Same-sex marriage
Discrimination against same-sex marriage is a modern problem affecting many
Americans. Imagine you like someone of the same sex and you fall in love with each
other. You live happily together and then decide to get married and now you are married.
While you enjoy the union you now have with your partner, others do not agree with your
choice and they treat you differently for it. They may even say that you are wrong for
your decision. Others couple are treated equally, but you are the exception and do not
receive the same kind of recognition that a straight couple has and the one reason is
because you married someone of the same sex. While same-sex marriage has improved
over the years as it is now legal in all states. The discrimination is the major problem. In
the past we have discriminated against people of different race from being together but
now we see it as a human right to fall in love with anyone of any race. So in 100 years we
will look back on this and see how wrong we were in the way we treated the idea of
same-sex marriage.
The ethical violation that is shown in the scenario is discrimination. Going back to
the previous example of how we used to not allow people of different races to be married,
we now see that as a human right violation. Why is same-sex marriage not a human right
and viewed differently by others? “Unlike race, gender, age, ethnicity or religion, sexual
orientation is not a protected characteristic under current federal civil rights law” (“Gays
and Lesbians”). This is what we will be criticized for in the future because we didn’t
think to protect people’s sexual orientation. This also violates the two ethical principles
of fairness and the respect for autonomy. There is no fairness in treating someone
differently just because they have different sexual orientations. If the person likes a
different sexual orientation then you should not treat them differently. Instead you should
respect their decisions and treat them as you would any other person. It also violates
someone's autonomy. People have the right to their own choice and you should respect
those decisions. People who say same-sex marriage is wrong and do not allow those
people to be married because they are the same sex are not respectful to their autonomy
and are breaking that ethical right that they have.
My reaction to the discrimination was that I was confused that people would act
the way they do to people who are sexually attracted to the same sex as them. First, I
thought it was people just not agreeing with others because of their sexual orientation.
Then I learned they were not allowed to get married which made me angry at the people
who wouldn’t let them for a reason like that. I also learned about the hate crimes and how
there would be violent encounters which made me concerned for those who were being
attacked and more enraged that something like this would happen and is still a problem. I
became content and excited when I learned about the good news for same-sex couples
and how we were doing more for them. “The United States Supreme Court rules in favor
of the freedom to marry in Obergefell v. Hodges, striking down marriage bans in the
remaining 13 states that continued to discriminate and opening the freedom to marry to
same-sex couples nationwide, at last” (“History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in
the United States”). This made me joyful knowing something was done about the
situation.
People accept the violations done to people’s ethical rights by bringing up many
different arguments that are to suppose to prove their points. This is also a problem with
religion since in some religions liking the same sex is not allowed. The violators will
bring up many points that have fact behind them but also have problems. “The institution
of marriage has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman” (Should
Gay Marriage Be Legal). While this is true in the modern world many things are
changing and the definition of marriage should also change.
The main action to take is to be more accepting. To respect the autonomy of
people more. When we are more accepting of others then we can give more rights to
same-sex couples. Treat them as a straight couple and see them for who there are instead
of what they like. Show people that is no harm in a same0sec marriage and they will in
turn learn to accept it. The world needs to be more accepting and then we can look back
at this and see that we were wrong for thinking this way.
Works Cited
"Gays and Lesbians." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
“Gay Marriage.” ProConorg Headlines. ProCon.org. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
"History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in the United States | Freedom to Marry."
History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in the United States | Freedom to
Marry. Freedom to Marry. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.