The national debate of homosexuality and gay marriage has been a controversial topic for essentially the last 20 years, particularly spewing activism, new laws, and social blockades between our society and the people in it in the last 5 years. Homosexuality, simply a sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex, results in another epidemic: homophobia. Homophobia is an aversion to homosexuality. The ideas of being homosexual and being averted to homosexuality are two different things, obviously, though they share a few key characteristics. It’s difficult talking about these things and expressing opinions about them, because a simple differentiating opinion can easily rub someone the wrong way.

Homosexuality is typically mentioned by means of two human beings, be it two men, or two women. Do mind though, that homosexuality is common in hundreds of animals, such as salmon, chickens, and chimpanzees, just to name a few. Homosexuality, odd enough, has been a “problem” throughout the entire world, America being one of the largest to rebut it. Homosexual marriage is only legal in 9 states out of the 50 states of the US. Countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, and Canada have legalized gay marriage in the last 15 years. The support of it comes from things such as the freedom of marriage, philosophy of love, and Liberistic equality. Freedom of marriage supports the idea that anyone may marry who they wish, regardless of race, ethnicity, and gender. Philosophy of love is incredibly biased, but shows that the idea of love never should depend on who it’s with and who should be worried about it. Liberistic equality supports new-founding ideas of equality among others, such as women’s voting, to a nation-wide debate now: gay marriage.

Homophobia averts the idea of homosexuality, and the disapproval stems from several things: conservative marriage, religious views, and uncomfortability. Many who oppose homosexuality and homosexual marriage are often uneducated about the biology of it as well. Conservative marriage typically proposes the idea that marriage is meant to be between a man and a women. It often frustrates those who believe that to think any other union of love is to be thought of, and is considered unnatural to many. Religious beliefs usually stemming from Christianity propose homosexuality being an abomination. Finally, the simplicity of persons being uncomfortable being around homosexual couples revolts the idea of homosexuality, directly connecting to the phobia. Typically, homosexuality oppositions are highly based on moral standards.

Though homophobia opposes homosexuality, they both tend to have ideas in common. Both homosexuality and being against it are ideas equally bashed on by society, either supporting homosexuals or the couples a part of it, or condemning them. Each topic is also highly debated by morals and values of marriage. Another simple comparison is that several people are also highly uncomfortable with either topic, be it people who are homosexual, or people who are opposed to it. It’s interesting to see two opposite topics have the same comparisons.

Personally, I fully support the legalization of gay marriage and refuse to distinguish the definition of love by the gender in which it exists, and I’m sure plenty beg to differ. Comparing and contrasting things, such as controversial topics such as homosexuality as a whole, is an important role in understanding arguments, rebuttals, and personal stances of such topics.