List of Top 11 Gay Marriage Pros and Cons

Though a controversial concept, gay marriage is legalized in some countries. However, other nations are considerably remaining orthodox, where they dispose the idea of same-sex relationships, not to mention not allowing gay couples to marry. In the US, some states have legalized it federally, but others have not accepted such law and are still curtailing it for their residents. There are many moral, legal and biological aspects of gay marriage, and from these perspectives arise several pros and cons. Let us take a look at some of them, according to proponents and opponents.

List of Pros of Gay Marriage

1. It promotes freedom.
Probably the biggest advantage of gay marriage is the opportunity for gay people to freely do what they want without the society or state playing big brother. Basically, marriage is the union of two individuals who decide to spend their lives together willingly. Considering that heterosexual couples get married, proponents see no reason why gay couples should not get that same privilege. According to them, gay marriage or the law legalizing it would end injustice on a considerable section of humanity. In that sense, same-sex marriage is a social equalizer. The LGBT community enjoys the same fundamental rights as others, and it would be reasonable to give them the right to marry.

2. It allows same sex couples to adopt children.
Adoption is a privilege for married couples only. With the legalization of same-sex marriage, gay couples will be able to enjoy the same option.

3. It allows same-sex couples to engage in a formal relationship they can use on official documents.
This means gay couples will be able to have the rights to all the assets they own together, own properties jointly, become a citizen of another country if a partner hails from there and enjoy all normal marital laws. Moreover, a gay partner will be able to take refuge in the law when abused physically or financially, or when abandoned without formal divorce.

4. It promotes equality.
Gay marriage allows both spouses to have equal rights and get access to benefits that are meant for married couples. Before, same-sex couples could not enjoy any of these, since they were not even recognized as such by a country or state.

5. It allows same-sex relationships to be under the purview of the law.
As well as in heterosexual relationships, abuse and exploitation are common in gay relationships. By legalizing gay marriage same-sex couples will be put under the purview of law that deals with such unfavorable acts, and breaking up will become more difficult, where divorce will be the only way out. In that case, gay people would commit to their relationships, which is a positive note, since these individuals have long been perceived to be rather promiscuous. They could not get married, so it was easy for them to remain uncommitted. Now, knowing that they are allowed to get married, they can demand commitment from the people they share romantic relationships with.

List of Cons of Gay Marriage

1. It trivializes and weakens the institution of heterosexual marriage.
Though this argument is observed to be fading dramatically in recent years, as countries and states have allowed members of the LGBT community to marry without measurable detriments to straight marriage, it is still important to point out.

2. It violates tradition.
Sure, most of the world’s cultures have defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but tradition can be a mixed bag. It also includes grotesque exploitation of workers, denial of rights to women and execution of people who committed property and thought crimes. And of course, opponents of gay marriage urge that this concept is also something that violates tradition.

3. It binds couples who cannot produce children.
Marriage reflects the biological necessity of humans to procreate, which provides a legal framework that strengthens the man-woman union for the benefit of all. Aside from this, this is also the reason why the law generally allows prisoners to wed even when it is unlikely for them to be released. Opponents of gay marriage see this as a big advantage of same-sex couples.

4. It does not make children to have a father and a mother.
Yes, gay couples are allowed to adopt a child, but they will never be a father and a mother to him or her. This might pose a huge problem, considering that a baby needs milk, which means the need for a lactating mother. Yes, milk is available at supermarkets, but in a strict biological sense, a child would not be able to breastfeed when he or she is adopted by a gay couple, and the essence of one dad and one mom is not being met.

5. It will put us on the slippery slope towards legalizing polygamy.
The philosophical and practical arguments of same-sex marriage are seen as largely distinct from those of marriage equality. For example, historians found out that gay marriage destabilizes a society when some men can take a lot of wives, while leaving other men without the opportunity to mate. However, this marriage concept does not fundamentally change the basic idea of 2 individuals agreeing to be united for life and taking on the privileges and responsibilities of their agreement. Thus, proposals to legalize multiple-partner marriage should be considered separately from legislations with regards to single-partner marriage.

6. It is still not universally legalized.
Considering that there are still many countries and states that do not recognize same-sex marriage, gay couples who are traveling to such places after being married may not be recognized as couples. This means that they may not be entitled to the benefits, privileges or law applications that are meant for married couples.

Conclusion

The topic of gay marriage is a very heated and sensitive one, where people are having different views that will not likely change under certain circumstances. But no matter what, marriage is definitely a beautiful occasion of love with the pleasure of celebrating everybody should have.