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bluejeans07Homosexual marriages.
I know this is a touchy issue, but this is the issue that I feel the most passionate about, and that I know the most information to, as well as the issue that I keep up with the most. A little bit of my background: I was a member of my high school's Gay-Straight Alliance Tolerance Club since I was a sophmore in high school, I'm an active reader of slash, yuri, and yaoi fanfiction since I was twelve, and I am a straight Christian who loves her God. My parents were aware of my membership and tried to make me leave the club but they never knew that I was always part of it. I could never get the Tolerance club T-shirt or be in any of the club photos in the yearbook because of them, but I've always supported the club at the meetings and behind the scenes. I have had many gay, bi, and lesbian teachers and friends in my lifetime and every person was as loving and warm to me in times of need.
I support gay and lesbian marriage. Who am I to stand between two people who obviously love each other and want to be together for the rest of their lives just because they are the same gender?? I've read several news articles and listened to many debates that ignorant people ultimately some how connect gay and lesbian marriage with rape and child molestation! How on earth can that be true when it really is just two people who want to be together. While many ignorant people claim that marriage should only be between a man and a woman because of children, well what about orphans who get adopted by homosexual couples? Don't orphens deserve to have a home and a family? Don't homosexual couples deserve the joy of being parents?? They are human beings who deserve the same rights and liberties that everyone else has and that everyone else treasures. I am not God or a superior being who CANNOT condemn two people who have love to a life of not being counted like everyone else. I CANNOT JUDGE THEM just because their life is different than mine. We are different, so what? We all have the same organs, we all bleed red blood, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. Sure a marriage can end in divorce, but that's a chance all couples take and face it, people change and the things they want or need change, including the person they thought they were going to be with for the rest of their life.
For those of you who think civil unions are enough, they are NOT. While the government acknowledges civil unions as marriages, private companies do not. Here's a true story: a country club has a special discount fee for married couples, but say that there is a lesbian couple who have a civil union and have been together for ten years don't qualify for the discount fee and have to pay two seprate memberships that's about $100 more than the discount marriage membership. Here's another example: a company has a special health plan for married employees which includes their spouses, while a gay couple who have a civil union don't qualify and have to seek other health cares and pay more money. Does this seem fair to you just because the partner is the same gender? Why is it fair that some people can succeed and some can't just because of gender issues?
Love is a beautiful thing that should be treasured and cherished, and just because that treasure is shared between two people of the same gender, it doesn't mean it's not as cherished or important. It's just as important as love between a man and a woman, and those couples have a right to want to celebrate and show their union with a permanent bond of marriage.
I know this is a touchy issue, but this is the issue that I feel the most passionate about, and that I know the most information to, as well as the issue that I keep up with the most. A little bit of my background: I was a member of my high school's Gay-Straight Alliance Tolerance Club since I was a sophmore in high school, I'm an active reader of slash, yuri, and yaoi fanfiction since I was twelve, and I am a straight Christian who loves her God. My parents were aware of my membership and tried to make me leave the club but they never knew that I was always part of it. I could never get the Tolerance club T-shirt or be in any of the club photos in the yearbook because of them, but I've always supported the club at the meetings and behind the scenes. I have had many gay, bi, and lesbian teachers and friends in my lifetime and every person was as loving and warm to me in times of need.
I support gay and lesbian marriage. Who am I to stand between two people who obviously love each other and want to be together for the rest of their lives just because they are the same gender?? I've read several news articles and listened to many debates that ignorant people ultimately some how connect gay and lesbian marriage with rape and child molestation! How on earth can that be true when it really is just two people who want to be together. While many ignorant people claim that marriage should only be between a man and a woman because of children, well what about orphans who get adopted by homosexual couples? Don't orphens deserve to have a home and a family? Don't homosexual couples deserve the joy of being parents?? They are human beings who deserve the same rights and liberties that everyone else has and that everyone else treasures. I am not God or a superior being who CANNOT condemn two people who have love to a life of not being counted like everyone else. I CANNOT JUDGE THEM just because their life is different than mine. We are different, so what? We all have the same organs, we all bleed red blood, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. Sure a marriage can end in divorce, but that's a chance all couples take and face it, people change and the things they want or need change, including the person they thought they were going to be with for the rest of their life.
For those of you who think civil unions are enough, they are NOT. While the government acknowledges civil unions as marriages, private companies do not. Here's a true story: a country club has a special discount fee for married couples, but say that there is a lesbian couple who have a civil union and have been together for ten years don't qualify for the discount fee and have to pay two seprate memberships that's about $100 more than the discount marriage membership. Here's another example: a company has a special health plan for married employees which includes their spouses, while a gay couple who have a civil union don't qualify and have to seek other health cares and pay more money. Does this seem fair to you just because the partner is the same gender? Why is it fair that some people can succeed and some can't just because of gender issues?
Love is a beautiful thing that should be treasured and cherished, and just because that treasure is shared between two people of the same gender, it doesn't mean it's not as cherished or important. It's just as important as love between a man and a woman, and those couples have a right to want to celebrate and show their union with a permanent bond of marriage.
