Imagine being told that you weren't allowed to marry the person you loved and being denied certain marital rights, for no reason other than because of your sexual orientation. Now imagine you are denied a job, or are fired from one you already have for the same reason. How would you feel? Heartbroken? Angry? Cheated? These are only a few of the many obstacles a person who is homosexual will face in their lifetime if we do not make a change. The legalization of gay marriage is crucial to the progression of the US as a whole, and as long as it remains illegal it will be something that negatively affects the lives of millions of Americans every single day.
I would first like to briefly discuss a subject that is very common in debates involving homosexuality: homosexuality as a choice vs. being something someone is born with. According to Tom Head, author of an article supporting gay marriage, some people believe that homosexuality is something that one chooses, or can acquire based on their upbringing and surroundings. They believe that certain domestic situations, such as being raised by only your mother, or being sexually abused as a child will affect the likelihood of you "turning gay" when you are older. This simply is not true. There is no evidence that suggests that there is any correlation between a person's upbringing and childhood and their sexual orientation. Other people believe that homosexuality is a conscious choice by an individual, and that there was a point in every homosexual man and woman's life where he or she chose to be gay. This belief is just as erroneous as the first. Upon realizing and accepting the fact that they are homosexual, many gay individuals dread the thought of telling their friends and family for fear of being rejected or disowned. A close friend of mine recently came out as being homosexual to her family. She was kicked out of her home and hasn't spoken to her mother, her father, or her two older brothers since, as they refuse to communicate with her.