Homosexual Relations: A Question of Equal Rights
Homosexual Relations: A Question of Equal Rights When people think of gay rights they think that homosexual people want to have special rights, rights that heterosexuals do not have, but this idea is entirely wrong. Homosexuals just want to have the same rights as heterosexuals, nothing more, and nothing less. Homosexuals are a growing minority with nearly a million gays and lesbians identifying themselves as members of same-sex couples in the 2000 census. But the total gay population is much larger, since the census did not provide an opportunity for single homosexuals to identify their sexual orientation, and did not count gay couples who live apart (Mason 1). There are no legitimate reasons why homosexuals should not have the same rights as heterosexuals. Our country disgraces itself when it "accepts homosexuality as a sufficient cause for deprivation of normal civil rights" (Nava, Dawidoff 144). If a homosexual is a United States citizen, they should receive the same rights as all other citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbians deserve the right to marry, to serve in the military, and to not be discriminated against. Marriage is ever changing. Wives are now equal rather than subordinate partner
Is it just to tell homosexuals in the military that "you can give your life for your country, but you can't live your life in your country" (Nava, Dawidoff 150)? 4People are judged and discriminated against because they are different, but that does not make it correct. Homosexuals are for the most part banned because, when asked in a survey, 75% of men in the military and 50% of women in the military strongly opposed gays in the military. Letting homosexuals marry will not hinder our society in any way. Although there have been homosexuals in the military, they are not acknowledged and their sexual preference is ignored. 6Jackson, Benjamin. If a homosexual is a United States citizen they should receive the same rights as all other citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Marriage provides automatic legal protections for the spouse, including medical visitation, succession of a deceased spouse's property, as well as pension and other rights" (Stoddard 41). The only difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals are the people they are attracted to, something that cannot be changed. s; interracial marriage is now widely accepted; and marital failure itself, rather than the fault of one partner, may be grounds for a divorce (Stoddard 32). Same-sex couples have just as much intimacy and need for marital privacy as heterosexual couples; and any laws allowing heterosexual, but not same-sex, couples to marry infringes upon and discriminates against their fundamental right" (Stoddard 34). Gay men and lesbians warrant the same rights as heterosexuals because we are all humans. Many gay men and lesbians in the military are ostracized for their lifestyle choices and must drop out because of the open discrimination against them, or they are dishonorably discharged. European countries that have legalized same-sex marriages have not seen any 3changes in their countries other than feeling more unified.
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Acceptance Essays
