Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Should Same-Sex Marriage Allowed ? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Should Gay Couples Be Allowed to Marry?      Ã‚   Only in the states of Vermont and California are gay couples allowed to marry.   Same-sex marriage is very important with gay couples and activists in today's society.   On January 1, 2002, a bill became effective to give members of registered same-sex and opposite-sex couples the right to adopt a partner's child.   A reason why the Vermont same-sex union battle received so much nation press is because legislators were responding to a court order, while some ended up losing their jobs to same-sex unions.   Religious, government, and social groups have debated this issue and it is taking a long time for it to be resolved.   Same-sex marriage has some very distinct facts and values important to one's religion, morals, or even what his or her family thinks of the gay lifestyle.   Many Mormons oppose gay marriage because they believe offends everything religion stands for. Also, making love to another man betrays everything that is masculine and that people fear that gay people might recruit straight people to the gay lifestyle.   Many people are in favor of equal rights for homosexuals.   "They say that yes, gays should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accommodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, etc" (Bidstrup).   Focusing more on this issue can help accelerate the outcome of recognizing same-sex marriage.   Same-sex marriages should be legalized and recognized because our government guarantees equal rights for all citizens. The government says that every citizen of the United States shall receive equal rights.   But, why did they pass the Defense of Marriage Act?   The Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages; in my opinion this act is immoral and unjust because it restricts the rights of gay and lesbian citizens. The authors of Gays, Lesbians, and Family Values, Elizabeth A. Say and mark R. Kowalewski, are distinguished writers on the subject of gays and lesbians.   They both are very conservative and believe in religious rights when it comes to sexual preference.   "On September 10, 1996, the U.S. Senate passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and allows individual states to refrain from recognizing them.