Same Sex Marriage

Personal Opinions

I feel that gay and lesbian should be able to wed. I personally don’t see the harm in a gay and lesbian marriage being legalized. I think that it will give them the right to marry who they feel like and that government has no right to regulate marriage. Society has tried unsuccessfully to regulate this before during slavery with the ban on miscegenation which restricted whites and blacks from wedding. I believe that our norms are based too closely upon society’s belief of what is wrong and right and societies forms these notions to tightly around religion.

If we looked back on the days of Socrates and Aristotle’s, young boys were taking in as pupils and were used for sexual pleasure as well and society didn’t frown upon them or regarded them any less of a scholar. “In Greece is it well known that many men engaged in same-sex relationships, however, these were not equal relationships, they were older men to young boys going through the transition to adulthood.  Two instances where the culture is a causative agent of homosexual expression are in New Guinea and Crete.  In some tribes in New Guinea, young boys ages 8-15 are inseminated daily by the young male warriors of the tribe.  In Crete, every adolescent boy undertook a homosexual relationship as a rite of passage into manhood [10].  In these two instances, the homosexuality is accepted”. I feel that society currently spends too much time and energy on this topic. If we look at the laws that surround marriage up until this point we would realize that as times have changed so has restrictions surrounding marriage. I personally believe that we are approaching another one of those moments where we need to lift this ban and stop denying these individuals the rights that heterosexual couples are afforded. Same sex marriage has been allowed in the Netherlands (Apr 2001), Belgium (Jan 2003), Ontario (Jun 2003), most Canadian providences (Nov 2004), all across Canada (Jul 20, 2005), Spain (Jun 29, 2005), South Africa (Nov 30, 2006), and these places have not fallen apart. I believe that the US should follow the examples set by these other places in the terms of tolerance and progression.

Social Work Perspective

There are six values of NASW Code of Ethics. These six values are service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationship, integrity, honest truth, and competence. I would use these values when addressing the issue of gay and lesbian marriage.

According to the text by Karen A. Krist-Ashman on page 59, “a major social work value involves the importance of people being treated fairly and equally.” The ban on lesbian and gay marriage is clearly something that violates this value. The benefits and rights that heterosexual couples are given should also be given to gays and lesbians. These benefits are the ability to marry and to have the same opportunity for tax breaks and the ability to make medical decision for their partner if they get hurt.

I would fight to promote the need for social justice for gay and lesbians. I would first sit down and educate the couple interested in getting the ban lifted so that they understand how to come together and rally for a change.

Conclusion

The debate over gay and lesbian marriages seems like a debate that’s going to last for a while, but I hope that I have successfully and effectively represented all sides and/or perspectives of this issue. I think the first step for change regarding this issue is for those who currently oppose the issue to become educated on effects that this ban has on the lives of these couples.

Reference

1. http://www.balancedpolitics.org/same_sex_marriages.htm
2. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marr.htm
3. http://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality.html
4. http://www.loveandpride.com/InformationCenter/Tips.aspx?categoryId=4
5. Karen K. Krist-Ashman (2007). Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare. Resiliency: Seeking Strength amid Adversity, pg. 59