Bigotry and prejudice still exist in our evolving society, and traditionally people fear what is strange and unfamiliar to them. Although people have the freedom of speech and expression, they do not have the liberty to impose their beliefs on another person. It is understandable that not everybody will possess similar opinions and creeds;

We must understand that marriage itself has already been through a cycle of changes and these changes must continue until it fully transforms into an institution suitable for all people. Society must remember the 1959 Virginia Court case wherein Richard Loving, a white male, attempted to marry Mildred Jeter, an African American woman. A marriage license was automatically denied to the couple who chose to marry just like many homosexuals in today’s society. When they went to court to rectify their situation, the couple was faced with the fact that they were going to be jailed because of their illegal marriage (Wang). While such a ruling would be considered preposterous today, it must become logical that if bans on interracial marriage have been declared unconstitutional, the same bans on homosexual marriage must be overturned. Besides the interracial change, marriage has seen many slight modifications. Western law guarantees that wives are equal partners in marriages unlike the subordinate creatures they were once considered as.

Marriage should change shape because gay couples exhibit the same values and want the same things as straight couples do. Every couple wants to experience marriage for the same reasons: the mental benefit of solidifying and clarifying one’s commitment; the symbolic and spiritual importance of the ritual; and the emotional components of a public declaration and celebration. Gays and lesbians are raised in the same culture as everyone else. When they settle down, they want gold band, legal documents, and they want kids. They are loyal, monogamous mates who are devoted to each other and value and participate in family life. Their sexual orientation does not prevent them from being involved parents who care about their family’s well-being. They make valuable contributions to their communities by serving on school boards, volunteering in community chairs, and trying to be all-around good citizens. The relationships that the gay community pursues are not the dangerous ones that deserve any discrimination. They are exactly the same as any heterosexual relationship, besides their sexual orientation. Both gay and married and to be gay and still part of the rest of society; they want to be equal.

Gays and lesbians are the only group in America whose members are not permitted to marry the partner they love; heterosexuality has become the criterion. The application process for obtaining a marriage license for heterosexuals is simple and surprisingly easier than applying for a driver’s license in some states. Convicted felons, divorced parents who refuse to pay child support, and delinquent tax-payers all receive marriage licenses from the state just as long as they are heterosexual. As long as they are heterosexual, pedophiles, transvestites, transsexuals, sadists, sodomites, and hermaphrodites can be married. The state grants couples’ marriage licenses regardless if they are good people or will treat one another good. It even disregards any evidence that one partner may be abusive. The state will grant a marriage license despite society’s disapproval of their sexual orientation, unless they are homosexual. Heterosexuality is insisted by states as a criterion for marriage; therefore, these states are denying a formal equality for gay and lesbian citizens.

Gays and lesbians desire to strengthen the institution of marriage, not destroy it.

Some topics in this essay:
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