Discrimination and the persecution of minorities are at all time highs when it comes to the issue of homosexual rights. Although there is no valid reason for homosexuals to not be married, the government, based on religious principles, has denied them this right. Same sex marriage is a basic entitlement that should not be disallowed on the basis of homophobia.


One of the first arguments against same sex marriage is that it is not natural. Americans, for centuries, have embraced the unnatural. Society praises inventions such as polyester, air conditioning, and plastic surgery. Human beings’ very existence depends on evolution and change. Without it, the human race would still be living in caves and chasing after wild beasts with clubs. In America, separation of church and state has been growing because of the newfound obsession with being politically correct. However, it is the religious leaders arguing that if marriage laws haven’t been changed yet, why change them now? After all, even though divorce, the destruction of marriage, is perfectly legal, the joining of two people in love should not be. As William Sloane Coffin said, "In reality, there are no biblical literalists, only selective literalists. By abolishing slavery and ordaining women, millions of Protestants have gone far beyond biblical literalism. It's time we did the same for homophobia."
Britney Spears’s 55 hour marriage, Las Vegas weddings, and the divorce rate for heterosexual couples at 40%, degrades the value of a marriage. Its sanctity has been lost; causing younger generations to not believe in marriage. Allowing two people of the same gender to be joined in marriage does not make traditional marriages any less meaningful. Society has no right to tell two people in love that they cannot be together. The opposition argues that homosexual couples cannot procreate. However, neither can infertile couples, elderly couples, or paraplegic couples. The orphanages in America and other countries are overflowing already, each filled to the brim with children wanting homes. A child does not need a male and a female “parent” to succeed. If they did, single parent homes would also be outlawed. Homophobia has spread the belief that same sex couples will raise gay children. Gay people do not encourage straight people to be gay, because they are aware enough to know it’s useless. They realize that in order to be homosexual, you must be born homosexual.
When a couple partakes in marriage, they are making a lifelong commitment to each other. Regardless of whether the couple is straight or gay, both individuals are making a promise of forever love for the other. No matter how society pressures them, a person will not magically turn straight overnight and leave their partner. Homosexuality is not a fad, or a disease. It cannot be “cured”, and the very idea that it would need to be is offensive. The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of official mental illnesses in 1973, as did the American Psychological Association in 1974. As a result of many extensive studies, scientists have discovered that it is impossible for someone to convince another to change their sexual proclivity. An individual’s sexual identity is an intrinsic unalterable preference for a distinct gender.


Marriage unites between two people who love each other. Regardless of whether the couple is male-female, female-female, or male-male, love is love. The Pledge of Allegiance says that America offers “liberty and justice for all”, not “liberty and justice for all – unless you’re gay.” Equality is what the United States is founded on. People of the same gender should be legally permitted to enter a union with the person they love. To not allow same sex marriage is narrow minded discrimination that will not be tolerated.