Блог учителя англійської мови Скорнякової М.Є.
LEGALIZATION OF SINGLE-SEX MARRIAGES: Proponents’ View
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Maria Kostenko, 11b: “I’d like to say that the freedom of choice is a fundamental right is our time. Both gay and heterosexual couples deserve the legal rights associated with marriage. Love and marriage should be a purely personal choice and government shouldn’t intervene in the private lives of people, dictating who can marry and who can’t.”
Imagine a pair of people, who have amorous feelings to each other. Nonetheless, they can’t be together due to the uncooperative attitude of society. You may think I keep in mind Romeo and Juliet of the 21st century, but no. We are talking about people of the same gender, who must lurk and pretend they have normal sexual orientation. Is not it crazy in our time? The way I see it, everyone should have the right to be themselves. If you are blissful exactly with this person, why should you refuse it? Let’s be honest, in this cruel world you are loner till you find someone, who will be ready to help you even to their own detriment. So if you are gay and are reading this essay, spit right on the opinion of the society and continue to live happily.
The first point I would like to raise is that gay-marriages should be legalized to give all people an opportunity to have equal rights. Marriage is a successful institution and it makes sense to make it accessible it to as many people as possible. Since the beginning of history, couples have sought to seal their love and solemnly bind themselves together through marriage. Giving same-sex couples the possibility to have that bond will strengthen society. Legalization of same-sex marriages recognizes the reality: there are gay people, they love each other and they want to commit to each other through marriage in the same way as straight couples. However, the same-sex couples are completely deprived of the legal rights and benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy. For instance, why lovers in straight pairs can get an inheritance after one of them dies and in gay couples this is impossible? Not to mention the fact that hospitals can’t legally allow gay partners to receive medical information about their condition without a blood relative present. Legalizing gay marriage will allow gay couples hospital visitation rights and respect the validity of their marriage by letting them make medical decisions on behalf of their wifes or husbands. Apart from that, the legalization of the same-sex marriages won’t affect any aspects of same-sex marriages — directly or indirectly. So, why to be so strongly opposed to this prospect?
Another major reason is that the legalization of the same-sex marriages will be the first step to a more tolerant attitude to homosexual couples. It is not a secret, that in our country a big part of people are against this type of relationships being extremely aggressive and insulting. It often leads to horrible consequences. Teenagers commit suicide as a result of bullying at schools because of their homosexual orientation. Legalizing gay marriage will show teens that homosexuality is accepted and respected in society. We need to explain to younger generations that being different is not a social disability, so that they will never feel the need to put an end to their own lives because they are gay.
Opponents of my view say that the purpose of marriage is to procreate, and same-sex couples can’t have children. So should we also prohibit straight couples from getting married if they’re biologically incapable of having kids? What about if they simply don’t want kids? The percentage of married couples with children has been declining over the last years, but couples who don't want kids can still get married. In addition, there are plenty of legal benefits for straight married couples. Should the government prevent straight couples from receiving those benefits until they have kids?
To make a conclusion I’d like to say that the freedom of choice is a fundamental right is our time. Both gay and heterosexual couples deserve the legal rights associated with marriage. Love and marriage should be a purely personal choice and government shouldn’t intervene in the private lives of people, dictating who can marry and who can’t.