Herring 1 Allison Herring Professor Campbell English 1102 27 March 2014 EIP Project

Let them be Wed: The Benefits of Same Sex Marriage

What side are you on when it comes to the subject Same Sex Marriage? Are you selfish, ignorant, and nave to the fact that there are millions of Americans, let alone billions of people worldwide who want to marry their partner, that there are people who cannot visit their dying loved one in the hospital because they are not married, and that there are people who are scared for their safety when they walk down the streets holding their partners hand? Or are you open minded, caring, and loving? Do you wish to see equality in the world? Or are you prejudice to the fact that there are homosexual people who want to have equal human rights? No matter what side you may be on or even on the fence about, just listen to the facts. Millions of Americans get married every year; this is because marriage is a human right. Therefore, same sex couples should be allowed to do so as well. Along with benefiting the couples that would like to get married, same sex marriage would also benefit the United States economy, it would help lower divorce rates, and lastly it would make adoption easier for same sex couples.

Herring 2 Having human rights is something that people who are different have struggled to receive since the beginning of our nation and the institution of slavery. It continued with African Americans trying to get the human rights they so rightly deserved in the civil rights era. Today another group of Americans are fighting the same battle of trying to get their human rights that they so rightly deserve given to them. The LGBT community is a growing community in the United States today, and they still lack some of the major rights that normal heterosexual Americans take for granted. What are the benefits of this not only for the individuals who want to get married, but also for the country and the economy? Well according to thinkProgress.org, The CBO found a slightly positive impact on the United States budget if same-sex marriages were to be legalized in all states and recognized by the federal government: an extra $1 billion each year for the next ten years [] On net, gay marriage would reduce spending by about $100 million to $200 million a year from 2010 to 2014 (Covert). So not only would the economy benefit from this but also we would be cutting into the national debt that we have accumulated and help grow the country and move forward. I also read another article written by McKenna Aiello, a staff Reporter from Neontommy.com. She mentioned, The Congressional Budget Office estimated a $450 million cost reduction in welfare programs if gay marriage is legalized. An estimated $100 million in Supplemental Security Income, $50 million in Medicare, and $300 million in Medicaid would be saved (Aiello). These are not small numbers; these are numbers that can change the economic debt that the Untied States is facing. It has already helped a few states with their economic crisis. For example Aiello said that, New York City officials

Herring 3 claimed that they have had an increase of $259 million because of the 8,200 same-sex marriage licenses issued in the first year same-sex marriage was legalized (Aiello). Not only will same sex marriage help the United States economy, but statistics also show that same sex marriage can help lower divorce rates. According to Gaymarriage.procon.org, Massachusetts divorce rates had a 21% decrease between the years 2003 and 2008, it also stated that, The seven states with the highest divorce rates between 2003 and 2008 all had constitutional prohibitions to gay marriage (gaymarraige.procon.org). Also Dr. M.V. Lee Badgett, Director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, added to also support this fact by saying, the evidence suggests that letting same-sex couples marry would be good public policy. Same-sex couples and their families will benefit, and the institution of marriage does not suffer. Gay couples interest in marriage is a vote in favor of the ongoing relevance of marriage in todays world, a change that should strengthen, not weaken, the institution. This being said, same sex marriage will not only bring in tens of thousands of marriages to the United States, but it will also help reduce the number of divorces. Many people also use the bible as one of their proofs as to why same sex marriage should not be legalized but some Christians view the bible in a totally different setting and they actually use their faith as a basis for why they support gay marriage. Mark Ulcer a professor of law at the university of St. Thomas feels that The reason I am for gay marriage is because of my faith. He says that he feels that no one can be denied that bond with god he should be entitled too and that no one can judge a person but god and he also talks about how anyone knows what types of sin is worse than another type

Herring 4 because it says in the bible every sin is the same and that all men inherited sin. Others who are against same sex marriage being illegal use the bible to fit what they want to believe and it just turns into what a person really wants to believe and go by.

As stated by adoptamericanetwork.org, Despite the fact that we live in one of the most fortunate nations in the world, there are 130,000 children in the U.S. foster care system waiting to be adopted (adoptamericanetwork.org). These children live lives without parents to love them. There should not be discrimination between whether same sex partners should adopt or not, but there is. The Unites States acts like they care more about whether same sex couples should be allowed to wed rather than the fact there are over 100,000 children without parents to call there own. According to gaymarriage.procon.org, A longitudinal study published in Pediatrics on June 7, 2010 found that children of lesbian mothers were rated higher than children of heterosexual parents in social and academic competence and had fewer social problems (gaymarriage.procon.org). Children without homes do not care what gender there parents are; they just want to be loved. Legalizing same sex marriage would make adoption easier for same sex couples. With this being said, more foster children would find loving homes. Gary Gates, a demographer from the University of California, Los Angeles found that, four percent of the adopted population in the United States -- about 65,000 children -- live in homes in which the head of the household is gay or lesbian (adoptivefamilies.com). Many Americans feel that these are not good enough reasons to allow this to happen, lets look at why they might feel this way.

Herring 5 Many people feel that if same sex marriages are legalized then the world will be doomed by god or the children produced from these family environments will be slighted not having a father and a mother and some people feel like their religious liberties will be taken advantage of if the nation allows this to happen. Peter S. Sprigg, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council wrote in a journal saying tht, Oppositesex relationships are the only type capable of producing children through natural intercourse, and the only ones assured of providing children with both a mother and a father. Affirming only opposite-sex relationships as marriage thus makes perfect sense. He went on to say that not only is heterosexual sex the only way to produce children but that science has proven that children raised by their own biological mother and father, committed to one another in a lifelong marriage, are happier, healthier, and more prosperous than children in any other households. Just as there a websites fighting to legalize same sex marriage, there are plenty of websites arguing against same sex marriage. For example, the website nosamesexmarriage.com has numerous articles that are against same sex marriage. One of their articles states, Real marriage (a man & a woman) is not rooted in discrimination. It is rooted in common sense, for the common good (nosamesexmarriage.com). Although people are entitled to their opinions the fact of the matter still stays the same, people are people whether they are gay, straight, black, white, Latino, homeless, rich, poor or whatever the case may be; not giving humans, human rights seems like the ultimate form of discrimination no matter which way you look at it. Marriage is a civil right, there should not be any limitations given to those who want to marry. According to gaymarriage.procon.org, in the Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia, it

Herring 6 was confirmed that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man," and that same-sex marriages should receive the same protections given to interracial marriages (gaymarriage.procon.org). America as we know it was founded on the base of religion and to this day it is still one of the major things that people feel like is still apart of society today. This is one of the major points of the opposing side to this argument. As Murray Lipp states, While some religions don't support same-sex marriage, others certainly do support it. But what ever happened to separation of church and state? America is considered the land of the free for a reason, people from all over the world migrate to the United States just so they can live better lives and be free. Although not every state in the United States allows same sex marriage, thousand of people come to America just so they do not have to be tormented because of their sexuality. According to Allout.org, being apart of the LGBT community is a crime in 77 countries, being a homosexual will lead to execution or life imprisonment in 10 countries, and only 16 countries in the world recognize marriage equality. With this being said, America should be a safe place where people of any background, ethnicity, and sexual orientation can marry. We should not be another statistic. Though same sex marriage equality has not won over the whole United States, it still has to time to prove them wrong. Once the lawmakers see all the benefits that same sex marriage has on the economy, the divorce rates, and the amount of foster children find homes; maybe they will understand the true importance that it will bring. Allowing same sex marriage in all states will not only help millions of people have the freedom and justice they deserve, but it will allow me to do so as well.

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Herring 8 Works Cited

"Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage ." nosamesexmarriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://nosamesexmarriage.com/>. Caughman, Susan. "Adoption News and Information from Adoptive Families." Adoption News and Information from Adoptive Families. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/>. Covert, Bryce. "Why Marriage Equality Is Good For The Economy And The Budget." ThinkProgress. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/06/26/2219571/marriage-equalityeconomy/>. "Illegal to begay in India?." All Out. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. <http://www.allout.org/>. "News & Events." Adopt American Network . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. <http://www.adoptamericanetwork.org/>.

Procon.org. "Gay Marriage ." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <http://gaymarriage.procon.org>.