Should Gay marriage be legal?

Katherine Santangelo
Blog 12

Marriage is defined as "the social institution under which a man and a woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments and legal ceremonies." Gay marriage should not be legal because "it is a legal and social bond between a man and a woman, foremost to support the upbringing of children."[Pg 150] Homosexual couples however, should be afforded the same "legal" rights as heterosexual couples as far as insurance and beneficiary rights and civil unions are able to provide all of these rights. "To me what is at stake in this debate is not only the potential unhappiness of children, grave as that is; it is our ability to maintain the most basic components of our humanity."[Pg 162] Why must we "redefine" the meaning of marriage so homosexual couples can have their "legal" bond? Marriage is an institution for a man and a woman, it is not and has never been intended for a man and a man nor a woman and a woman. According to Author Andrew Sullivan "When people talk about gay marriage , they miss the point. This isn't about gay marriage. It's about marriage. It's about family.It's about love. It isn't about religion."[Pg 154]If marriage is not about religion for homosexual couples then what difference does it make if it is a called marriage or civil union as long as the same rights are afforded.

"Marriage is how we are connected backward in time, through the generations, to our creator, and forward to the future beyond the scope of our own lifespan."[Pg 167] "Sanctioning homosexual marriage would require society at large to gut marriage of it's central presumptions about family in order to accommodate a few adult desires."[Pg 164] Marriage is and should always be defined as the union of one man and one woman because heterosexual marriages provide the procreative factor that creates the family unit and is a major building block of our past and present civilization. If we allow homosexual marriages it could cause enormous harm to our family's and the arrangements and upbringings of our children. " Homosexuality, is by it's very nature incompatible with the norms of traditional monogamous marriage."[Pg 163]

Goshgarian, Gary. What Matters in America.
New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007

Shulman, Sam. "Gay Marrige-and Marriage." Goshgarian, Gary. What Matters in America. New York: Pearson Educational Inc., 2007. 160-167.

Sullivan, Andrew. "The 'M-word': Why it Mattersto me." Goshgarian, Gary. What Matters in America. New York: Pearson Educational Inc., 2007. 150-154