Oh, man. Oh, MAN. I am so excited for this civic issues blog. I’m not so thrilled that it has to be so long, but at least I get to write about something that I’m so interested in. I guess I could give a brief backstory as to why I chose this topic. My goal isn’t to force something that I believe in onto other people because I don’t think that’s okay. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I also believe that if you’re going to hold your own pinions so strongly, it’s important to hear other opinions as well. Over the course of this semester, my main goal for this blog is to shine a light on what other people may think of a certain aspect of same-sex marriage and refute it. It’s important to hear (or, in this case, read) two completely different opinions on this topic.
As of right now, in the United States, same-sex marriage is legal in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, and Washington D.C.; however, 31 states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage and 6 states have laws banning gay marriage altogether.1 The ratio of the two is actually appalling. For a nation that prides itself in equality and freedom, there sure are certain restrictions on something that should not be seen as a legal obligation. You could make the argument that people would be in an uproar: religious groups and family organizations (most likely tied to religious groups) would be in an uproar, but here’s the kicker—the first amendment clearly states a separation between church and state.2 Not only are these people not allowed to marry, but the majority aren’t allowed to adopt children, or even donate blood.
Do you see the problem now? There are so many gay individuals today that have so many problems with just being themselves. It’s harder for them to accept themselves because of the judgments that people are so quick to make. Not only is this harder on the youth, but it’s harder for the parents to accept. They don’t want their children to be faced with the problem of being ridiculed just by being who they are, so they find it easier to be just as unaccepting as everyone else can be. I know so many people who are afraid to “come out of the closet” because of the harsh words and actions that society is capable of.
As this blog progresses, I’m going to touch on a specific story pertaining to same-sex marriage, and then tell another anecdote of something I might have seen on the internet, whether it’s a picture or an article.
Side-note: This next part is just me ranting because I’m just too into this topic. Feel free to ignore. Sorry.
Why same-sex marriage is so unaccepted will forever remain a mystery to me. Love is love is love is love. The definition of “love” isn’t: a feeling of strong affection and personal attachment between a man and woman. No. There is no real definition of love because different people love differently.
I liked the way you started this blog, letting everyone know you aren’t trying to sway their opinion you just want to voice yours, good job! You points are very valid, I think it is a violation of their rights to not be able to do things like marry, adopt kids, and give blood. The point about gays having a hard time being themselves is also very true; I have a friend from high school that didn’t want to discuss his sexuality until we graduated because he was scared of the possible backlash. It was an unfortunate experience; I believe these people should be treated like people. Finally, your definition of love is dead on!
The reason, I think, that gay marriage is such a big issue is because even though there is a separation between state and church, people still tend to have certain ties to their religion. And sometimes, even though they may not be true practitioners, they may not always see eye-to-eye with certain aspects of society that they may think is too out of the norms. It would take a long time before gay marriage is legal within all of the United States, but each person has their own beliefs in the matter. Some think that being gay is not a choice, while others believe that is a conscience decision. But it was nice to hear from you!