Gay Marriage

The issue of gay marriage has been a popular debate in the news lately, especially with the approaching presidential election. There are various groups that either support or oppose same sex marriage for an array of reasons. Marriage in America is governed by state laws and therefore the laws vary from state to state. Currently there are only 8 states in the US that allow and recognize gay marriage. Some of the other states allow a different form of unions for same sex couples such as civil unions or domestic partnerships. However, no form of same sex union is recognized by the federal government due to the Defense of Marriage Act that was passed in 1996, thus denying gay couples equal rights. Homophobia and religion are the main reasons why same sex couples receive great opposition when it comes to marriage and are denied the unique rights and protections it provides.

Homosexuality has always existed though it has only recently become an open topic of conversations and debates. Not so long ago it was considered to be a mental illness and was listed as such by the American Psychiatric Association. “Since 1975, the American Psychological Association has called on psychologists to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations.” (Anonyous) However, many people still consider homosexuality to be unnatural and therefore wrong. This personal fear of the gay and lesbian community, in other words homophobia, is a reason for many to oppose the legalization and recognition of their unions. They believe that because such unions physically cannot produce children, they were not and are not meant to be and should not be allowed. They also believe that gay couples who have or adopt children would not provide an environment conducive to raising those children because, regardless of gender roles represented in the parents, they would not grow up with traditional mother and father figures. Yet another concern is that allowing gays to marry would open doors for other unnatural unions such as polygamy and incest. Many people who share these beliefs feel threatened by the mere thought of social norms changing and becoming something unfamiliar to them and continue to suggest unrealistic