A Critique of William Bennett’s “Against Gay Marriage” The issue of homosexuals in our society is becoming more of a debate. The debate is no longer whether we should accept them, but rather, should they be legally recognized. Gay marriage should not be legalized because of its effect it would have on society. William Bennett’s article “Against Gay Marriage” was originally published in the Washington Post and highlights the negative effects of gay marriage on our society. Bennett wrongfully believes that homosexual and heterosexual unions are not comparable; however, if we change the definition of marriage, our society’s understanding of marriage would be irreconcilably ruined.
So if you are saying that gay marriage should not be allowed to marry based on moral issues, you are in essence saying that morally it is worse to be a homosexual than to be a rapist, murderer, or child molester. It is this kind of thinking that has held society back. Still others would argue that due to divorce and cohabitation the institution of marriage is already in a weakened state. They view allowing legal gay marriage as the potential straw that is going to break marriages back. I would acknowledge marriage does not have the same prevalence and level of commitment it held in past generations but the decline of marriage has nothing to do with homosexuals.
Yet, this same upbringing blinded me to the inherent social disadvantage experienced by transsexuals. Through my experience, I can recognize that heterosexuals are taught not to identify the privilege of their group over transsexuals. I have decided to identify some of the daily effects of heterosexual privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to sexuality privilege than to class, color, or status, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, transsexuals that I come into contact cannot count on most of these conditions.
Homosexuality "Marriage" is a bond recognized by various institutions, between a man and a woman. Not only a man and a woman define “marriage”, but pairs of the same sex fulfill the criteria of a successful marriage as well. William Bennett, the author of “Against Marriage”, dictates that allowing homosexuals to get married will change the meaning of marriage while Andrew Sullivan claims that "they make a deep commitment to one another and to society; in exchange, society extends the benefits to them”. Although, over the years, people have changed the essence of marriage to suit their personal needs, but many constitutions are biased towards equality of rights resulting in the condemnation of personal integrity.
Opponents of homosexual marriage feel that by allowing gay and lesbians the right to marriage undermines the traditional definition of marriage. However, as society changes and the demands of the American citizens change, there needs to be changes that comply with not only the traditional society but also with modern needs of the United States people. Not only are homosexual couples being denied marriage rights but also adoption rights in several states. There would be no harm to society by allowing homosexuals the right to marriage or to legally adopt; the positive impacts it would have on society are far greater then the negative effects. Homosexuals should get the same rights as any other United States citizen.
In his own words it is “uncommonly silly” why punish someone because of what they choose to be sexually? He also stated that it was not in the Bill of Rights and not in the Constitution. So why waste valuable law enforcement resources to prevent and punish someone because of his or her sexual preference. In Justice Scalia dissection she announces that the court described petitioners conduct as an exercise of their liberty which it is. “Before the Medieval period early Romans tolerated alternative sexual practices, such as masturbation in males and females and homosexuality.
According to the teachings of Christianity sexual desire was only useful within the sanctity of marriage. If sexuality activity is practiced for other reasons than reproduction, then it would be considered a sin. Homosexuality, masturbation, and the use of birth control would be considered the opposition of God's plan and morally wrong. This view is often classified as conservative and very strict. However it is the foundation of debates regarding the moral status of a large number of sexual acts – the latent stigma still attached to homosexuality is a prime example of the influence of the theological standpoint on sexual desires.
There were two different studies which was contributed to the different brain structures of a homosexual and a heterosexual, Dean Hamer had tended to focus on the size of the hemispheres of the brains, where he came to the conclusion that there was in fact a difference between the size of the left and right hemispheres regarding one’s sexuality, LeVay had made a great discovery that there had appeared to be a great difference between the size of the anterior hypothalamus of the brain regarding homosexuals and heterosexuals. Overall the homosexuality debate is based on that of scientific facts versus the general opinion of those who believe that homosexuality is a choice and that the environmental factors are influential on sexual
To the contrary, the amendment imposes a special disability on those persons alone. Homosexuals are forbidden the safeguards that others enjoy or may seek without constraint" (J.A Kennedy,2009) The truth is, I think it is sick that here in the United States, gay marriage is not a federally protected right. This is bigotry, pure and simple, and it needs to stop. Denying two women or two men the right to marry is as cruel and absurd as it was to deny two straight people of different races the right to marry. Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't the Constitution of the United States guarantee everyone the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
The topic of same-sex marriage, or gay marriage, is extremely divisive in today's society. Many in favor of same-sex marriage suggest that gay couples should have the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples, which is simply a civil rights issue. The issue of same-sex marriage is an argument that all of us have heard, and most of us have strong opinions on. I know very few people that don’t have a preference of legalization or not. Personally, I believe that homosexuals should be granted the same rights as heterosexual couples.