Same-sex marriage has been rolling over and over in our minds since the Egyptian period. More then likely it was an issue even before that but never could be documented. To say the least it is no new concept. According to AaronsGayInfo.com there had been many instances of a homosexual partnership or marriage. A homosexual couple by the names of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were joined in death together. It was a tomb built for them and to be be together after death signified an almost marriage like approach. This was the 24th century BCE. It was not the last historical evidence of gay marriage either. In the 7th century, 17 centuries after, men in Greece formed life long partnerships but it was not recognized as a marriage. Around this same time, the first record of two women love were in the form of love letters by Sappho of Lesbos. Obviously this is where the term Lesbian had come from. Not until 27 BCE a formal marriage was recorded under Roman law. Two Roman Emperors publicly married men but their status would be revoked if caught being intimate. In the 1st century, Nero ,emperor of Rome, goes the extra step to marry two men ceremonially. 100 years later the emperor Elagabalus married a well known athlete Zoticus. But not 50 years later, things began turning sour on same-sex marriage. Churches began to abolish homosexuals. The first law ever passed against it was by Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans. This began a long line of outlawing homosexual couples.
Less then one half of Americans today support gay marriage. The first time homosexuality was recorded in America was May 24, 1610. The Virginia colony passed a law which made the act of sodomy punishable by death. Not until 1961 American Law Institute's Model Penal Code removed the sodomy law. According to infoplease.com, by 1969 psychologist removed homosexuality as a mental disorder. A big step was when laws were made to include sexual orientation in the discrimination act. Homosexuals gained rights like heterosexuals have except marriage. More then 57 percent of Americans oppose gay marriage according to the Gallop Polls. Religion, traditions, the definition of marriage, and homophobia are key preventers of same sex marriages. It is up to individual states to legalize gay marriage. But so far, just 9 out of 50 states has legalized it. This means that if the married couple travels out of that state, their marriage would not be honored. The first homosexual couple to get married was two women in San Francisco in 2004. Many countries are way ahead of us on same-sex marriage. In 2004 Canada legalized gay marriage for the whole country, along with the Netherlands and Belgium to name a few. Most of the greatest American political leaders don't support gay marriage, so it's unlikely that are country as a whole will ever support or recognize it.
There are many people working for legalization of same-sex marriage. On Procon.org, it listed many valuable points towards gay marriage. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force explained that marriage is not about religious affiliation. “Same-sex couples are often emotionally and economically interdependent, sharing household and financial responsibilities, and often raising children or taking care of other family members together. ” Being married like heterosexual couples could give them freedoms such as hospital visitation and financial benefits. This could make a two parent home for the hundreds of children who need homes. Stanley Kurtz wrote about a man named Andrew Sullivan who was a British-born politician who campaigned for same-sex marriage. He was conservative and he explained his position on gay marriage. Marriage, he proclaimed, is an institution worthy of preservation, and society is correct to extend legal advantages to couples who choose to live under its formal sanction. In other words, they live in America so they should be given the same benefits of marriage as other Americans. Another good point to take into consideration is the fact that the American government is separate from the ideologies and moral views of Religion. The definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman as stated in ancient law books. Most who truly believed that were ignorant of anything other then a man and woman loving each other. The times have changed and now equal rights to all should be given to homosexuals.
More then half of Americans oppose gay marriage. Their arguments are that it is against nature of humanity and against God and the bible. Many justify their opinion in gods name. Catholic churches protest the union openly. They state that homosexuals are immoral and anyone who supports them are immoral also. Political groups are against gay marriage also. In an article by secular liberals Susan Shell, she defends that not all liberals are supporting gay marriage. She finds that a same sex marriage threatens family ideals and homosexuality is a temptation that halts the search for god. Contrary belief often uses children as a leeway. Those who feel homosexuality is caused by nurture also feel that a same-sex couple who will raise children to become gay. The sex that is the majority to object homosexuality the most are males. Homophobia is a common excuse to not support equal rights for gay Americans. Some people say that is gay marriage is legalized it could give way to people who want to marry inanimate objects or animals. Homosexuality is grouped as a sexual perversion more than a life style.
Gay marriage right now is the topic of our generation. Presidents Obama's promises of more gay rights have sparked much debate. History is in the making for homosexuals. Same-sex marriage has been a concept since before the world saw Christianity. White christian Europeans traveled to America with the values of the church. Under their own government they began to establish laws against homosexuals. Not into over a hundred years later, people began to reestablish the government to acknowledge that homosexuals exist. Gay began to express themselves for what they truly were. Many people pushed against them but they all had one valid point. They were Americans with rights just like everyone else. Our country is split in two, pro-gay and anti-gay, which has distracted us from the important issues. Right now discrimination against Americans is being allowed by the country. Same-sex marriage has not been legalized in the United States, thus our government is oppressing a single minority. To the rest of the worlds standards we have not progressed much from the laws of the colonists.
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