The Legitimacy of Gay Marriage - Term Paper Example

Gay Marriage In the recent years, there has been controversy about the issue of same sex marriage or gay marriages. For many years, most countries have existed in denial concerning the existence of gay relationships in their contraries. However, since 2001, most countries have acknowledged the existence of gay couples and the need to legalize gay marriages. Some of these nations include Canada, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, and South Africa. Even with the legalization of gay marriages, gay relationships remain a taboo in these countries. Most people feel that gay relationships are unethical and hence gay marriages. On the other hand, gay people and gay supporters feel that they also have the rights to live a satisfying as other people in heterosexual relationships. The ability of a country to allow for same sex marriages depends on the culture of its people. This paper analyzes the controversy surrounding gay marriages and the significance of legalizing gay marriages. The main obstacle against gay marriages is the ethical aspect associated with gay relationships and hence gay marriages. America is a modern world country and therefore its culture is evolving rapidly. Gay marriages are considered unethical according to most cultures. The culture of a given society is established from the daily experiences of the people. In addition, ethics are established on accepted rights and wrongs in that particular society. This indicates that culture and ethics are not constant factor and, they vary constantly to accommodate the needs of the society (Boswell 209). Thus, the consideration that gay marriages are unethical does not have a basis. This is because the judgment is based on static culture and cultural ethics. If people accept changes in their culture then they should also accept changes in the respective definition of ethics and allow for gay marriages. In the modern era, democracy is the main form of leadership. In a democratic country, people are given the chance to decide how their country should be governed. A country’s governance is a more complex than making decision that affects the common life of each individual. If people living in democratic countries have the rights and ability to choose what they want for their country, then they should have the right to choose what is good for their lives. Gay relationships results from personal choice and, therefore gay couples should have the rights and freedom to conduct weddings or inform the world that they are in a matrimonial relationship as couples in heterosexual relationship do (David and Gary 98). On the other hand, democracy is a superset that accommodates the different cultures that exist within a country. Due to these aspects of democracy, people have the freedom to choose what is good in their lives. The freedom that is attached to democracy also allows people to have full control over their lives. In such incidence, gay marriages are beneficial to gay people and therefore people who are opposed to gay marriages should not prevent them from enjoying their democratic rights. Marriages not only represent the union of two people but they have other legal and social implications. The benefits of a marriage can only be analyzed through the significance of such marriage to the couples and their children. Opposing gay marriages deny the gay people to enjoy the benefits that come with marriage (Kaye and Anne 87). For instance in the US, people who are in marriage or have families pay low income tax than those who are single. In addition, the law recognizes marriage as the fundamental unit of the society. In addition, marriages are known to cause psychological benefit to people involved. Every individual has the right to enjoy the benefits that comes with marriage regardless of their sexual orientation (Caramagno 56). The country’s legal system also acknowledges children that are raised by married couples. The government assists such children through their parents. Such benefits include reduced income rates, subsidized medical, and education insurance. Due to the illegal status of gay marriages, most gay people are locked out from these benefits. In addition children adopted by such couples, miss opportunities that are enjoyed by other children. The legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationship is still a controversial issue in most countries. Legalizing gay marriages not only create the legitimacy of gay couples but it makes gay relationships legitimate. Same sex orientation is a complex biological characteristic found on certain individuals in a given population. This indicates that gay and lesbian relationships would exist despite the numerous oppositions from different people. It is time that people from different countries recognize that it is not practical to have a society that does not have the gays and the lesbians. Due to the opposition faced by such minorities, gay relationships remain or are carried out in secrete. Practicing gay relationships in concealment results into major problems that affect both the gay people hand the society. Due to the illegal status of gay relationships in countries that does not allow for same sex marriages, gay couples are unable to seek medical assistance from fear of persecution (Larocque 78). This leaves them vulnerable to sexually transited infections such as HIV aids. In addition, gay people lack critical information concerning their sexuality due to the illegal status of their marriages. Allowing same sex marriages will legalize the union of gay couples and hence their relationship. This will make the society and the gay people to change their attitude towards same sex relationships. The main opposition against gay marriages is based on the short-term implication of the relationships. Most arguments against gay relationships are based on the definition of marriage from the religious or cultural perspective. However, most people fail to consider the issue from an analytical and realistic perspective. If gay marriages are analyzed from a logical perspective, then they will be found to have more benefits to the modern world than heterosexual relationships. Currently the world is dealing with the problems of overpopulation. Most countries are headed for a population crash, if they do not consider regulating the population growth of their countries. Most problems affecting the modern world such as scarcity of resources, environmental degradation, congestion in major urban areas and social ills have a direct relationship with overpopulation (US Census Bureau web). Legalizing gay marriages would act a long-term method of population control. However, the significance of same sex marriage would remain unachieved as long as same sex marriages remain illegal in most countries. The problem of overpopulation is also felt in children homes and orphanages. Currently most resource centers and children homes are having more children than they can sustain. The increasing number of street families and street children has also become a major problem to most countries. Adopting such children is a known method of dealing with the issue. However, due to the stigma attached to children adoption, most children on the streets or children centers remain without families. Children in such resource centers also deserve parental love as other children do. Legalizing gay marriages would enable the gay couples to adopt children (Moats 201). Gay couples are unable to adopt children due to been in relationship that are not legally accepted by the law. Legalizing gay marriages would have benefits to the country in relation to population control and minimization of homeless children. This will in turn provide a complete solution to various social problems such as crime and street families. However, these benefits will only be achieved in the long term. The next obstacle that hinders legalization of gay marriages is the attachment of procreation to marriages. Although gay people are not able to have children they too have the right to enjoy the benefits that other married couples do. The connection between marriage and procreation is a misconception since marriage is more in the interest of the couples than the children are. In addition, infertile couples are also allowed to marry despite not having the ability to bear children. Illegalizing gay marriages is similar to illegalizing marriage between infertile couples, which is not practical. If the country recognizes marriage between infertile couples of the opposite sex, then it should not promote the illegality of gay marriages based on ability to have children. Finally, societal developments are based on the development within a family. According to American anthropological association research, civilization has a direct correlation with abilities or improvements within the family institution. The research concluded that civilization accelerated when there was diversity in family unions. In such case, gay marriages are indicators of civilization. Legalizing same sex marriages would therefore indicate high level of civilization within a country. Conclusion The legal status of gay marriages in a country indicates its level of development. Gay marriages have remained illegal in most countries despite their acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships. Legalizing gay marriages would be beneficial to both the country and the society. If gay marriages were legalized, gay couples would enjoy marriage benefits and rights as other people who are in heterosexual marriages. Legalizing gay marriages would enable gay couples to adopt children; this has social and economic benefit to a country. Finally illegalizing gay marriages nullifies a countries civilization and basic human rights and civil liberties. The connection of marriage to procreation does not support illegalization of same sex marriages since infertile couples do not have children from their relationships. Works Cited Boswell, John. Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Villard Books, 1994. Print. Caramagno, Thomas. Irreconcilable Differences? Intellectual Stalemate in the Gay Rights Debate. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. Print. Dobson, James C. (2004). Marriage under Fire. Sisters, Or. Multnomah. David, Smith and Gary, Gates. Gay and Lesbian Families in the United States: Same-Sex Unmarried Partner Households. A Preliminary Analysis of 2000 United States Census Data. New York: Human Rights Campaign, 2001. Print. Kaye, Wellings and Anne, Johnson. National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. London: Penguin, 2010. Print. Larocque, Sylvain. Gay Marriage: The Story of a Canadian Social Revolution. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 2006. Print. Moats, David. Civil Wars: A Battle for Gay Marriage. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc, 2004. Print. US Census Bureau. Census 2000 Special Reports: Married-Couple and Unmarried-Partner Households. Census. 2003. Web 8, June 2012. Read More