Most Americans opposing the enactment of laws allowing same-sex marriages belong to conservative, religious, and/or Republican groups. These opponents of
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homosexual equality fear that the allowance of same-sex marriages will lessen the validity of heterosexual marriages and make a mockery of the tradition that brings two loving souls together. Many argue that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman established for the purpose of procreating. None-the-less there are many heterosexual couples who decide to or are unable to have and raise children. Yet, their unions are considered valid and they reap the full benefits of matrimony afforded to any heterosexual pair. For the purpose of raising children, gay rights opponents argue that children do not belong in households headed by two people of the same sex. They worry that children living in such an environment will grow to be confused, and will be raised in unfavorable social conditions. Moreover, religious leaders who oppose gay rights reason that it is unjustifiable for the gay community to equate their fight for rights and recognition to that of racial equality. They argue that homosexuality is an immoral, chosen behavior that does not deserve special protection under the law, perhaps insinuating that gay individuals are only a fraction of the worth that any other human being is.
In 1996 the United States Congress adopted the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies federal recognition of gay marriages and gives each state the right to decide whether to recognize gay marriage certificates issued in other states. It is because of this Act that many gay rights groups such as Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), feel it is essential to fight for the right to be legally married and be recognized by the government. Said groups argue that only marriage will provide legal, social and emotional security for gay partners. An example of how permitting gay and
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lesbian couples to wed is beneficial is the fact that the process of adopting a child will become much easier. With the exception of Florida and a few other states, a major part of the nation allows for single gay and lesbian individuals to adopt children, but only eleven states permit two same-sex parents to adopt. With many children in the country in hopes of being adopted, and many gay couples facing difficult adoption obstacles, advocates of gay rights contend that only marriage, to the fullest extent of the civil term, will allow parent-deprived children to find loving homes. Opponents might be quick to argue that children are better off in homes with a father and a mother, however scientific studies have shown that children raised in a one or two-parent gay household fare just as well emotionally and socially as children whose parents are heterosexual. Most importantly, the gay community and gay rights groups, like GLAD, assert that states cannot justify excluding gay and lesbian couples from the institution of marriage because of the many benefits and protections it provides. Many activists express that the laws restricting gay marriages are the same as the laws that prohibited inter-racial couples from marrying half a century ago; those laws were overturned in 1967 and are now seen as absurd and discriminatory.
Obviously, legalizing gay marriage in the United States will simplify the lives of same-sex couples and provide them with marriage benefits ranging from countless legal protections to rights allowing them to adopt, raise and share custody of children. Yes, civil unions and domestic partnership laws are leading the gay community in a positive direction as these laws are beneficiary to gay and lesbian couples. However, these protections are simply not representative of the American ideal that all men are created
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equal. DOMA restricts the recognition of gay and lesbian marriages or unions on a state-to-state level. If as citizens we truly are equal, then why aren’t heterosexual marriages only recognized by the states that issue their marriage certificates?
