“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” –The Declaration of Independence

In the summer of 1776 our forefathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, giving all men not only their freedom, but specific rights that they felt were ‘god-given entitlements’. Our forefathers felt that these entitlements were so important that no earthly power or government could rightfully deny them. So why are we questioning their judgment today? Were we equal then but not now? Does the Declaration of Independence suddenly not apply in this day and age? The answer is no. The concepts and principals within the Declaration are still applicable to the present day. This is clear to most people and yet members of the gay and lesbian community have to endure discrimination, persecution, and harassment every day. They cannot legally marry in 42 states and in many states homosexuals can be fired simply for being gay. My question is the same as all gay activists; Why? Why do people discriminate? Why do they even care in the first place? And most importantly; why hasn’t it been fixed yet?

“It is not marriage. Calling something marriage does not make it marriage. Marriage has always been a covenant between a man and a woman which is by its nature ordered toward the procreation and education of children and the unity and wellbeing of the spouses.” -Anonymous

This is a point that many ‘anti-gays’ use to defend their beliefs. However, it is incorrect. Marriage has not always been a “covenant between a man and a woman.” In biblical times there were eight basic ‘types’ of marriage. The first was what is sometimes called the nuclear family. It was marriage of a man to women. These marriages were usually arranged and had very little to do with love and any women who could not prove her virginity was stoned to death. The second type was when a man married his brother’s widow, called a levirate marriage. Another type of marriage was when a rapist married his victim. A female virgin was required to marry her rapist or be disowned by her family. If she were disowned, the only way she would be able to survive would be to become a prostitute. I won’t go into detail about the other types here; I merely wanted to point out that there was never any one type of marriage.

“Legal recognition of same-sex “marriage” would obscure certain basic moral values, devalue traditional marriage, and weaken public morality. “ -Anonymous

Many anti-gays say that homosexuality is wrong because a man and a man or a woman and a woman cannot procreate. This is completely true. Procreation can only happen between a man and a woman. But ask yourself this; do we really need more children in the world? There are millions of children who are in orphanages, foster care, and even homeless. Homosexuals may not be able create new life, but they can offer nurturing homes to the children that are already here. Many wrinkle their noses when they see a gay or lesbian couple with their adoptive child and call it ‘immoral’ or ‘disgusting,’ but to me, it is beautiful. A child who may have grown up an orphan now has the chance to live in home with two loving parents. There is nothing that could possibly be more beautiful or more ‘virtuous’ than that.

I could probably write a whole book on this subject, but I will end on this note. Love is beautiful and whether it is found in a heterosexual relationship or a homosexual one, it’s still love. I once said this to a friend of mine who is anti-gay when she asked me “What is love?” I didn’t really answer her question because love can’t be define or categorized. It is unique in the way that everyone experiences it differently. There is no right or wrong way to love when it is between two consenting adults.

Just as Martin Luther King dreamed for freedom of persecution for him and his people, I dream, as I am sure many others dream, that one day everyone can see that just as no one race is better than another, there is not only one conventional type of love. I hope that one day lesbian couples can adopt without the disapproval of society and fathers will stop trying to ‘beat the gay’ out of their sons. I fervently dream that one day society will not only accept homosexuality, but recognize it as equal to heterosexuality. Our society as a whole needs to realize that when it comes down to it, a person is a person no matter what their sexual orientation is.

Bibliography:

The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson and other colonial leaders
10 Reasons Why Homosexual “Marriage” is Harmful and Must be Opposed by TFP Student Action
http://www.tfpstudentaction.org
Why “Gay Marriage” Is Wrong by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.
http://www.robgagnon.net
TALKING POINTS: Why Homosexual "Marriage" is Wrong By Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel
http://www.cwfa.org
Should gay marriage be legal? The pros and cons by ProCon.org
http://www.procon.org
Should same sex marriages be legal? By BalancedPolotics.org
http://www.balancedpolotics.org



End notes:
The eight types of marriage during biblical times; Nuclear Family (See Genesis 2:14), Levirate marriage (See Genesis 36:6-10), Rapist and his victim (See Deuteronomy 22:28-29), a man, his wife, and his concubines (There are multiple biblical and historical references), a man, his wife, and his wife’s slave (See Genesis 16), polygamy (There are multiple biblical and historical references), a male soldier and a prisoner of war (Numbers 31:1-18, Deuteronomy 21:11-14), a female slave and a male slave (Exodus 21:4)