     Marriage is a commitment between two spouses that promises love and loyalty. Not only does it come with that forever bond between you and your lover, but it also grants them other benefits such as a simple hospital visit to your husband or wife. All people should be granted this right no matter who they decide to marry.  One should be able to marry the person they love no matter what gender they are.  As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Marriage is a basic human right. You cannot tell people they cannot fall in love.”  Same-sex marriage should be legalized everywhere; it is truly heartbreaking that it is not fully socially accepted around the world.

Contrary to popular belief, same-sex marriage has been around since the ancient times. There are many artifacts and artwork depicting same-sex marital practices and rituals from Mesopotamia.  According to Eskridge, it was accepted in ancient times and there were no laws that restricted same-sex marriage in the Code of Hammurabi or the recorded laws of Mesopotamia. In some parts of ancient Greece, a relationship between two men was a sign of masculinity. “The main considerations in same-sex relationships in early history were often love, beauty, and excellence of character rather than gender” (Dynes).  In records from ancient Greek mythology, there were gods that were valued as high as Zeus that were homosexual. The formation of same-sex unions also existed in ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt.

The Bible and Christian beliefs are known to be the start of the current controversy over same-sex marriage. People who live in line with the values of The Bible are taught to believe that homosexuality is just as sinful as committing a murder. In Leviticus 20:13 it states, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” At one point, homosexuality was considered a mental illness as recognized by the DSM of Psychology. The Bible describes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman and that same-sex marriage is seen to be immoral. The reason that many people are against homosexuality and why it was illegal is because of the religious belief that “homosexuals are sinners.” Alex King states, “Such a religious perspective should have no place in federal, legal matters in the US. We live a secular society that maintains secular views.” Religious views should have no effect on the government.  There should be separation between church and state. 

In the United States, the talk of same-sex marriage had started around the late 1900s. During this time, gay activists were fighting for the right to marry.  In 1970 the first gay couple applied for a marriage license. “The issue of gay marriage arose from the 1990’s, as three same-sex couples filed a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii for the prohibition of gay marriage in US” (Bower, 2010).  This caught the world’s eye and soon led to the creation and approval of the Defense of Marriage Act which was signed by Bill Clinton in 1996.  This law stated that marriage was strictly between a man and woman.  Many people protested against government proposal to legalize same-sex marriage, which they say would undermine traditional families. In the Pew Research Center polling in 2001, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a margin of 57% to 35%.  It wasn’t until 2004 when the first same-sex couple was legally married. 

Many religious groups who oppose same-sex unions claim that marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of a stable family because it leads to children who will grow up to be successful.  Many believe it could have a negative effect on a child if they deprive them a mother or a father. Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus released a comprehensive study titled “How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships?” According to Regnerus, he found that for a majority of outcomes, children raised by parents with same-sex relationships drastically underperformed children raised in a household with married, biological parents. Some also believe that raising a kid in a same-sex household could make them gay which has been proven to be false. Allowing gay couples to wed, many argue, “will radically redefine marriage and further weaken it at a time when an institution is already in deep trouble due to high divorce rates and the significant number of out-of-wedlock births” (MASCI). Evidence shows that same-sex parenting does not have a negative effect on child development. “A recent study conducted by the University of Colorado adds to claims in favor of same-sex parenting, finding that children of same-sex couples have “no difference” on range of social and behavioral outcomes” (Magaldi). Gay households can be just as loving and supportive as an environment for raising children as gay households; the gender of your parents does not matter.

Denying a homosexual rights is a violation of religious freedom and minority discrimination. Our nation is supposed to be committed to equality among its citizens.  In 1942, in Skinner v. Oklahoma, the US Supreme Court ruled that marriage is one of the basic civil rights granted to US citizens. Civil rights are the rights the citizens have to political and social freedom and equality, despite the person's sexuality. Another Supreme Court case in 1967, Loving v. Virginia, affirmed that “the freedom to marry has long since been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.” The First Amendment of the Constitution states that a person’s religious beliefs and the way they exercise those beliefs should be protected. Not only does this restriction on same-sex couples violate the First Amendment, but it violates the Fourteenth Amendment as well. This is a major reason why states started to look into this issue. Many of the states’ decisions rested in part on the court's Fourteenth Amendment; the Justices ruled that limiting marriage only to heterosexual couples violates the Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Marriage is between two individuals that love each other. This has no effect on anyone besides the two people in the relationship. People get married not only for the recognition socially, but to give their partner a sign of love. Accepting gay marriage does not change the lifestyle of those who oppose it. Allowing same-sex couples to get married grants them legal, health, social, and economic benefits that will protect and help them throughout their lives. Once society acknowledges that same-sex couples isn’t about being gay or lesbian but about being human and wanting to do normal things like get married and have a family, then we can see that what we’re really fighting for is everyone’s right to live their best lives.

Getting married is also very expensive and doesn’t only benefit you and your loved one. According to The Knot’s annual survey, the average cost of a wedding in 2016 was $35,329. This money is used toward wedding planners, transportation, florists, location, dresses, etc. This money would go to people who work for these types of businesses and helps the working class America. Granting homosexuals the right to marry would help the United States economically.

The biggest benefit a married couple can receive is the tax advantages. Blank Rome and partner Dylan S. Mitchell says, "You can transfer an unlimited amount of assets to your spouse at any time, free from tax. That also includes leaving assets in your estate to your spouse without estate or gift tax subjection." Another benefit that married couples have is the relief of both federal and Social Security taxes, thanks to the slightly lower tax rates related with joint filing.  According to Forbes Magazine, “Married couples pay out a combined 29% of their salaries compared with the 35% a single person pays.”  Although there are many advantages to being married, when you take homosexuals into account for this, same-sex families are paying $6,000 more in taxes compared to heterosexual couples, according to an analysis by H&R Block.

Another legal benefit that married couples are granted is the visiting rights in places where visiting is strictly immediate family, such as hospitals and jails. The case in Florida is a perfect example of such benefits that are denied. A lesbian couple, of 18 years, was on vacation when one of the women collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. The other was denied access to visit her dying partner in the hospital because she was not acknowledged like a family member. If they were able to marry, this would not have been the case. Legalizing same sex marriage would allow each couple to be on the same health plan as well as claim rights to belongings and inheritance. If married heterosexual couples have these rights, so should homosexual couples (Brumbaugh, 345).

Not only does it deny you the right to see your loved one, it denies you the right to make critical medical decisions for you partner if they are unable to do so themselves. If your loved one passes away the spouse is also given the right to deal with their funeral services and what happens to the body after he or she passes.

A social benefit that is huge when one gets married is the ability to adopt a child together. Many agencies will only release children to “married couples.” The legalization of gay marriage would increase the number of child adoptions dramatically. Since same-sex couples cannot conceive, they should be able to adopt a child who does not have a loving caring family. 

It is believed that marriage increases social stability. “Homosexuals usually have a higher risk of sexual lifestyle than straights, for example having frequent, unprotected sex with many partners (Messerli, 2009)” Having the bond of marriage would help to develop a healthier lifestyle because couples are now committed to living the rest of their lives together.

    There are also many health benefits to getting married. A successful marriage leads to people having strong family values and even helps one’s physical and mental health. It is a proven fact that married couples are happier, healthier, and less likely to get sick. “Unmarried women and men are more likely to have a lower life expectancy, with half times and five times more likely to die in any given year than married couples respectively. In addition, being unmarried shortens a man’s life by ten years” (Rose and Mirowsky, 1990). People who are married are less likely to get into a fight, drink and drive, and take dangerous risks. 

Married couples have a smaller chance of developing depression than singles due to the higher level of serotonin. Serotonin is a natural antidepressant; people who are depressed lack this certain neurotransmitter.  Depression has greatly affected the LGBT community, in part because they could not marry the love of their lives. According to Brad Brenner, “Somewhere between 30 and 60 percent of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgendered people dealt with anxiety and depression at some point in their lives. That rate is 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than that of their straight or gender-conforming counterparts.” These rates are extremely high and part of the reason for this is because the non-acceptance of gay marriage and the constant discrimination creates a lot of anxiety and difficulty in their lives. Allowing homosexuals to get married will lower these rates and help them feel more accepted in  the world and create a more welcoming society.

In fact, “The same-sex couples who got civil unions in Vermont in 2000 will always be the longest legal gay couples in North America,” said Esther Rothblum, a professor of women’s studies at San Diego State University and an author of the research. One of the most notable findings was that by nearly every measure, same-sex couples reported higher levels of happiness in their relationships than straight couples. Gay couples announced far less encounters than heterosexual couples and higher levels of togetherness and affection. One reason same-sex couples may report more intimacy and less conflict is that their relationships tend to be less described by traditional roles.  Men, gay, bisexual or straight, often find it effortless to communicate and share their outlooks with other men. Likewise, women typically find communication easier with other women.

A main reason why many people argue against same-sex marriage is because of the misunderstanding of what homosexuality means. “For a long time, people have been considered homosexuality as a form of “deviant sexual behavior (Messerli, 2009).” Many believe that sexual orientation is a choice and that people choose to be gay; but scientific evidence states otherwise.  Humans are not the only organisms that can be attracted to the same sex. Tia Ghose states, “Lions, chimpanzees, bison, and dolphins have also been spotted in same-sex pairings. And nearly 130 bird species have been observed engaging in sexual activities with same-sex partners.” According to a 2014 study in the journal Psychological Medicine, a gene on the X chromosome (one of the sex chromosomes) called Xq28 and a gene on chromosome 8, seem to be found in higher prevalence in men who are gay. Other studies show that homosexuality runs in families. “It's also more likely for two identical twins, who share all of their genes, to both be gay than it is for two fraternal twins, who share just half of their genes, to both be homosexual” (Ghose). People often describe being gay as an attraction that cannot be shut off. Being gay is not a choice and discriminating against someone for something they cannot control is seen as unlawful, similar to against discriminating someone for the color of their skin.

In the United States, more than 50% of married couples end up eventually getting a divorce. According to Alex King, “studies show that the US has one of the highest divorce rates compared to other countries.”  If same-sex couples were granted the right to get married this rate would drop. In 2004, Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage. Over the course of five years after legalization the divorce rate in Massachusetts lowered by 21% and had the lowest divorce rate in the country at that time. This shows that the legalization of gay marriage could lower the divorce rate.

On June 26, 2015, The United States Supreme Court had ruling of 5-4 in favor of same-sex marriage; legalizing it in all fifty states. There has been an estimate of 123,000 same-sex marriages since the legalization across the U.S.  Even though it is legalized, there are still many issues homosexuals face today, in the eyes of the law and society. 

Marriage is a right that all people should have access to.  The legalization of same-sex marriage has positively changed many lives. All people should be able to express the way they feel and not feel discriminated against for being who they are.
