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NOTE: This Research Paper, Outline, Works Cited, and accompanying Note Cards are used as
samples with permission by the author.
Instructional notes have been added by the teacher to illustrate format guidelines.
~A. Decker
Gay Marriage: Moral Catastrophe or Human Right?
Thesis Statement: Gay marriage is a constitutional right and should be legalized throughout the
United States to give homosexuals the right to marry in every state.
Proper SENTENCE OUTLINE
format:
I.
 HEADER/Page #s in top right
 TITLE is centered
 THESIS STATEMENT is clear,
argumentative
 ROMAN NUMERAL format
with proper alignment
 Facts are properly quoted and
documented (Author last name
and page number)
Background
A. Better Understanding1. “Same- sex marriage (also called gay marriage or
homosexual marriage) is the union of two people of
the same gender” (Rich and Wagner 1).
2. “Homosexuality- Romantic or sexual attraction between two people of the same
gender” (Rich and Wagner 2).
3. “Civil Union/ Domestic Partnership- A civil and legal agreement of two people,
regardless of gender, and individual states, which carries similar but lesser rights
as those of civil marriage and carries no federal rights” (Rich and Wagner 2).
4. “Same- sex marriage is illegal in most of the United States” (Rich and Wagner 1).
B. The Debate1. “Most of the opposition to same-sex marriage comes from conservative
Christians who often cite biblical censure of homosexuality as justification for
their position” (Rich and Wagner 3).
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2. “At its core, the same-sex marriage debate is framed as part of the larger
national debate about the morality of homosexuality” (Rich and Wagner 2).
3. “The debate surrounding same- sex marriage involves personal issues, such as
gay couples’ ability to adequately raise children in a normal family
atmosphere, their ability to contribute positively to society, or to maintain
meaningful, loving, relationships” (Rich and Wagner 2).
C. Changing Attitudes
1. “These suits, as well as legislative and voter action, have resulted in some
states and localities legalizing same- sex marriage” (Rich and Wagner 1).
2. “The majority of states have either not approved it, or have explicitly rejected
it” (Rich and Wagner 4).
3. “In 1999, Vermont became the first state to grant marriage rights to same-sex
couples with its creation of civil unions” (Rich and Wagner 3).
II.
Opposition to Gay Marriage
A. The Effects Gay Marriage Would Have on Society
1. “If society had the option of same-sex marriage, it would become everdependent on outside assistance for the process of pro creation. Given that
same- sex couples always require an additional biological parent or two, it
would be impossible for an entire society to function in same- sex unions”
(Chittom and Finley 3).
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2. “Marriage should be defined as the legal union of one man and on woman.
Any departure from this definition is a threat to the structure and stability of
society” (Chittom and Finley 1).
3. “Same-sex marriages undermine the structure of society and misrepresent the
purpose of marriage and family” (Chittom and Finley 1).
4. “Same- sex marriages should be prohibited to eliminate the potential snowball
effect of their legalization” (Chittom and Finley 1).
5. “The legalization of same-sex marriage puts the entire idea of marriage at risk
and opens the floodgates for redefining marriage entirely. If homosexual
partners can marry, why not other couplings such as brothers and sisters,
parents and children, roommates, or humans and beasts?” (Chittom and Finley
2).
6. “Why should polygamy remain illegal if same-sex unions are legalized? If
marriage is redefined to include any loving partners, where would the line be
drawn?” (Chittom and Finley 2)
B. Biblical Scripture Opponents Use
1. “Throughout the Old and New Testaments, marriage is defined as a union
between one man and one woman. Homosexuality is considered a deviant
practice that undermines the purpose of marriage and the structure of a
family” (Chittom and Finley 3).
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2. “…Jesus says ‘…at the beginning, the Creator made them male and female.
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife; and the two will be one flesh. So they are no longer two but one’”
(Chittom and Wagner 2).
3. “… the fifth commandment clearly states ‘Honor your father and your
mother’ (Exodus 20:12). It seems significant that it does not offer any
variation on honoring a guardian, but specifically demands that the mother
and father are honored” (Chittom and Wagner 2).
C. What Opponents Say
1. “Opponents of same-sex marriage reject the comparison based on the belief
that homosexuality, unlike race, is not an inherited or inherent characteristic,
but a choice made by the individuals” (Rich and Wagner 1).
2. “Opponents of same-sex marriage believe that homosexuals have done
something wrong that should deny them the rights of marriage” (Rich and
Wagner 2).
3. “Opponents of same-sex marriage support a proposed constitutional
amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one
woman” (Rich and Wagner 1).
4. “Opponents tend instead to equate same-sex marriage with other prohibited
practices, such as polygamy, pedogamy, incest, and zoophilia They fear that
allowing same-sex marriage could lead to these other kinds of deviance”
(Rich and Wagner 1).
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D. How Gay Marriage Affects Children
1. “Gay couples should be prohibited from adopting children due to evidence
that suggests that children thrive in environments with both maternal and
paternal influences” (Chittom and Wagner 1).
2. “Family sociologist David Blankenhorn opposed gay adoption on the grounds
that children are best reared in environments with both mother and father
present” (Chittom and Wagner 1).
3. “…the rising question of gay adoption puts children who are already
compromised from their experience in the foster care system at even greater
risk of trauma” (Chittom and Wagner 1).
4. “Sociologists and psychologists question whether children who are exposed to
only one gender will be raised with a balanced understanding of gender roles
and their own gender identity” (Chittom and Wagner 2).
5. “…homosexual marriages erode the institution of marriage and are damaging
to the environment in which children are reared” (Chittom and Wagner 3).
III.
Support of Gay Marriage
A. Studies
1. “The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organizations believe
that DOMA is unconstitutional based on the Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution” (Driscoll and Stingl 3).
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2. “… The latest Pew Center poll now shows that 54 percent of Americans
support civil unions” (Driscoll and Stingl 3).
3. “… studies conducted by the American Psychological Association, the
American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Association of Social
Workers have proved that homosexual couples are more that equally capable
of providing love and the other necessary qualities…” (Driscoll and Stingl 3).
B. Why Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Considered a Right
1. “The rights and responsibilities of civil marriage should be equally available
to all citizens of the United States, not only regardless of race and religion, but
regardless of sexual orientation as well” (Pearson 1).
2. “… Only a few people are prevented from marrying. These include children
who cannot yet bear the full responsibility of citizenship and close blood
relatives, which presents medical complications that would affect their
offspring. It is therefore discriminatory to ban gays and lesbians from
marrying. To deny this right to gay and lesbian couples is to deny two adults
the opportunity to fully express their love…” (Driscoll and Stingl 2).
3. “It is a right that is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the
Constitution, which states, “No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property“ (Driscoll and
Stingl 2).
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4. “Same-sex marriage should be considered a civil right which is guaranteed by
the United States Constitution, it can therefore also be considered a human
right. As such, it should be protected, not banned, by the government”
(Driscoll and Stingl 1).
C. Why Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized
1. “The institution of marriage and US society as a whole would be strengthened
by allowing same-sex partners to express their commitment to family and to
each other in the same manner as opposite-sex partners” (Pearson 4).
2. “Children also suffer without the umbrella of marriage protections afforded to
opposite-sex families. Without a legal relationship to both parents, children
can face similar problems as the same-sex partner, including the denial of
Social Security benefits or the rights of a surviving family member to make
medical decisions” (Pearson 3).
3. “Singling out sexual orientation as the only restriction for marriage harms the
institution by using it to sanction discrimination against gay lifestyles. This
lingering prejudice in American society is similar to earlier restrictions against
interracial marriage…” (Pearson 2).
4. “The institution of marriage and US society as a whole would be strengthened
by allowing same-sex partners to express their commitment to family and to
each other in the same manner as opposite-sex partners” (Pearson 1).
5. “Bans on same-sex marriage are a form of discrimination against gay
lifestyles” (Pearson 1).
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6. “…sexual orientation is just another difference, like red hair or lefthandedness… homosexuals should not be discriminated against for something
over which they have little control” (Driscoll and Stingl 2).
IV.
My Opinion
A. Bans against Gay Marriage Are Discriminatory
1. Bans against gay marriage are discriminatory because people should not be
prohibited from marrying because of something that they have little control
over (In a simpler way: they did not choose to be gay!)
2. ???
OUTLINE FORMAT NOTE: If you have a
“1” on your outline, you must also have a
“2”
B. Too Many Biblical References are made
1. I believe that too many people use the Bible and its contents as a front to hide
behind because they do not have a real reason for disliking gays. Do not get
me wrong, not every Christian is like that, but it seems as though the large
majority are.
2. ???
C.
Everyone should be Able to Marry Who They Love
1. Gay marriage should be legalized because I believe that people should not be
discriminated against just because of who they love. To me, seeing two girls
kissing or two boys kissing is no different than seeing a girl and a boy kissing.
It is all love.
2. ???
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Kelsey Mason
Mrs. Decker
English III
Proper 1st-page
HEADING with student
name, teacher, course,
and submission date
HEADER/Page #s continue
TITLE is centered
22 October 2014
SECTION HEADINGS are centered
Gay Marriage: Moral Catastrophe or Human Right?
Background
It seems as though there is not a week that goes by without at least one celebrity coming out as
gay. Homosexuality (the romantic or sexual attraction between two people of the same gender)
seems to have become a normal thing in the last few years, but there are still people against
homosexuality and even more so, gay marriage, which is illegal in most of the United States.
“Same- sex marriage, (also called gay marriage or homosexual marriage) is the union of two
people of the same gender” (Rich and Wagner 1). In some states, gay couples are allowed to
engage in a civil union, also called a domestic partnership, that is “a civil and legal agreement
between two people, regardless of gender, and individual states, which carries similar but lesser
rights than that of civil marriage and carries no federal rights” (Rich and Wagner 2). “Most of the
opposition to gay marriage comes from conservative Christians who cite Biblical censure as
justification for their position” (Rich and Wagner 3). The debate surrounding gay marriage
involves the morality of homosexuality, gay couples’ ability to adequately raise and care for
children, and their ability to maintain meaningful, loving relationships. As of today, the gay
marriage issue is getting less prevalent in the fact that people’s attitudes
as a society are changing. In fact, legislative and voter action has
resulted in some states and localities legalizing gay marriage. Even with
IN-TEXT CITATIONS follow
every researched fact,
whether a direct quote or
paraphrase. Punctuation
follows end parenthesis.
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THESIS STATEMENT is in bold, last
sentence of introductory paragraph.
these triumphs, acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage is not where it needs to be. Gay
marriage is a constitutional right and should be legalized throughout the United States to
give homosexuals the right to marry in every state.
Opposition to Gay Marriage
As stated before, a lot of the opposition of gay marriage comes from Christians who use
passages from the Bible to justify their beliefs. But there are other reasons why people oppose
gay marriage, such as the effects the legalization of gay marriage would have on society and how
gay marriage would affect children. According to some Christians, gay marriage should be
banned because it is prohibited in the Bible. “Throughout the Old and New Testaments of the
Bible, marriage is defined as the union between one man and one woman, and homosexuality is
considered a deviant practice” (Chittom and Finley 3). A specific scripture that is cited by
opponents of same-sex marriage is Matthew 19:5, which states,”… at the beginning, the Creator
made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united
to his wife; and the two will be one flesh. So they are no longer two but one.” Another scripture
is Exodus 20:12, also known as the fifth commandment, which says, “Honor your father and
your mother.” By this last scripture, opponents say that the commandment does not include any
other guardians except for the mother and father. Another reason why people oppose gay
marriage is the effects gay marriage might have on society if it is legalized. For example, if a gay
couple wanted to have children, they would need a biological parent or two in order to have the
child. Now, suppose that every gay couple wanted children. “If society had the option of samesex marriage, it would become ever-dependent on outside assistance for the process of
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procreation. Given that same-sex couples always require an additional biological parent or two, it
would be impossible for an entire society to function in same-sex unions” (Chittom and Finley
3). Another, and probably most prominent, reason gay marriage is opposed is because people say
NOTE the writer’s
exceptional use of
supporting details
throughout her paper;
however, most, if not all, are
direct quotes. Paraphrased
information should make up
80% of your paper, direct
quotes 20%.
that marriage should only be defined as the union between one man
and one woman and any departure from this is a threat to society.
Thirdly, people believe that if gay marriage is legalized, the entire
definition of marriage will be changed, which would allow any
couple to marry, such as parents and children, brothers and sisters,
and even humans and animals. One reason people do not support gay
marriage is the effect that it will have on children. “Sociologists and psychologists question
whether children who are exposed to only one gender will be raised with a balanced
understanding of gender roles and their own gender identity” (Chittom and Wagner 2). For
example, opponents think that a boy raised by two lesbian mothers will not have a proper
understanding of his gender and will have feminine attributes. The same goes for a girl raised by
two fathers. People also say that children fair better in a household with a mother and father
versus a homosexual couple. “…the rising question of gay adoption puts children who are
already compromised from their experience in the foster care system at even greater risk of
trauma” (Chittom and Wagner 1).
Support of Gay Marriage
“…The latest poll conducted by the Pew Center now shows that 54 percent of Americans
support civil unions”(Driscoll and Stingl 3). This is quite a change from about 10 years ago,
when this number was less than 45 percent. As stated before, the attitudes of people in our
society are changing and a lot of gay marriage activists say that gay marriage should be
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considered a human right. They say this for a couple different reasons. One reason is that it is
discriminatory to deny two people the right to marry. People who say this point out the fact that
only a few people are not allowed to marry. “Only a few people are prevented from marrying.
These include children who cannot yet bear the full responsibility of citizenship and close blood
relatives, which presents medical complications that would affect their offspring. It is therefore
discriminatory to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. To deny this right to gay and lesbian
couples is to deny two adults the opportunity to fully express their love…” (Driscoll and Stingl
2). Another reason gay marriage activists say that gay marriage should be considered a human
right is because it is a right that is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the US
Constitution. This amendment states, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive
any person of life, liberty, or property.” Supporters of gay marriage have a lot of different
reasons as to why this practice should be legalized. For example, it has been suggested that
prohibiting gay couples from marrying just because of their sexual orientation bears a striking
resemblance to when interracial marriage was illegal. “Singling out sexual orientation as the only
restriction for marriage harms the institution by using it to sanction discrimination against gay
lifestyles. This lingering prejudice in American society is similar to earlier restrictions against
interracial marriage…” (Pearson 2). Gay marriage activists also say that gay marriage should be
legalized because children raised by gay couples will suffer. “Children also suffer without the
umbrella of marriage protections afforded to opposite-sex families. Without a legal relationship
to both parents, children can face similar problems as the same-sex partner, including the denial
of Social Security benefits or the rights of a surviving family member to make medical
decisions” (Pearson 3). Today, people are beginning to accept sexual orientation as another
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difference, like red hair or being left-handed. If attitudes keep moving in a positive direction, gay
marriage will not even be an issue ten years from now.
My Opinion
In recent years, homosexuality has become a normal thing in our society, and in my
opinion, that is exactly the way it should be. In my opinion, gay marriage should be legalized for
three different reasons. One, banning gay marriage is discriminatory. I believe that people should
not be criticized or prohibited from marrying just because of their sexual orientation. I also
believe that gay people do not choose to be gay. How I see it is, life is hard enough, why would
anyone choose a harder one? Another reason I support gay marriage is because I believe that
when some people are trying to justify why they are against it, they make too many Biblical
references. I understand if religion means a lot to a person, but they should not use the Bible as
an excuse to dislike a person or a group of people. It seems as though some people use the Bible
to hide behind just so they do not have to have a real reason to be against gay marriage. Do not
get me wrong, I am not trying to bash religion or Christianity in any way; I am simply trying to
state that I believe if a person does not like homosexuals or gay marriage, they should have at
least one reason that doesn’t involve the Bible. Lastly, homosexuals should be allowed to marry
because I believe that if two people love each other, they should be able to marry. In my life, I’ve
been told that homosexuality is a sin and that these people should not be allowed to marry. When
I have been told this, I cannot help but think, “Who are they hurting?” In my opinion, the answer
is no one. There is no reason why two people who love each other enough to want to make a
lifetime commitment shouldn’t be able to do that. To me, seeing two girls kissing or two boys
kissing is no different than seeing a boy and a girl kissing. Love is love, no matter the gender,
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age, or skin color of the people involved. It is all the same and I can only hope that one day,
everyone will have this mentality.
Works Cited
Chittom, Lynn-nore, and Laura Finley. "Point: Same-Sex Marriage Undermines Society And
Families." Points Of View: Same Sex Marriage (2014): 2. Points of View Reference
Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Chittom, Lynn-nore, and Geraldine Wagner. "Point: Children Suffer With Same-Sex Couples."
Points Of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption (2014): 2. Points of View Reference Center.
Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Driscoll, Sally, and Alexander Stingl. "Counterpoint: Same-Sex Marriage Is Both A
Constitutional And Human Right." Points Of View: Same Sex Marriage (2014): 3. Points
of View Reference Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Pearson, John. "Counterpoint: Banning Same-Sex Marriage Is Discrimination." Points Of View:
Same Sex Marriage (2014): 6. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Rich, Alex K., and Geraldine Wagner. "Same-Sex Marriage: An Overview." Points Of View:
Same Sex Marriage (2014): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
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Proper WORKS CITED page format:
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HEADER/Page #s continue
“Works Cited” centered at top of
page
All entries are double-spaced
Sources listed alphabetically by
author last name (or article title if no
author)
Hanging indentation