Gay marriage, one of the most controversial issues of the 21stcentury, has been a topic of concern among religious and political groups alike. For hundreds and thousands of years, homosexuals have been around, and it’s not about to change. For some reason however, straight couples are the only people who are seen as valid and sacred in marriage or relationships. Although gay and lesbian couples have been recognized and more accepted in the past few decades than ever before, they still do not have the same rights that straight couples enjoy. From time and time again, religion, morality, political groups and the public eye have stared down on gay couples and considered them unnatural. But are they truly so, or just a little different? Considering that there are records dating back to ancient civilizations which leave evidence that homosexuality has existed, we can assume that it has been around forever and isn’t as rare as we believe. Also, homosexuality is no longer considered a disease or mental disorder, so why do we continue to oppose it?

The most popular reason against gay marriage is supported through text in the Catholic Bible. According to the Bible, it is a sin for a man to lay with another man as he would a woman. Simply put, the Bible is saying that homosexuality is an abomination to God and the church itself. But are there not other religions that are practiced by people which do not say anything against gay marriage? Just because the Catholic version of the Bible call homosexuality a sin doesn’t mean that it should automatically be regarded as evil and wrong. With the diversity that exists in America, how can we only stand behind this belief? To add to this, The Bible is (regardless of what religious authorities believe) a book created by man. Although the morals and ideas within it help contribute to the greater good of mankind, certain laws of man are still expressed within the Bible. As man has always banned and looked down upon unusual things, homosexuality could have easily become a sin in their eyes and added to the bible as a listed abomination. Many believe that homosexuality is not a sin because it still stimulates love and compassion. As a book created thousands of years ago, some ideas are rather outdated and can no longer apply to current society and the way people live. Therefore, using the Bible as a reason against gay marriage can only be done half-heartedly. Because Jesus Christ stressed love and companionship, there is little evidence that he would actually be against homosexuality and gay marriage. Obviously he was for love and would never be against the love between two people. People use the Bible as a weapon against homosexuality, however they tend to ignore the things that have been made legal that were once considered sins. It’s funny how divorce has been legalized, even though the Bible strongly opposed such an act and labeled it as unholy.

Morality is the second reason people oppose gay marriage. Traditionally, marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman. In the eyes of those against gay marriage, if homosexual marriages were allowed in society, heterosexual marriages may become less meaningful. But with all of the divorce and domestic hardships straight couples face these days, can we really say that those are so meaningful? The definition of marriage is defined as being between male and female. Those who would want to change the traditional values of marriage would encounter a snag while trying to say that it is against the Constitution to not allow gays to wed. Of course, just because the Constitution states that marriage is between a man and a woman does not mean that it cannot be changed. When other issues arise in the country, Congress usually doesn’t hesitate to make changes to the Constitution. Things such as the abolition of slavery and the right for women to vote were brought about because of change in the Constitution. These Amendments are made to allow differences to be resolved. There are no sensible reasons why the Constitution’s definition of marriage cannot be changed.

Society also fights gay marriage because it finds that the idea of homosexuality is unnatural. A contributor to GatorGSA.org provided several satirical looks at how our society thinks opposing gay marriage. He states, “Homosexuality is not natural. We cannot adapt to unnatural things, much like eyeglasses, polyester and birth control.” Also, “Society feels that it would not be able to adjust to differences that gay marriage brings forth. This makes sense, being as we have never adapted to new changed such as cars, new technology, or longer life spans.” These are just a few examples of how petty and sometimes contradicting oppositions to gay marriage can be.

If people do not side with the traditional values or the religious morals, they tend to not have a specific reason as to why they are against gay marriage. These people are generally just narrow minded or uneducated. This could be because of a lack of tolerance from as early as childhood. Most children get this tolerance through learning in a diverse environment in which they are subjected to all sorts of different lifestyles, cultures and ideas. Also, many opposes to gay marriage simply do not know how to have a sense of empathy. People who have a family member that is gay are more likely to accept gay marriages than those who have never been in contact with a homosexual person. (Gatorgaystraightalliance.com) If some people would realize the hardships of being gay or lesbian, they might feel differently about the morality of it.

According to an opinion poll on Gay Folk, nearly sixty percent of Americans are not offended by sexuality and believe in gay marriage, while thirty five percent stand against it. The remaining people are not sure which side they support. This shows that gay marriage and homosexuality has slowly become more accepted in America over the generations, but it still is not at the point in which homosexuals have complete rights to marriage and happiness. Homosexuals, especially the younger ones, face extreme isolation and emotional hazards everyday because of the attitude against them. If we continue to educate our youth on tolerance and the acceptance of homosexuality (as well as anything that is out of the social “norm”) perhaps one day the average homosexual will not have to hide behind the shadow of society wearing a fake mask of gold. If people open their eyes a little wider and stretch their hearts out a little farther, one day those masks just may be thrown off.