all the factors which may by implication influence the destruction of nuclear family. The same-sex couples would hardly constitute palpable menace for the institute of marriage. The reasons for its decline are much more profound and are not dependant on SSM.

There are also much more arguments proposed against the SSM. Among them some may be considered reasonable, others are ridiculous and far-fetched. However, all of them are based on religious prerequisites and social conditionality, the same one which prohibited the blacks from taking the front seats in the public conveyances some 50 years ago. For people it is peculiar to blame others for inadequacies and attribute problems to the factors which can pose little threat than the true reasons. The overriding problem under the issue of SSM is incomprehension and intolerance. Apart from that there seems to be no other sound reasons for resistance to homosexuality and same-sex marriages. Consequently, in a free society the SSM practice should be permitted and guaranteed by law.

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