Should homosexuals have the right to marry in the United States?.
There is currently a controversy about whether gays should be allowed to marry. This has been a large part of American society over the last few years. In the past, just the idea of two people of the same sex being involved was considered taboo, let alone them actually getting married. Homosexuality was viewed as a curable disease, with those labeled as "gay" or "queer" feeling like a freak of nature. It took many decades for gay people to feel comfortable with the way that they are. Society as a whole has not accepted homosexuality but they no longer view it as a threat to the majority.
The country has grown to accept gay couples. The government currently lets the individual state decide on whether or not they will allow gay marriages. Currently, gay couples in Vermont are allowed to apply for a certificate of a "civil union," which in simpler terms means they are married (Robinson). Vermont is the only state in the United States that allows this form of marriage for gay couples. Both Hawaii and Alaska are appealing to state officials to have a similar law passed in their states. No other states are currently trying to apply to have the law changed. Many people feel that with the current turnaround on the subject from Vermont, Hawaii, and Alaska, that the other 47 states will eventually follow.
Many people believe that gay marriages are morally wrong and should not be allowed in the United States. Their argument against gay marriages is that marriage is traditionally a heterosexual institution (Bidstrup). A majority of the people who were against gay marriages interviewed for the article, "Gay rites," states that "gay marriages are unnatural and only a man and woman should be married," (Kaminer, 6). Many of these people also believe that gay couples will only try to recruit people into their gay lifestyle.
