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Ashley Olivo Ms. Patroni ENG 111 29 October 2013 Love Knows No Gender What is love? To most, this question itself is hard to answer for love can have both different and unique meanings to everyone. Whether it is through a religious ceremony or in a courthouse before a judge, love is typically celebrated through legal union, otherwise marriage. Nowadays, law and religion play important roles in the lives of homosexuals who are looking to get married. Gay and lesbian couples deal with discrimination on a day-to-day basis. Their dreams of one day being united have become short-lived for they have become targets to our biased society, -a society in which religion dictates everything. By legalizing same-sex marriage in all fifty states, adoption rates would drastically increase, state/local government revenue would proliferate, and equality and non-discrimination would further be promoted. In the United States, there are 400,540 children living in the foster care system. Of those 400,540 children, 115,000 are eligible for adoption. Nearly 40% of these children will end up waiting over three years in foster care before they are adopted (CCAI: Facts and Statistics). Thousands of gay and lesbian couples living in states where same-sex marriage is illegal await the day that it will be legalized. As of today, only eleven states allow gay couples to adopt; the additional thirty-nine states have made it illegal, and require the two parents to be legally married (Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights). Gay couples living in states where gay marriage and gay

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adoption are illegal, are forced to travel out of state and find another state to legally get married in before they are eligible for adoption. By legalizing same-sex marriage, gay and lesbian couples will be able to adopt at ease. This will result in an inclination in the adoption rate, and help to provide homes to children in need. A year after legalizing same-sex marriage in its state, New York made $259 million (Huffington Post). Revenue from same-sex marriage is derived from marriage licenses, higher income taxes, and decreased state benefit programs. All states require all couples to obtain marriage licenses in order to be legally wedded. Marriage licenses range from $10-$115. On average, there are over two million marriages every year. This rate is increasing (Statistic Brain). The Comptroller for New York City discovered that legalizing gay marriage would bring in $142 million to the city and $184 million to the state over three years (ProCon). Legalizing same-sex marriage will increase the number of U.S. marriages. This will result in an increase in revenue since all gay couples will also have to pay for marriage licenses and any additional fees that come with marriage. Its a chain reaction. If all fifty states legalized gay marriage, the United States would generate ridiculously high amounts of revenue in result. Gay is synonymous with the lesser/ Its the same hate thats caused wars from religion/ Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment/ Its human rights for everybody, there is no difference (Macklemore). Weve all heard these infamous lyrics on the radio before. In his hit song, Same Love, Macklemore compares the issue of same-sex marriage to other controversial subjects, such as racism and religion. America still struggles to this day with providing equal rights and opportunities to its citizens. Marriage is known to be a matter of civil law; therefore, stripping a citizen of his or her right to marry would be unconstitutional. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry stigmatizes gay and lesbian families as inferior and sends the

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message that is it acceptable to discriminate against them (Should Gay Marriage Be Legal?). Although legalizing gay marriage may not eliminate all prejudices, it can prove to millions of Americans that same-sex marriage can help to reduce intergroup prejudices, promote cultural diversity, and remind all citizens that were all entitled to equality. Although issues like racism are ongoing, America has made progress as well as better efforts to eliminate it. Most Americans recognize that the color of your skin does not define the person that you are, and neither does it determine ones superiority. The same goes for same-sex marriage, -love knows no gender, and a persons sexual orientation does not define the type of person that they are. By legalizing samesex marriage in all fifty states, we can build the foundation that America needs in order to promote equality and non-discrimination. Opposing views claim that same-sex marriage is wrong and it should be illegal because it poses as a threat to the sanctity of religion, it defies the general ideology of marriage being strictly for procreation, and it harms children mentally and emotionally due to the fact that a mother and father are not present. Considering that gay marriage is between two people of the same sex and many people have been raised to believe that same-sex marriage is a violation of natural law and/or religion, it is understandable that people deem it as unnatural or sinful. However, it is also often argued that same-sex marriage is not wrong since religion and marriage do not go hand-in-hand, couples can marry for a variety of reasons with no intent of starting a family, and there have been numerous studies that have shown that children raised by couples are no different than those raised by opposite-sex couples. Religion and marriage are of separate matters and being that we live in America, religion should have no role in setting civil and societal laws. Choosing to include religion into marriage is not for society or law to decide, those matters are to be left to the two individuals looking to get married. Religion applies to the

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argument that marriage is specifically for procreation. These beliefs exist due to the sacred and religious writings that declare it as sinful. Not all couples get married with the intent of reproducing or raising children. The procreation argument ignores the fact that some couples are biologically incapable of having children and that some couples marry for a wide range of reasons which include love, friendship, and companionship (The Top 10 Arguments). Sexual orientation does not determine ones ability to parent their child well. Several studies have demonstrated that there are no differences in psychological outcomes between those raised by opposite-sex couples and those raised by same-sex couples (The Top 10 Arguments). Same-sex marriage is no different than opposite-sex marriage and it not wrong, therefore, it should be legalized in all fifty states. All in all, legalizing gay marriage will cause adoption rates to sky rocket, increase financial gain, and promote equality. Removing discrimination from the institution of marriage does not redefine marriage it simply makes the institution more accessible and reflects the evolution of society (Huffington Post). Gay marriage consists of constant battles between law, love, and religion. In the end, it all comes down to equality. No American deserves to be stripped of their rights. If two people wish to be united, they should not be hindered in doing so for love is love, and it knows no gender.

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Works Cited Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. Why We Do It: Facts and Statistics. Washington: CCAI, 2011. Web. <http://www.ccainstitute.org/why-we-do-it-/facts-and-statistics.html>. Head, Tom. "Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights." Lesbian and Gay Rights 101. Civil Liberties, 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/ig/Lesbianand-Gay-Rights-101/Gay-Adoption-Rights.htm>. "LGBT Adoption Advantages." Lifelong Adoptions. N.p., n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. <http://www.lifelongadoptions.com/lgbt-adoption/lgbt-adoption-advantages>. Murray, Lipp. "The Top 10 Arguments Against Gay Marriage: All Receive Failing Grades." The Blog. HUFFPOST, 28 May 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murray-lipp/the-top-10-arguments-"Gay Marriage."

Oh, Inae. "New York Gay Marriage Generated $259 Million In Economic Impact For NYC." Huffington Post, 24 Jul 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/new-york-same-sex-marriage-millioneconomic-impact_n_1699089.html>. Rich, Alex K. Wagner, Geraldine. Same-Sex Marriage: An Overview. Points of View: Same Sex Marriage (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 30 Oct. 2013 Should Gay Marriage Be Legal? ProCon, 21 Oct 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. <http://gaymarriage.procon.org/>. agai_b_3337249.html>.