Love: Freedom of Choice

What "Marriage" Stands for and Why it Should be Equal for All.

The term marriage is generally defined as the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. According to Crawford, “marriage is a way that societies regulate private relationships between couples” (Crawford, 2012, pg. 233). Marriage is an institution governed with laws and statues that can stipulate a number of things. One statute in particular prohibits the marriage of same-sex individuals. I personally believe that this is a violation of freedom and right of expression.

According to Psychology Today, Marriage is a process by which two people who love each other make their relationship public, official, and permanent. Love is a word with many definitions pertaining to each individual’s feelings and experiences. We all experience love differently and at different levels. Who is to say that love only exists between a man and a woman? Marriage is essentially a legal binding of the assets of two individual’s and the states acknowledgment of what they deem a legitimate relationship. In all reality, you can legally marry a stranger of the opposite sex if your heart desired. The idea that marriage is a symbol of ever- lasting love and devotion loses its legitimacy when you write it on paper. If U.S. society perceives marriage to be about love and relationship, then its legal standing should not discriminate against those in the gay community. According to Deborah Gray, homosexual couples are denied the opportunity to express their commitment to each other and their relationship (2012). In my opinion, all couples, whether heterosexual or same-sex should recognize divorce rates but not let it define the means of their personal relationship. Clearly, divorce rates are increasingly high but if couples marry with the fear of divorce, they only set themselves up for expected failure. Instead of placing obstacles for gay couples, it seems that the smarter more palatable alternative from a societal perspective would be to encourage monogamy and stability. As Gray said “Homosexuals need emotional and economic stability no less than heterosexuals – and society surely benefits when they have it” (2012). Legalizing gay marriage is not only a matter of justice, it is common sense.

Final Thought:

If the Supreme Court ever rules in defense of this marriage act, then the ability to divorce should be deemed non-existent. That way, those who received state acknowledgement of their "legitimate relationship" and then wish to dissolve their commitment, will be forced to suck it up and abide by their promise to live their lives legally bonded forever! I think LGBTs should focus on deriving their own terms of a social institution to represent the union of two loving individuals because, in my opinion, society has turned "marriage" into a mockery of what it truly means to love someone, until death do them part!

Crawford, M. (2012). Transformations: Women, Gender & Psychology (2nd ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Gray, D. (2012). Homosexual Couples Need Not Apply. Retrieved from http://www.arguingequality.org/chapter2.htm