Monica Murariu
English 1020
Project 3
Marriage: Rights and Equality
Our society evolves constantly. A new trend surfaces each year and people are always changing. Many times definitions of words must change along with our society. One of the definitions that has evolved along with our society and whose definition must change is marriage. According to an article written by Scott Bidstrup, called "Gay Marriage: The Arguments and The Motives," people in our society argue that gay marriage is wrong because marriage is the union between a man and a woman, is for procreation, and a traditional institution that dates back thousands of years. This is the definition of marriage that our society has adopted. From the hundreds of years since we adopted this definition of marriage, our society has changed dramatically. Thus, this definition of marriage must change. The definition should be changed to the union between two people, and the ability to care for a child: ability to provide food, shelter, love, and a good home for the child.
The idea of gay marriage and gay rights has been discussed fully on the media and in politics. Same-sex couples and marriage are constantly in our media: in the magazines, TV shows, and movies. TV shows like Will and Grace, Glee, and 90210 all contain gay main characters. There are movies out that have gay characters and there are many popular celebrities that are gay. Some of those celebrities are Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, and Neil Patrick Harris. This is our society today. Many people embrace the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community as a part of our society. According to Frederick Hertz in the article, "U.S. Census reveals of Same-Sex Unions", there are almost 150,000 same-sex couples that are getting married or registered as civil unions. This is an example of how large this part of our society is. This is also an example of how large of a group there is that wants the right to get married.
There have also been many celebrities that speak out for gay rights. Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt have spoken out for gay rights. Tyra Banks has also had an episode on gay rights and their fight for equality. This shows how our society, our generation, is fighting for the equality of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Lady Gaga, Brad Pitt, and Tyra Banks are all a part of our generation and represent a larger part of our society. If they fight for gay rights and gay marriage, there are more people in our society that want equality for gays as well. Our society has been exposed to the LGBT community for ages and we should therefore change the definition of marriage to fit our current society.
According to the proposition 8 website, in May 2008, in California, the Supreme Court ruled that barring same-sex marriage violated state constitution and allowed same-sex couple to marry. Many couples rushed to get married at this time. This caused a lot of controversy throughout the state of California and the United States. After a lot of debate the voters approved proposition 8 on November 4, 2008. Proposition 8 stated that marriage is between a man and a woman. The topic of same-sex marriage has been in many debates and the heart of many arguments since than.
The first part of the definition of marriage that we have adopted that must change is that marriage is the union between a man and a woman: that it is a holy matrimony. The new definition must change to the union between two people, not a man and a woman. Our society has evolved greatly since we have first adopted this definition. Bidstrup discusses in his article how many people who oppose gay marriage base their arguments on the bible. The opposition of gay marriage says that the bible supports the opposite-sex marriage through the union of Adam and Eve. The bible does not support same-sex marriage; therefore, we should not accept same-sex marriage. In an episode of The Tyra Show, "Gay: The New Black", Cathy Middleton-Lewis, an attorney and gay rights advocate, states that this argument may not fit our society anymore. She says, "The bible says that if your right eye offend you, pluck it out. If your left hand offends you, pluck it out. If we follow that precept to the letter, we would be walking around as a nation of a people with one eye and one hand." Cathy Middleton-Lewis makes a good point here. The bible is not as relevant in our society as it was years ago. Our society has changed. We have evolved. We cannot base our arguments on documents that are no longer relevant. This definition of marriage must change. Our definition must be the union of two people and not the union of a man and woman.
The second part of the ancient definition we have adopted of marriage that we must change is that marriage is to procreate. Instead of the definition relying on procreation, it should be relying on the ability to care for a child: for the ability to provide food, shelter, love, and a good home for a child. The definition we have now insinuates that anyone who does not have the ability to have children are withheld the opportunity to get married. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website, this would mean that the 7.3 million females that are infertile are not allowed to get married. According to another website called ABC Health and Well-being, one in six couples that are infertile are not allowed to get married. These people are not able to procreate and therefore, according to this definition, they are not able to get married. The people that are infertile are not allowed to marry along with same-sex couples. Are you going to withhold their right to get married?
The definition of marriage that we have adopted is not a fair definition. The definition should be the ability to care for a child. If someone has the ability to provide food, shelter, love, and a good family than they should have a child and be able to marry. According to a website with gay and lesbian related statistics, there are 6 million to 14 million children with gay or lesbian parents. There is no difference between the children with the same-sex parents and the children with opposite-sex parents. Children in same-sex households are just as well of as children in opposite-sex households. Same-sex couples can provide all of the necessities for a child as well as opposite-sex couples. Marriage is ultimately in place to protect children. When couples get married, they are not only looking for social recognition of their relationship but to have children and protect them. That is our ultimate goal in mind when getting married. If same-sex couples have the same goals in mind, why must our society and community keep the right of marriage from same-sex couples? If the goal of marriage is to protect a child, why keep same-sex couples, who protect their children, the same as a straight couple, the opportunity to do that?
Our society has changed dramatically since we first adopted this definition of marriage. Therefore, we must change the definition. We have celebrities along with normal people fighting for this cause. We have straight and gay people fighting for gay marriage and rights. This shows the great change in our society. The definition of marriage we have adopted does not do our society and our citizen’s right. The age-old definition we have adopted is that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and for procreation. This must change to the union between two people and the ability to care for a child. This new definition fits our society better today than the old definition. The old definition represents people from years ago. This is 2012. We have a different society and therefore must change this definition.
Citation
Bidstrup, Scott. "Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives." Veritas Et Ratio –
Truth And Reason. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm>.
"California Proposition 8 - Get the Facts on Prop. 8." California Proposition 8 - Get the
Facts on Prop. 8. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. http://www.whatisprop8.com/.
"FASTSTATS - Infertility." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web.
29 Mar. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/fertile.htm
"Gay: The New Black." The Tyra Show. The CW. 7 May 2009. Television.
McArthur, Shae-Lee. "Infertility - Health & Wellbeing." ABC.net.au. N.p., n.d. Web. 29
Mar. 2012. <http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2007
"STATISTICS." PFLAG Upstate SC. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.pflagupstatesc.org/statistics.htm
Hertz, Frederick . "U.S. Census Reveals Rise of Same-Sex Unions." Huffington Post Jan.
- Feb. 2012: 1. Print.