Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized

Gay is a term that has through the years gained new meanings and lately is in use interchangeably with homosexual with reference to sexual orientation. Sexual orientation here refers to a consistent sexual, romantic, and emotional attraction of a person to other people. These others may be of the same or opposite sex as them. The sexual orientation of a person could be heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Speakers mostly use the term gay when referring to men of that nature. The use of homosexual herein includes both gay and lesbians. Lesbians are females with sexually or romantically preference for fellow females. In (American Psychological Association, par. 5.), according to professional interpretations and researches with scientific basis, the gay or lesbian nature in a person may develop even before having any sexual relationships. At the end pint, many societies treat homosexuals with some unnecessary hostility if not victimization.

Homosexuality defines a person who prefers sexual association with people of his or her own sex (Milton, 28). The need for definite facts about homosexuality has brought together a generation of scholars to establish such studies. From professionals to human activists, people have come together to put up researched truth and to present their views on the implications engulfing this issue. The general point is that homosexuals are humans as well. Their societal positions, constitutional and human rights and privileges deserve protection too. By extension, advocates push for the acceptance of and support for gay marriages. Such institutions have the responsibility of positively influencing the society. Currently, some of the western countries have endorsed and shown support for same-sex marriages. The successes of studies on homosexuality depend on the possibility and ease of studying people.

Considering most of the arguments that are put forward in the opposition of gay marriages, some have proven unrealistic and based on nothing else but prejudice, mere hostility, and discrimination. Looking at the church’s take on this, it absolutely opposes any forms of same-sex union either in church or even in the social setup. The clergy bases this argument on the apparent cultural purpose of marriage. Religiously marriage is to institutionalize a procreative relationship between the partners (Somerville, 9). On another hand, the development of one’s sexual orientation is not of any specific time. The change could happen after they have had sexual relationships earlier. `If in these relationships they bore children, then the persons who became gay afterwards, bring their children into their gay marriages. The adoption of children, which the church endorses, is equally possible in gay marriages just as is for the heterosexual unions that unfortunately cannot bear children biologically.

Most of the discriminatory positions that gay persons are subjects of are probably based on individual or personal opinions or institutional policies that are purposefully designed to inhibit homosexuality. Much of surveys carried out nationally indicated unimaginable facts like; gay civilians do not get government protection clearances. They suffer subjection to much more intense search and investigation, as compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Herek, 60). At the personal level, this group suffers rejection by the heterosexuals in countries like America. This rejection is exhibited by the negative attitude developed against them and is expressed behaviorally. Statements made against gay marriages cling on different proposed principles but all point to the fact that this group is considerably a minority group. This minority factor is because they constitute an inferior segment of a larger society. They also posses personalities not morally acceptable to the dominant society segment and by virtue of these traits, they are bound together (Newton, 84).

The factors that build up and support healthy opposite-sex relationships and marriages are love, appreciated companionship, and commitment shared between the partners. Gay unions are not different in any way; they share the marriage constituting factors too. Supporting this is the institutionalization of relationships by organizing weddings. As a proof that gay marriages have basis on love and commitment too, the engaged partners organize public weddings, which is the ultimate expression of commitment and love for one’s partner (Colin, 721). Though religious, marriage is also a social institution by some aspect. The society unfairly attributes marriage to opposite-sex unions only. Concerning this and social responsibilities, gay couples exercise their privileges by instituting marriages. Gay relationships have the same defining aspects as heterosexual unions and therefore need the same accordance of respect. Marriage provides security to families and gays need this as well.

The gay group is a stigmatized minority group experiencing differential treatment composing rejection, discrimination, victimization, and even assault. All of these result from the characteristics connected to this group by the society. The oppositions against gay or lesbian marriages result from persistent stereotyping of this group. These stereotypes author misconceptions among the public and so render the gay an unwelcomed group. In spite of all these opposition, research shows that same-sex unions are durable and end up in happy marriages. For that reason, advocacy for legalization of gay marriages must go on.

Work cited

Milton, Henry. Gay and Lesbian Studies. New York. Routledge, 2000. Print.

Newton, David. Same-Sex Marriage. New York. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print.

American Psychological Association. For a Better Understanding of Sexual

Orientation & Homosexuality. Retrieved 20 March 2012 from

HYPERLINK “http://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/sorientation” http://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/sorientation.

Somerville, Margaret. The Case against “Same-Sex Marriage”. (2003). Print.

Colin, Thomas. Gay Marriage. The CQ Researcher. 30 (2003), 13. Print.

Herek, Gregory. Prejudice and Violence against Lesbians and Gay Men. (2001). Print.