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Across the span of human history, controversy has evolved, changing with the pace of society and humanity's ever-maturing ideas. The idea of a "colored" man or woman mingling with America's Caucasian community was once considered ludicrous, the very thought of marriage was blasphemous. Today, however, interracial couples are everywhere as these walls between races have been broken down. It was once believed that the sole purpose of a woman was to serve her husband. Women were prohibited by law to own anything, making them at the complete mercy of their husbands and fathers. Today, women are able to assert their independence from men. The role of child caregiver has been balancing out between the sexes in recent years, giving women more opportunities to venture into the world of business and politics, as they see fit. One controversy in today's world deals with the homosexual community. Though homosexuality is slowly gaining acceptance as a normal part of society, many people are still avidly and vocally against same-sex partnerships. Religious groups spend millions of dollars yearly campaigning against homosexuality, claiming that it is a sin against God. Even political figures cry out against the gay communities and use their positions of power to hinder such things as same-sex marriage. Such discrimination gives the same impression that segregation against African Americans did fifty years ago, that homosexuals are somehow sub-human because they are different from so-called "normal" society. For this reason, and many others, the right to marriage should not be denied to homosexuals. It has long been thought by advocates against homosexuality, as well as those who are simply uneducated on the matter, that being attracted to someone who is the same sex is a conscious choice. This, however, is not true in most cases. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), "[s]exual orientation emerges for most people in adolescence without any prior sexual experience." Though scientists have not agreed on whether sexual orientation is biological, due to environmental factors, or a mixture of the two, the APA does assert that a person's sexual preference is not a choice in most cases. ("Answers") Also, for a long time it was believed that homosexuality was a mental disorder. According to the APA, psychologists and psychiatrists thought of homosexuality as a disorder in the past because the studies involving homosexuality involved only gays in therapy. However, further investigation in this matter has proved that that assumption is, in fact, incorrect. In 1973, homosexuality was removed as a mental disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the APA's official listing of all mental and emotional disorders. Also, in 1975 the APA passed a resolution to support homosexuality's removal from the DSM ("Answers"). In many states discrimination against someone because of their religion, skin colour, and even their sexual orientation is illegal. However, in no state in the United States is it legal for a same-sex couple to be truly married with full rights under the law, which is discrimination by the state. Also, because gay and lesbian couples are not allowed to be legally married, they must spend thousands of dollars per year to get an approximation of a heterosexual's marital status. Not only that, but if one partner in a gay couple dies or becomes seriously ill, family can challenge the legal documentation in court (Table). This denial of legal marriage entails a denial of over 170 laws per state and well over a thousand federally (Table). Among these laws are the rights to file joint taxes, receive Social Security, disability, and other financial benefits, not to mention being able to sue a third party for wrongful death of a spouse and being able to avoid deportation of a non-citizen spouse, just to name a few (Legal). One of the many arguments against homosexual marriage is that it is a sin against God. This statement, usually voiced by Christian sects who are avidly against same-sex relationships of any kind, is backed up by various scripture taken from the Bible and, in the case of the Mormons, the Book of Mormon. One of the more popular Bible verses is "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22). Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the Mormon church, said, "Prophets of God have repeatedly taught through the ages that practices of homosexual relations, fornication, and adultery are grievous sins." (Byrd). These messages are the basis for the Christian stand against homosexual marriage. Whether or not homosexuality is a sin against God is not something one can argue. What one can argue, however, is that legal marriage is a totally separate entity from religious marriage, or weddings. A legal marriage constitutes a binding of two people in the face of the law and comes with the aforementioned benefits, as well as many others. To be legally married a couple has to pay a fee to get a marriage license that is recognized by the state. Religious marriage is a union of two people in the face of their deity, and is not recognized by the state. People who marry in a religious ceremony still have to get a marriage license in order for them to get all of the legal benefits of state marriage (Table). Another major argument against same-sex marriage is that it would defile traditional marriage. Such politicians as Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich have fought against same-sex marriages because of said reason (Table). According to those standing against gay marriage, the traditional family consists of a man, a woman, and their children and that allowing gay couples to marry would destroy the foundations of such marriages. It is also believed that gay men are more likely to molest children, and so they should not be allowed to have children ("Answers"). Traditional marriage is a relative term. During Biblical times, and even during the 1800's by the Mormons, polygamy was openly practiced. Throughout history marriages in upper classes and royalty around the world were arranged in order to gain possession of lands or to keep the bloodline pure, and rarely were out of love. It is only relatively recently that marriage has been confined to a man and a woman who chose each other out of love, and even now this is not a universal concept. Also, in today's society many families consist of a single parent and a child, or a couple and no children at all. Therefore, allowing same-sex marriages cannot harm the foundation of traditional marriage, as no such thing truly exists. As for the matter of gay men being more likely to molest children, the APA has found that "there is no evidence indicating that homosexuals are more likely than heterosexuals to molest children." To deny a homosexual couple from joining together in lawful marriage with all the benefits that it entails, they are being denied the basic right of equality. No matter the argument, the fact of the matter is that gays deserve the right to have a legal spouse as much as any heterosexual person. To deny this right because of something that is not a conscious choice on the homosexual's part is unethical and inhumane. Such discrimination is remnant of days past when African Americans had separate drinking fountains and women weren't allowed to marry without their father's permission.
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