As of November 2014, there are thirty-five states in the United States which have legalized same-sex marriage. This marks a turning point in history for those who identify as anything other than 'heterosexual'. Much of the protest against this movement for equality has, both historically and in the present, come from religious communities. Before the third century, unions between two men were celebrated and fairly common, as even emperors had husbands on occasion. As the fourth century approached, however, groups such as the Western European Church and the Council of Ancyra began to bar men who enjoyed the company of other men from communion and marriage, as it was seen as an abomination. These negative notions towards gays propagated throughout the world as christianity spread. Laws were put in place against homosexual conduct and punishments could be severe.
The United States was not the first country to begin allowing marriage between the same genders, as it was legal in the Netherlands since 2000 and in Belgium in 2003. The large Christian community America's voter booths can be partly blamed for this slow build towards sexual orientation freedom. Homosexuals represent a minority of the human population (about 5% of adults), which is why it is very difficult for them to garner enough support to allow themselves hope for a more equal future. However, there are numerous obstacles in barring their way, most notably religious branches such as the Westboro Baptist Church, who have recently been featured in media due to their constant fight against queer rights. Religion has been, and will most likely always been, anti gay.
As is written in the constitution, each American is endowed with "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". To go against the LGBT community, or any culture or group for that matter, is unconstitutional, as opposition leads to the depriving of those being oppressed of their 'unalienable rights'. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people between the ages of ten and twenty four years old. These deaths could be prevented if the unnecessary mistreatment of people over what they have no control over (their sexual orientation) was not seen as 'acceptable' because of the view that homosexuality is a sin which is to be punishable for.
Isabel, I really like the topic you choose to write about. The point you are defending is also very clear- we need to treat the LGBT community with the respect they deserve. Your information about the normalcy of homosexual marriage before the second century surprised me; it was something I never would have known otherwise. Your second paragraph also contains some valuable information. I suggest that you include the year the US began legalizing gay marriage, to make the comparisons with other countries more prominent. Your post combines a strong mixture of good vocabulary words, and your final paragraph also contains some good points. Maybe next time you should elaborate on points like these, because they build the base of your argument, not leave them for the closing paragraph. Overall I think your post is well written.
ReplyDeleteIsabel, this post is strong - with the exception of a few minor writing mistakes. I agree with everything that Maeve writes. I had no idea about the history that you included. Very interesting. I wish you would have cited a source. Citing sources is an important part of establishing credibility. You include a lot of interesting evidence in this post. Without cited sources, however, you diminish your credibility just a bit. The most important thing is that your argument is very clear and your evidence logically supports your argument. I had no trouble deciphering your opinion. Good job.
ReplyDeleteThe topic you write about is a very important one. Your final paragraph proves that this is an important issue for the country to address, particularly those of us who deal with adolescents. As is the case with most social revolutions, the impetus must come from the younger generation. I applaud your willingness to tackle this sensitive issue, and I thank you for writing about it so well.