Final Draft

In the United States, one of the most debated issues concerning gay rights is whether or not they should be allowed to marry. Each side of this argument has valid points; however, eventually there has to be a compromise. My side of the argument was that gay marriage and other considerations based upon homosexual orientation should not be recognized because it would cause many problems within society, as it is currently structured. Many believe that gay marriage is religiously immoral, unnatural, that it would cause child rearing and adoption problems, along with other issues. However, after studying and researching this issue, I have come to a compromise that homosexual couples should be given many of the rights and benefits that heterosexual couples have; however, marriage should not be one of them.
One of the main issues with same-sex marriage that is continually debated is its sacrilegious aspect of it. Christianity is the dominant religion in the United States. The Bible states that only a man and a woman can marry, and that it is sinful for a man and man or a woman and a woman to marry, Romans 1:26-27 says:
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did not change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet” (Homosexuality in the Christian Scriptures).
However, I do believe that homosexuals should be allowed Civil Unions, in which they should have all the same benefits as married heterosexual couples, but they will never be married under God and should never be married under the law. Homosexual couples should be allowed to express their love for one another and receive all normal benefits because this is the United States and it is a free country. In general, the government does not have the right to base its decision on legalizing or not legalizing gay marriage based on religious views. At the same time, homosexuals should not be discriminated against: “They are the ones being told that their love and commitment is not worthy of being solemnized by marriage; that their relationships are not worth the legal protection that marriage would bring; that their life partners cannot be stepparents to their children, and so forth” (Same Sex Marriage and the Constitution, pg 59). All of this discrimination presented in the preceding quote is not fair because everyone should be treated equally; however, homosexuals should not be allowed the title of marriage because the general, as well as the religious, definition of marriage requires a party from each sex.
Homosexual couples should be allowed to live together in Civil Unions, in which they should receive the same benefits as married heterosexual couples that live together. “Civil marriage provides families with over 1400 rights, protections, and responsibilities. Many of these benefits are employment and family benefits” (Marriage is a Worker’s Issue). A few of these benefits include: access to social security protections, access to family and medical leave protections, and access to worker’s compensation. Without these certain important benefits, families of homosexual couples could suffer many problems. In addition to these benefits, another important marriage benefit is access to COBRA, which pertains to health insurance. Certain jobs cover the worker and their spouse’s health insurance, but if the spouse is of the same sex, and the worker dies, then he or she is not covered by the health insurance anymore. This can cause serious problems for certain families, which is why homosexual couples living in a Union need to be granted this benefit. Another benefit that married couples receive is that their taxes are lowered. This would help many homosexual couples and should be allotted to them. However, some say that allowing these same sex couples these benefits will create problems in society. The government is worried that if all same sex couples living in Unions are given tax breaks, the burden that would be created by the loss of revenue for the government would fall too hard on the rest of the nation. Also, many believe that homosexual couples are more costly to insure because they generally live a more promiscuous lifestyle, which can lead to more health problems from STD’s, costing the insurance company more money to take care of them, and for that reason the insurance company should be able to charge homosexuals more for health insurance. This, however, is completely unjust because it should not matter whether it is a heterosexual couple that needs coverage or a homosexual couple because everyone should be treated equal in the United States. Not granting same-sex couples the same benefits as married heterosexual couples could lead to greater problems:
“The federal government does not allow gay couples to jointly file federal income tax returns. Members of gay couples are also not entitled to receive pension and death benefits when their partner retires or dies, and they cannot receive the Social Security benefits awarded to married couples” (Update: Same Sex Marriage).
Granting such benefits will make the United States look more like what it stands for, which is a free and equal country. Therefore, same sex couples should be granted most all the benefits heterosexual couples are granted because it starts to become a workers issue. The Unions that have been legalized in a few states are fulfilling the wishes of some gay rights activists, because they allow gays to conduct themselves as they wish in the privacy of their own homes with less of a financial burden.
In addition, homosexual couples living in a civil union should be allowed to adopt children. This is a really big issue concerning gay rights because so many people think that homosexuals are not fit to raise children:
“They maintain that it is not in the best interests of children to be placed in homes with homosexuals, whose immoral lifestyle choice provides a poor example for children. In households headed by homosexuals, they say, children are at a disadvantage because they lack role models of both sexes and may become confused about their own sexuality…children need and deserve both a mother and father to grow into emotionally healthy and well-adjusted adults”(Homosexual Parenting).
Also, many think that homosexuals should not be allowed to adopt children because the child might experience ridicule from other students in school for having gay parents. However, homosexuals should be considered as adoptive parents the same as heterosexual parents because the couples can be just as effective as any other parent can be. There have been studies that show that children raised by gay parents are just as healthy and well-adjusted as children raised by heterosexual couples. Whether potential adoptive parents are gay or straight should not determine whether or not a child, who would otherwise remain in foster care, gets a home. “There is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation: lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children” (LGBT Parenting). Also, gay parenting has been approved by many organizations such as Child Welfare League of America, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers. The American Psychological Association states: “Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect (compared with) children of heterosexual parents” (Homosexual Parenting). In addition to homosexual parents not affecting their children negatively because they are gay, when they adopt children it is actually helping so many kids out. There are so many children that need to be adopted and when homosexuals can do this, then they are giving another child a home:
“There are currently 500,000 children in foster care waiting for someone to give them a home. This number grows tremendously each year, with only about 20,000 children being adopted from this number annually.” (Homosexual parenting)
Therefore, allowing more couples to adopt children, as long as they are either married or are living in a union, actually helps out children around the world.
Another problem concerning gay rights and gay marriage is AIDS and how that is affecting the United States as a whole. In the past, it was proven that AIDS in the United States had been spread by male homosexuals more than anyone else. This is a reason why people do not think homosexuals should have any rights because they think the disease will keep spreading and get worse. However, this reason should not be something people are thinking about anymore because it is not true: “By 2001, heterosexual transmission was becoming increasingly prevalent in some countries” (AIDS). Also, statistics show that as a whole, it is not developing more rapidly with homosexual couples, and has become just as bad with heterosexual couples. This problem that people still might think is going on is not true and is one of the reasons why insurance companies do not want homosexuals to get married. They think that if homosexuals marry, then they will have more health problems, and will require more care and money. Insurance companies do not like this because they will have to find a way to get extra money that homosexuals will require. However, this is not true, which means that insurance companies should treat them just like normal heterosexual couples because they are all the same.
In conclusion, homosexual couples should be granted the same benefits as married heterosexual couples have, as long as they live in a Civil Union. However, they should not be allowed to marry because it is unnatural and immoral: “God instituted marriage as a lifelong relationship between one man and one woman” (Same Sex marriage, pg.163). People against gay rights think that allowing homosexuals rights will cause problems with religious issues, certain family and worker benefits, and children adoption. However, these should not be issues people are concerned about because these couples are just like heterosexuals and should be treated the same way. Nonetheless, they should not be allowed to marry, because marriage is between a man and a woman.



Work Cited
Gerstmann, Evan. Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Baird, Robert M, and Rosenbaum, Stuart E. Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate. 2nd ed. New York: Prometheus Books,2004.

Robinson, B.A. “Homosexuality in the Christian Scriptures: Romans 1:26-27.” Religious Tolderance. 31 July 2004 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibc.htm>

“AIDS.” Facts on File: World News Digest. 2007. <http://www.2facts.com/Ancillaries/index/z00005.asp>

“Update:Same-Sex Marriage.” Issues & Controversies. 13 April 2007. <http://www.2facts.com/ICOF/temp/55394tempi1200210.asp>

“Homosexual Parenting.” Issues and Controversies. 10 April 2006. <http://www.2facts.com/ICOF/Search/i0400210.asp>

“Marriage is a Worker’s Issue.” Glad: Egual Justice Under Law. <http://www.glad.org/rights/marriageisaworkersissue.shtml>

“LGBT Parenting.” Wikipedia. 5 December 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_parenting>

Step Six

Thesis: Although some gay rights may cause controversy within the society, the government should allow homosexuals an equal living opportunity to uphold normal living standards.
Reasons:
-Homosexuals may cause chaos in the society. An individual should not change their personal feelings based on anyone else. However, it takes a healthy society to create a sustainable nation.
-If gay marriage is legalized, there will be tax break issues that the government will have to deal with. If gay people are given the same rights as heterosexual couples, then the government will lose money and will have to find away to recover the lost money. Therefore, everyone will have to start paying higher taxes. Although the tax breaks will cost the government money or force taxes for everyone to be higher, it is necessary to take proper actions in ensuring that homosexuals have an equal opportunity. Homosexual couples are just like heterosexual couples and should be given the same benefits and treated with the same respect.
- Gays and lesbians are at a greater risk of receiving more serious health problems than heterosexuals within our growing society. It has been statistically proven that they have more health problems, which will cause health insurance companies more money to cover homosexual couples. However, even though it will cost them more money, homosexual married couples should be allowed to receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples. They should be covered with equal health care benefits or maybe even offered a better plan. In addition, some jobs cover the employee and their spouses insurance. If something happens to the employee and their spouse is of the same sex, then the insurance company will not cover the spouse anymore. This is a problem because the spouse will no longer be covered with insurance and problems will arise. Therefore, if gay marriage was legalized, the spouse would not have to worry about losing their insurance if their spouse died.
-Another problem with gay marriage is if they should be allowed to adopt children or not. Living with gay parents may not feel as comfortable to children as living with a normal family. They also might suffer harassment from other students in school and have a harder life. However, if they are adopted as a baby and raised by homosexuals, then that is all they will ever know. They will never have had the opportunity to withstand the living standards with a heterosexual couple. Therefore, their life would not be as difficult. Of course the living conditions will be different; however, there will not be too many major problems. Questions may come about, but the living arrangements will be simple. The United States if a free country, so if gay couples want to adopt they should be given every right too.
- One of the most discussed issues concerning gay rights is the religious view of this controversy. Some people believe that gay marriage and gay rights are completely immoral because the Bible says and man and woman should marry. However, gays should not be discriminated because of the religious point of view. Discrimination is wrong in this situation and this issue should not be thought about from a religious point of view.
.Appeal to Audience: We will gain trust from the audience by providing evidence from homosexual couples. We will prove that there are some positive and negative qualities concerning gay rights and gay marriage. Also, we will come to a compromise about this issue and provide evidence to support our decision. Audience: The audience is going to be anyone who is concerned about this issue of gay rights, whether they are for them or against them.

Brief

Siedah and I are arguing about gay rights in society. I am arguing against gay rights and she is arguing for them. Gay rights should not be legalized in the United States because this would be completely unnatural and immoral to society. Gay marriages would cause problems because they would go against Christianity. The Bible states that a man is to marry a woman; it does not say a man and a man or a woman and a woman. It says a man and a woman, so allowing gay people the right to get married would be completely immoral. Another reason that gay rights should not be legalized is because it will affect the children that they are trying to raise. Having gay parents would be difficult for a child because they would get made fun of in school. Also, if the parents are gay, the child is more likely to be gay when they are older, which will create more abnormalty in society. In addition, if gay couples marry, this is will cause problems with insurance breaks. It is unfair to ask the insurance company to accept the risk of insuring the same sex marriage without additional premiums. If gay couples are allowed to marry, this will cause the insurance company to have to pay more money because statistics show that gay couples have more health problems. Also, if gay couples marry, there will be problems in tax breaks. Married heterosexual couples get tax breaks, so if homosexual marriage is legalized, then they will be allowed to have these same tax breaks. However, this cant happen because the government will lose money and will have to find a way to make up for the lost money. The only way to fix this problem would be raising the taxes for everyone else, which would not be fair. Therefore, gay couples cant get married because they will cause problems with tax breaks.

Thesis: Gay rights should not be legalized in the United States because it will cause much abnormalty in society and will be very immoral.

Reasons:
Abnormalty in society
Goes against Christianity
Children will have a difficult life being raised by gay parents
Immoral
Gay marriage would create problems with tax breaks, insurance breaks, and family health care plans
Appeal to Audience: I will provide much evidence from the Bible to gain the audiences' trust and will give many examples

Evidence: I am going to get quotes from the Bible that show that gay marriages and relationships are bad. I am also going to try to provide examples of children whose lives have been difficult because their parents are gay. Also, I am going to give many reasons why gay rights would hurt society.

Audience: My audience is going to be anyone who is concerned about this issue of gay rights, whether they are for them or against them. Also my audience is people who are trying to pass this new law.

Arguing to Mediate

In the United States, gay rights have been a big controversy because there are so many opposing viewpoints. As a whole, democrats are usually more open to gay marriage, and republicans are less open to it. Also, people in Southern and more rurul areas are less open to the idea. Massachusettes is the only state so far that has amended their laws, and so now allows same sex marriage. A few other states, such as Iowa are close to changing their laws; however, most of the states are completely against it. Some may argue that all states should amend their laws and have gay rights; however, for my side of the argument, I agree with those states that are against it, mainly because of religous reasons. The Bible states in many places that gay marriage is wrong, and therefore should not be practiced anywhere. In addition to gay marriage, gay rights in general are immoral and unnatural, and so the law should not be changed in favor of them.