Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Debate on Same-Sex Marriage

    Recently the Supreme Court has been spending a lot of time on the case of same-sex marriage. LGBTQ members of the United States are battling for their rights to marry, while some conservatives are fighting to keep it the way it is. As of March 2013, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Maryland, and Washington have legalized same-sex marriage. So why is the rest of the country still debating?
    Sarah Rahim, a sophomore at Watertown High School, argues that being gay “is by choice” and that same-sex marriage makes people uncomfortable, so it shouldn’t be legalized. She’s not the only person with this opinion. In fact, there are many people with stronger opinions than hers. There’s a Facebook page called “I bet we can get 10 million or more people AGAINST gay marriage” which currently has 5,554 likes. Among others, Jimmie Walker, Chris Brown, 50 Cent, and, of course, Sarah Palin, have expressed being against same-sex marriage. Some of the arguments against same-sex marriage include the fact that having it legalized would raise taxes (Gay Marriage ProCon.org), and that it makes “traditional” marriage less meaningful.
    But don’t be discouraged, there are even more people for same-sex marriage! In May 2012, 53% of Americans said that they thought it should be legalized. Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Lady Gaga, Anne Hathaway, and Hillary Clinton are all in support of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. Beyonce has posted lots of supporting images on her social media sites including one on Facebook saying, “If you like it, you should be able to put a ring on it.” Four out of the five people I interviewed were for same-sex marriage, with the main reason being that the legalization would make LGBTQ people more comfortable with coming out and being themselves.
    The debate for same-sex marriage is ongoing and no one knows when it will end, but hopefully when it does, we will have the right solution - and one that provides support for everyone. 

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