Same-Sex Marriage Essay -- Homosexual Gay Lesbian Papers

Same-Sex Marriage Many people believe that marriage is an integral part of their lives. Currently, marriage is defined within the parameters of a partnership of one man and one woman. Under Canadian common law, a same-sex couple cannot get married and the government refuses to acknowledge homosexuals as equals. Prohibiting same-sex marriages in legislation is discrimination. Denying homosexuals the ability to form this bond violates freedom of expression, equality rights for minorities, and freedom of religion, provisions present in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is an issue of equality, security and freedom. If gays are denied the basic human right of marriage, one must ask the question: where does society stand today? This issue is controversial because many fear that marriage as an institution will be destroyed if same-sex marriage is passed through legislation. Really, there is no compelling reason to believe that legalizing gay marriage would affect traditional marriage, that is, if a traditional marriage even exists. Public opinion is considerably more tolerant of homosexuality than it has been in the past, but lesbian and gay communities nevertheless suffer from discrimination due to their sexual orientation. While it is "discriminatory and unethical to say that you have to be straight to have rights and to be accepted as a human being" (Steirs 164), many people oppose gay marriage because they assume that gays have a choice in who they can feel attracted to, and the reality is quite different. Through rapid advances in genetic research and biotechnology, many scientists have confirmed that sexual orientation is in... ...n Network Ltd. 1993. Moore, Leah. Points in Defense of Gay Marriage. 21 April 2001. (3 November 2002). Rauch, Jonathan. "Anything but Marriage?" The Atlantic Monthly May 2002. Robinson, B.A. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 9 November, 2002. (10 November 2002). Stiers, Gretchen A. From This Day Forward. Commitment, Marriage, and Family in Lesbian and Gay Relationships. St. Martins Press: New York. 1999. Tessina, Tina. Gay Relationships for Men and Women, Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc,1989. Vanasco, Jennifer. "Families United in Law". Chicago Free Press 13 February 2002. Vincent, Norah. "A lot of Hooey on Same-Sex Marriage; Gays Didn't Wreck Marriage". Los Angeles Times 9 August 2001.