Should gay marriage be legalized? Thomas Stoddard, author of "Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal," which was published in The New York Times on March 4, 1988, seems to think so. The legalization of homosexual marriages has been a controversial topic over the past couple of years. Stoddard argues that banning gay marriage is a violation of civil rights granted to each and every person today. He states that marriage is much more than a piece of paper, but also a union between two committed individuals that will promote "social cohesion, emotional security, and economic prudence" (Sullivan, para. 11). He claims that gay marriages should be made legal due to a variety of concerns that range from legal issues to family values. .
In this article, Stoddard claims that one of the reasons gay marriages should be legalized is to grant homosexuals certain legal issues pertaining to their partners. These issues include "health, disability, life insurance, pension plans, special tax exemptions" (Dean, para. 3), and the ability to be the "next of kin in case of death, medical emergency or mental incapacity" (Dean, para. 4). Right now, homosexual spouses are not considered next of kin; the closest family member is. Thus, if a homosexual were to be placed on life support, his or her spouse could not request that his or her partner be taken off the respirator despite how the companion feels towards life support. .
Also, Stoddard refutes statements declaring that gay marriage promotes "antifamily" (para. 8) views. The truth is that marriage promotes "emotional stability and healthy rearing of the next generation" (Sullivan, para. 6). The sacrament of marriage has lost its meaning over the years. People exchange vows with the notion that if the marriage does not work, it is perfectly suitable to divorce. However, it is inconceivable as to why the government would rather have a high divorce rate than a high percentage of marriages, both heterosexual and homosexual, that last.
