by Jo Howard

Created on: September 19, 2008   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

Same-sex marriage is a very controversial topic that raises many questions. The citizens of the United States of America are often mixed on whether they support a law that would legalize same-sex marriage or not. As debate rages on, the fact remains that same-sex marriage should be legalized within the United States. The freedom to marry is a social right and the opportunity should be given to all Americans.

There are quite a few reasons people oppose same-sex marriage. For example, some question whether legalizing the marriage of homosexuals would then lead to legalizing incest or polygamy (Krauthammer, 1996). Others take a more traditional position on their argument, claiming that marriage is meant for one man and one woman (Jost, 2003). The groups rallying together to keep marriage heterosexual in nature include Focus on the Family, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Christian Coalition (Grieve, Bates, & Swanson, 2004). Another claim against same-sex marriage is that it would in turn teach Americans that "the sexes do not need each other" (Jost, 2003). As the opposition continues their argument, they also insist that they are fighting for the morality of the country, God's law ("Gay Marriage", 2006), and the safety of children.

The United States of America has gone through many changes concerning marriage since its creation. In an article by David Masci (2004) it is stated that, up until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, marrying for love was not very common. Yet, in today's American culture it is familiar for a person to choose to marry for love instead of economic reasons. As the eighteenth century passed, citizens of this country began to choose how they lived their own lives, including whom they should marry (Masci, 2004).

This evolution of marriage customs and ideals continued in the mid-1900s with the abolishment of miscegenation laws, which banned interracial marriage (Masci, 2004). These laws were destroyed because they discriminated against members of the United States. As the country progresses into the twenty-first century, it would make sense to continue this healthy evolution of marriage and accept another form of marriage that not only defies race but sex.

The United States isn't the only country to begin this debate. Many other countries have decided to approach the topic of same-sex marriage and come to a decision concerning its legalization. This started in 1989 when Denmark passed the first national civil union law, which provided

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