Many consider the fight to legalize gay marriage the new Civil Rights Movement. When the issue first came to my attention, I assumed it would be resolved quickly. After all, the United States Declaration of Independence does list the “pursuit of happiness” as one of mankind’s “unalienable rights.” I believe that people should be able to make their own decisions without interference from other’s opinions as long as no one is harmed in the process, but apparently everyone does not feel the same way. Therefore I examined a few cons of same-sex marriage to better understand the conflict.
One of the common arguments is that same-sex couples cannot produce children together. It is true that same-sex couples cannot produce children without the aid of in vitro fertilization or a surrogate mother, but the same can be said about many heterosexual married couples. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10% of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 44 are infertile. Should these women not be allowed to marry because of their inability to produce children without assistance?
To supplement the previous con, it is claimed that a child
needs to be raised by both a mother and father. However, there are presently
over 20 million children being raised in a single parent household either
without a mother or a father present. A U.S. Bureau report showed that in 2009
there were approximately 13.7 million single parents in the country. If a
single parent can raise a child without partnering with a member of the
opposite sex, two parents of the same sex should also be able to.
Another argument is that “people should not have their tax
dollars used to support something they believe is wrong.” If same-sex marriage
is legalized they would be allowed tax exemptions for their spouse and other
marriage benefits. The United States is a democratic nation. That implies that
there may be opposing opinions; however, the majority’s opinion rules the
union. And rather someone supports the morals of a law or not, it is their duty
as a democratic citizen to support the majority’s decision.
The most common argument is that “marriage is a religious rite
between one man and one woman” and that same-sex marriage is “incompatible…with
many religious groups.” However, religion should not be taken into
consideration within the legislative system. The Establishment Clause of the
First Amendment prevents the government from preferring one religion. This
inherently separates state from religion. Therefore, religious opinions should
not be factors in legislative decisions.
In sum, opponents of same-sex marriage oppose the practice
from fear of negative effects the changes may cause in society: children
without mothers or fathers and a devaluation of the institution of marriage.
Similarly opponents of the African American Civil Rights Movement feared the
negative effects that integration would have on society: interracial marriage and
social and economic equality. However, in time the nation came to realize that
those fears were not only unwarranted, but that they were not negative
consequences. Interracial marriage is no longer a taboo and it is culturally accepted
that everyone is equal regardless of race and sex. Perhaps if same-sex marriage
was legalized, our fears towards it would be alleviated.
I definitely agree with you about the similarities between the two movements. I think people with marginalized identities are treated in some similar ways, and that is often based on fear.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I worry about comparing the two movements to such a strong degree. Sometimes I think when people say gay rights is the new civil rights, they might be implying that the civil rights struggle is over and people of color have all the rights and liberties they want or deserve.
As Andrea said, I do not think the two movements can be totally compared. They are both fighting for justice, equality and their freedom rights; however they do not have the same background. There has been some violence against same-sex couples but I do not think we can compare it to the decades of intense suffering that were imposed on African Americans. They were completely deprived of their humanity.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I agree that it deals with the same situation: a group of people trying to prevent others from enjoying their Civil Rights and Liberties. As it took a long time after the Brown Versus Board of Education (1954) to desegregate schools, I think it will take time for same-sex couples to become a part of our culture.
In May 2013, France legalized gay marriage; however there are still a lot of protests in the streets from people who wants to deny it. Making their marriage legal definitely was a big step forward but the discrimination will not stop right away. This is how I think the two movements are related, they have to keep fighting for their rights, even if we live in a society where, as you mentioned, we all have “unalienable rights.”
The two movements definitely have similarities, even if they are not totally comparable. Civil rights is by no means over, as Andrea said, so it is not entirely correct to call the fight for gay marriage "today's civil rights movement," though it certainly is a similar and very important contemporary movement.
ReplyDeleteIn both movements, supporters and opposition turn to religion to support their views. I find this interesting, as religion and church-going were essential elements of the civil rights movement and black culture. The church provided blacks with a meeting place as well as a community - in many ways, it was the epicenter of black congregation and culture. In contrast, churches have, typically, not provided such support for the LGBTQ community. While there are instances where churches have supported gay rights, many have not, and either remain silent on the issue, or denounce gay marriage. This is a very interesting and important contrast between the two movements: the church was a crucial element of the civil rights movement, while church have proven to be accepting at best, and belligerent at worst towards the fight for gay marriage.