Denise Nicole APELC-P1 Argument Essay Love Is All We Need While I am not gay myself, however, I have a problem

against people who oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage. It really all comes down to sheer ignorance and closed-mindedness. Think about the following for a second: is it fair that an entire demographic of people, hard-working, tax-paying, caring, empathetic, and responsible people should be ostracized based upon their sexual orientation? Absolutely not. The debate over the legalization of same-sex marriage has been prominent since the passing of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by the United States Congress. The DOMA defines marriage solely as a union between individuals of the opposite sex for federal purposes. Heterosexual marriage may not be recognized federally, however, certain states such as Connecticut and New York recognize heterosexual marriages and receive state-level benefits. The debate over this issue revolves around whether heterosexual marriages violate the constitution as this has been debated on about in 2005. This all comes down to sheer close-

mindedness and ignorance; people who strive to block the freedom of gay couples to marry are sad, pathetic individuals. These are people we are talking about, people who suffer, who cry, who love, and wish to enjoy love to the fullest. Why deprive and deny them the opportunity to experience the same freedoms and opportunities warranted to the rest of the population? The motivation behind banning gay marriage is completely and utterly arbitrary. What premise is the logic against such marriage based upon? - None. At all.

Opponents of gay marriage typically argue that is not natural or that it ruins the sanctity of marriage. They do not expound upon their arguments, which already appear very shallow and prejudiced. A perfect example of this level of ignorance and insanity was the passing of an Anti-Gay Bill in Nigeria last 2011. Its not only illegal to marry same sex individuals in Nigeria; it is illegal to be gay. This is the perfect epitome of human cruelty, attempting to convince others that it is a fault of nature to marry someone of the same sex. Many religious people will attempt to argue that is stated in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin, but so is wearing clothes of mixed fabrics, adultery, working on the Sabbath, and a myriad of other offenses that religious people have conveniently forgotten about. There is a double standard when it comes to religion and same-sex marriage. We do not need religious affiliation in order to be married. Marriage can exist outside the realm of religion. When I say that gay marriage should be legalized, Im referring to the rights that married couples are given in terms of custody, property ownership, and responsibility when one is sick or gravely injured. Why must we constantly refer to religious texts that have been translated so many times that there original translation is almost certain to be lost, as sources of authority in this subject matter. Maybe thousands of years ago, when our species was teetering on the edge of extinction, homosexuality should have been avoided to propagate the species, but to keep this idea alive today is irrationally ridiculous and appalling. There comes a point where it does not matter what religious background you come from, if you attempt to block peoples right to be with the person they love and wish to spend the rest of their life with, go hang yourself. No person should be denied that opportunity.

Let us address the arguments against same-sex marriage that I brought up earlier. First of all, what does the sanctity of marriage even mean? What source of authority gave you the right to claim marriage as your own religion or groups private property? No one has ownership of marriage, not the Christians, not the Jews, not the Muslims, no one. I myself am a follower of the Christian doctrine, but I believe that the point of sanctity as an excuse to discriminate base on sexual orientation is absurd and can be thrown out immediately. Its funny that a Christian man can commit adultery and it is still viewed more positively than the opportunity of two gay people that actually love each to marry. Or better yet, how about a God-fearing man who happens to abuse his wife physically and emotionally? Oh, but its ok, cause at least its a man and a woman. Words cannot express the rage I feel at this grave injustice. The next argument they bring up is that is not natural. Whats unnatural is that you can consider yourself to be a good person whilst trampling on the happiness of others. Homosexuality is not limited to just the human race. Animals such as dolphins, monkeys, apes, and even certain insect types exhibit homosexual tendencies. We no longer face possible extinction due to a threat to reproductive capabilities, so why are we stuck in such a backwards state of mind? Again, what gives anyone the right to dictate what is natural for other people and in the process causes angst, suffering, and discrimination. Both arguments collapse into oblivion because of the sheer weight of their stupidity and idiocy. Furthermore, I offer the following: individuals that deny the rights of others to marry, should themselves be denied the right to marry. I believe that marriage is the union between two individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, race or religion, who can further commit to the meaning of unconditional love.