Ryan Riedinger

Harrell
English II Honors
May 15, 2015

Same Sex Marriage

There has been much controversy over whether or not same-sex marriage should be
legalized. Throughout nearly the past four decades, there has been a constant uphill battle in
courts and churches everywhere. A large part of the debates has been due to the effect it will
have on religion and the freedom and rights of being an American citizen. In other words, many
argue it will jeapordize the institution of marriage. Both sides also argue that children need
both gender parents to be raised in a healthy home and school environment. There have been
many claims on why same sex marriage is wrong, but if we are really worried about protecting
ourselves and our loved ones, why arent we allowed to legally love our loved ones?
Many of the arguments that have arisen have been because of the churches and religious
groups that claim the institution of marriage will jeopardized by the legalization of same sex
marriage. The pro-same-sex marriage side responds with the argument of what else can be
defined as jeopardizing the institution of marriage. Technically shouldnt divorce also be
illegal? Seeing as it also threatens the institution of marriage. The divorce rate in the United
States is currently over fifty percent. There are still plenty people who marry for many other
reasons besides love, such as non-sexual companionship, money, and even health insurance. For
centuries, royal families would marry their children off for diplomatic reasons and lower class
families would marry to higher class families for a better social standing. It appears that

marriage is not exactly as sacred an institution as some would like to think (Kellard).
Another debate that comes up is the effect that same-sex marriage and living with two
parents of the same gender will have on the children in the household. The anti-same sex
marriage side states that if the government legalizes same sex marriage, they are saying it is okay
to have a motherless or fatherless household. They also say that the ideal family for children is a
mother and father who are fully loving and committed to one another. Now while this would be
ideal in a perfect world, we do not live in a perfect world. There are millions of children that are
raised by single, abusive, and drug addicted parents all around the country. It seems absurd to
even suggest that it would be more beneficial for a child to be raised in an abusive home over
that of a loving same sex couple (Kellard). Anti-gay marriage says that the government would
be saying it is okay to be raised in a single gender household. But if that is true, then should
single parenting not also be outlawed? Seeing as the children are not being raised in a loving,
both-parent, both-gender household. How many children are being raised by single parents
because one parent took off, or have a mother and father but are neglected or abused? It seems
absurd to even suggest that it would be more beneficial for a child to be raised in an abusive
home over that of a loving same sex couple (Kellard).
There have been many claims on why same sex marriage is wrong, but if we are really
worried about protecting ourselves and our loved ones, why arent we allowed to legally love
our loved ones? If same-sex marriage is really considered to be so evil, then why is single
parenting okay? Why is it better for a child to have to feel abuse and neglect from non-loving
parents than love from happy ones? Governments and churches are worried about protecting the
institution of marriage but how many things are there that can easily top the harmful effects
of same-sex marriage? Gay marriage is something that may have only been fought for hard in

the past four decades, but fighting for equal rights have been an issue for centuries upon
centuries and it is not something that will be given up easily.