The Gay Marriage Debate: Commentary

July 5th 2005

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

This is the opening line of our constitution, a document that is meant to justly secure the freedoms and rights of American citizens.  The people of this country pride themselves for their toleration, suffrage, and most importantly, their everlasting crusade for equality. Equality is yours, whether you are white, black, Latino, Asian, short, tall, man, woman, Jew, Catholic, Mormon.

However, your equality – most notably your right to marriage – will be suspended by this prestigious country if your sexual orientation happens to vary from the traditional and narrow view.

But maybe there is a way to keep these harrowing marriages illegal. Just a few changes will be made for the rest of us. You know, just to be fair.  The most common arguments for defying these American citizens this certain constitutional right are children, stereotypes and religion.  According to many Americans, gay marriage should not be legalized because the couples would be unable to produce children through sexual intercourse.

How right they are! Unfortunately, these people chose to ignore the fact that by 1990, more than 30% of marriages were childless, whether by choice or by infertility. And this number is increasing.  The plain and simple truth is, if gay marriage is going to be illegal on the basis of being an “unproductive” (the pursuit of happiness is apparently dismissed as “unproductive”) union, then all marriages that fail to produce children within, say, 10 years of their nuptials should be annulled.  You know, just to be fair.

In addition to their void effect on contributing to the human race, Homosexuals are often labeled as promiscuous. There’s really nothing more to say about this fact except that I wasn’t aware sleeping around was illegal.  And neither were Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, Ingrid Bergman, John F. Kennedy, Frank Gifford, and Marlene Dietrich, all of who committed (usually) public infidelities during their marriages and yet, remained married.

If gay marriages are to be held illegal on account of being promiscuous, then any couples that experience adultery must have their marriage annulled immediately.  You know, just to be fair. Most commonly, gay marriages are determined illegal because of the Bible.  Certain religions turn to their congregation’s interpretation of the Bible.  Passages in Leviticus, Romans and Deuteronomy convey God’s condemnation of homosexuality.

But if we are going to follow every nook and cranny of the good book, then animal sacrifices are ok.  We should not eat pig, and all those who fornicate outside of marriage are in a lot of trouble.  Just to be fair.  Arguing by using the bible, however, is a null argument. It depends on an individual’s interpretation.

Also, the Bible, however insightful or enlightening it may be to certain people, is not our constitution. This nation has a strong tie to religion, but by promising religious toleration and equality to its citizens, a precedent of freedom is set.  And this freedom should be available to each and every American citizen.  People are afraid of what they don’t understand – finding fear in granting others their guaranteed rights is an abhorrent thing, no matter the argument.

By Molly McHugh
Molly is a freelance writer