Val

Thanks for the question. Yes, gay marriage should be legal. It is the only ethical answer to your question. Gay people should be afforded the same equal protection under the law as straight people. This includes the right to marry. The argument against gay marriage isn't about marriage. It is an argument against gays. It is about bigotry and prejudice against the LGBT community. Just as marriage has changed to adapt to our transforming cultures through the centuries, it will continue to change to meet the needs of our changing planet.

The concept of marriage has been around for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans utilized marriage more like business transactions in that most marriages were arranged.

Unlike how most of us in modern culture perceive marriage as two people falling in love and wanting to spend the rest of their lives together, our ancestors felt love had little to do with marriage. It was simply a way for the man to carry on his lineage. The wife was there to produce offspring. If the husband wanted to satisfy his sexual urges he would utilize prostitutes and concubines. This was the norm. The wife had no rights. If a husband no longer wanted his wife, he simply had to tie a rope around her neck, march her to the public square, and sell her. It was common for girls as young as 7 to be married before they even reached puberty. In our time we still hear stories of honor killings.

In an institution built on misogyny and oppression we will continue to struggle for equal rights on the marriage issue, but it will turn in our favor. A lot of good work is being done in support of it and we will soon see gay marriage across the country.

Sean

I prefer the term Universal Marriage rights. As a student of constitutional law and history, I know with absolute conviction that anything other that universal marriage rights is a clear violation of our constitutional rights. Opponents keep saying that this is a democracy and the courts have no place overturning the majority will of the people. That is absurd. Our constitutions most cherished principles are those which guarantee the rights of minorities. Basis rights are not open to voting. They are too fundamental and too absolute, which is why the only body that should make this determination is the courts. It would be easier if our elected officials were not so intimated by the religious right, but they are very well organized. Write your elected representatives, send a letter to the editor and ask friends to do the same. The right to choose whom you marry is a fundamental right. Tell them that!

Justin

Our nation's Declaration of Independence tells us that “all men are created equal.” That lofty ideal, however, has yet to be fully realized in terms of marriage equality for all of our nation's citizens. Currently, straight citizens are permitted to legally marry one person of their choice; but gay citizens are not permitted to legally marry one person of their choice. The blatant inequality that exists in that situation is wrong, and it must be eradicated. It is time to legalize marriage between two gay citizens in the United States of America.

Throughout out our nation's land, both religious and civil ceremonies are available to two straight citizens seeking to marry one another. The call to legalize marriage between two gay citizens should apply only to civil ceremonies. Because our nation is dedicated to maintaining a separation between church and state, it would be improper for the government to require religious institutions to perform ceremonies that violate the tenets of their faith; but if the government, itself, is going to be in the business of conducting civil marriage ceremonies for two straight citizens, it must also be in the business of conducting civil marriage ceremonies for two gay citizens. Straight citizens are currently only legally permitted to marry one person of their choice. Consequently, the often bandied about argument that fully carrying out the standard of equality for all would require the government to permit bisexual citizens to marry two people (one man and one woman) of their choice instead of just one because they are attracted to both men and women is a flagrant red herring. Everyone understands that the standard of equality for all will be fully achieved when all non-straight citizens are endowed with the right to legally marry one person of their choice just as all straight citizens currently are.

We are the verge of realizing marriage equality for all of our nation's citizens. That day is almost upon us. Future generations will not tolerate anything less. Your inquiry, however, reminds me of the painful fact that citizens of some of the world's nations don't even have the hope of ever living by the guiding principle of equality for all. It doesn't matter whether one is straight or gay; we can all be grateful for the opportunity to live in the United States of America. At least the United States of America espouses the concept of equality for all. We still need, however, to push for authentic change and the actual realization of that ideal for all of God's children, not just the ones fortunate enough to live in the United States of America. The achievement of marriage equality will be a hollow victory that can never fully heal our souls and lives as long as we allow our government to continue its shameful killing of God's other children around the globe through its many invasions, occupations, and wars against nations that never attacked us. They are based on absurdly deceitful and ever-changing justifications; and they are just as wrong today when they are being led by a smiling, sweet talking, progressive leader who promised change he has yet to deliver as they were several years ago when they were being led by a frowning, tough talking, conservative leader who insisted on staying the course. God's children everywhere deserve to have their civil liberties, human rights, and lives honored by all of us citizens of the United States of America.

Here's to real change