FAQs
1. What are the benefits of having gay marriage be legal?
Just in Michigan, there are Homosexual couples as stated in. In the United States there are more than 250,000 children up for adoption. Many gay couples are willing to adopt because of inability to have their own children. Allowing gay marriage would open up many opportunities for children to be adopted. If marriage is about reproduction, then shouldn’t infertile woman and men be banned from marriage as well? Also, homosexual marriage has no affect on heterosexual marriage. People argue that more people will be prone to becoming homosexual. But whether or not homosexual marriage is legal or not doesn’t change the fact that people are going to be gay. Lastly, gay marriage will bring financial gain to state by the higher income taxes and marriage licenses. So, not only does gay marriage help people, but how does it hurt anybody? (Meet the children NP)
2. Why do lack of gay rights and bullying of gays affect me?
In Michigan annually, 100,000 people take their own lives. Many of these deaths are caused by bullying due to sexuality, about 30%. You may be thinking, how does this affect me? Well it does, imagine if that was someone you knew. Every one of those people that were bullied into taking their own life was someone’s son, daughter, grandson, nephew, boyfriend, best friend; all of these people had people that cared about them that were affected by this. And one day that could be your relative. Don’t wait until it affects you, prevent it. (Suicide Notes Leave as Many Questions as Answers for Survivors NP)
3. Is there evidence supporting why gay rights and marriage are right?
Gay marriage being legal would help our economy greatly. Many politicians are in agreement that it would bring a higher state revenue annually. As it says here “Gay marriages can bring financial gain to state and local governments. Revenue from gay marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes (the so-called "marriage penalty"), and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. [4] The Comptroller for New York City found that legalizing gay marriage would bring $142 million to the City’s economy and $184 million to the State’s economy over three years.” (Gay Marriage ProCon.org NP)
4. How is homosexuality viewed in other countries?
As of November 7, 2012 only 12 states allow gay marriage. Since 2001 14 countries and nearly all of South America completely, or mostly, allow gay marriage. The United States is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world, yet we still deny people the simple right to be married to someone they love. Some may say that because all of these other countries allow gay marriage that we are lacking and are behind.
5. What is the religious reasoning for not supporting gay rights?
Many people of religious affiliation feel that the book that is the center of their faith is the one true work of their creator. This leads to the logic that if it’s in the holy texts then it must be true. For example in Christianity there is a quote in the bible that says, “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.” (Leviticus 20:13) Today some religious members take that and try to make laws or rules that prevent gay couples from being together. Then there is the social issues that come up from say a gay couple moving into a religious community. That is where things can sometimes end badly for the gay couple.
6. Who are some people affected by Homophobia?
Unfortunately there are thousands of recorded cases of homophobia. Many of these cruel words can lead to several people each year to killing themselves. Take for example an eleven-year-old boy living in Georgia. He was an ordinary kid. He got good grades, he loved to dance, and he loved to be with his family. Then one day he just got sick of no one, not even his counselors or teachers, doing anything to help him. So he came home and hung himself around the neck with belt in his room.
7. When will things change for gay couples?
The sad truth is that things probably wont change for a while. Even though half of all Americans support the legalization of homosexual couples, things take time. Right now there is a supreme court case that is going to decide if DOMA (Defense of marriage act) is a law that is allowed by the constitution. The law states the gay marriage is banned in the United States. Former president Clinton enacted the law in 1996. Several of the justices are fairly closed when it comes to this subject. The case is thought to be decided sometime in June.
8. Where does most of the discrimination against gay people happen?
Well considering only 12 states legalize gay marriage. Many of the discrimination happen in primarily southern states. Now there is discrimination in almost every single state, but that is something that cant be solved with a law. In southern states though the laws go along and legalize the discrimination.
Just in Michigan, there are Homosexual couples as stated in. In the United States there are more than 250,000 children up for adoption. Many gay couples are willing to adopt because of inability to have their own children. Allowing gay marriage would open up many opportunities for children to be adopted. If marriage is about reproduction, then shouldn’t infertile woman and men be banned from marriage as well? Also, homosexual marriage has no affect on heterosexual marriage. People argue that more people will be prone to becoming homosexual. But whether or not homosexual marriage is legal or not doesn’t change the fact that people are going to be gay. Lastly, gay marriage will bring financial gain to state by the higher income taxes and marriage licenses. So, not only does gay marriage help people, but how does it hurt anybody? (Meet the children NP)
2. Why do lack of gay rights and bullying of gays affect me?
In Michigan annually, 100,000 people take their own lives. Many of these deaths are caused by bullying due to sexuality, about 30%. You may be thinking, how does this affect me? Well it does, imagine if that was someone you knew. Every one of those people that were bullied into taking their own life was someone’s son, daughter, grandson, nephew, boyfriend, best friend; all of these people had people that cared about them that were affected by this. And one day that could be your relative. Don’t wait until it affects you, prevent it. (Suicide Notes Leave as Many Questions as Answers for Survivors NP)
3. Is there evidence supporting why gay rights and marriage are right?
Gay marriage being legal would help our economy greatly. Many politicians are in agreement that it would bring a higher state revenue annually. As it says here “Gay marriages can bring financial gain to state and local governments. Revenue from gay marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes (the so-called "marriage penalty"), and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. [4] The Comptroller for New York City found that legalizing gay marriage would bring $142 million to the City’s economy and $184 million to the State’s economy over three years.” (Gay Marriage ProCon.org NP)
4. How is homosexuality viewed in other countries?
As of November 7, 2012 only 12 states allow gay marriage. Since 2001 14 countries and nearly all of South America completely, or mostly, allow gay marriage. The United States is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world, yet we still deny people the simple right to be married to someone they love. Some may say that because all of these other countries allow gay marriage that we are lacking and are behind.
5. What is the religious reasoning for not supporting gay rights?
Many people of religious affiliation feel that the book that is the center of their faith is the one true work of their creator. This leads to the logic that if it’s in the holy texts then it must be true. For example in Christianity there is a quote in the bible that says, “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.” (Leviticus 20:13) Today some religious members take that and try to make laws or rules that prevent gay couples from being together. Then there is the social issues that come up from say a gay couple moving into a religious community. That is where things can sometimes end badly for the gay couple.
6. Who are some people affected by Homophobia?
Unfortunately there are thousands of recorded cases of homophobia. Many of these cruel words can lead to several people each year to killing themselves. Take for example an eleven-year-old boy living in Georgia. He was an ordinary kid. He got good grades, he loved to dance, and he loved to be with his family. Then one day he just got sick of no one, not even his counselors or teachers, doing anything to help him. So he came home and hung himself around the neck with belt in his room.
7. When will things change for gay couples?
The sad truth is that things probably wont change for a while. Even though half of all Americans support the legalization of homosexual couples, things take time. Right now there is a supreme court case that is going to decide if DOMA (Defense of marriage act) is a law that is allowed by the constitution. The law states the gay marriage is banned in the United States. Former president Clinton enacted the law in 1996. Several of the justices are fairly closed when it comes to this subject. The case is thought to be decided sometime in June.
8. Where does most of the discrimination against gay people happen?
Well considering only 12 states legalize gay marriage. Many of the discrimination happen in primarily southern states. Now there is discrimination in almost every single state, but that is something that cant be solved with a law. In southern states though the laws go along and legalize the discrimination.