Corner Post editorial —
Same-sex marriage: a battle worth fighting

by Katlyn Britt-Rankin, posted Dec. 1, 2011

Gay marriage is one of the most controversial topics in all of society, but with time, the acceptance of gay marriage may be inevitable. With each passing generation, statistics have shown that the acceptance of same-sex marriages grows slightly. Two factors keeping same-sex marriage from becoming legalized are religious beliefs and personal morality.

The definition of marriage in the Merriam-Webster dictionary has already been edited to support same-sex marriage. The definition that originally read 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," has now added, "the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage." More importantly than the description of who is being married is the third possible definition, "an intimate or close union."

"It's just not right," said Kaleigh Smith, Hickman High School student. "Marriage is between a man and a woman."

It is opinions like these that are keeping same-sex marriage from being legalized immediately. Smith claims that marriage is between a man and a woman, but by definition, marriage is an intimate contractual relationship between two people and is recognized this way by law.

"Marriage is more than our religious convictions and our commitment, but also about laws that will protect us," said Oliver Allen, pastor of the Vision Church of Atlanta.

Marriage is a contractual agreement that protects those within the relationship. According to the United States Accountability Office, as of 2003, they had identified 1,138 federal provisions where marriage status is a factor in receiving benefits, rights and privileges. People participating in same-sex marriages cannot list their partners on hospital next-of-kin, adoption and sometimes even property. This means same-sex partners cannot receive any benefit of a deceased partner unless there is a will directly stating what is left to them. Individuals living in a same-sex relationship before their marriages are accepted are subject to losing everything if the relationship ends. Divorce is a messy process that legally divides the possessions of the relationship. Without the acknowledgment of a legal relationship, many gay or lesbian individuals lose everything.

"I was homeless overnight," said Mariah Cooper, participant in same-sex marriage. "I had no rights to anything we had bought together, but hadn't thought to put my name on the deeds. She got it all."

Religion is a powerful tool in society and is partially what defines marriage, but being religious and being against gay marriage are separate issues. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey of 2007 identified Christianity as the most participated religion, with 78.4 percent of Americans following its practices. Methodists, a Christian denomination, believe in, "open hearts, open minds and open doors." By this notion, it is Christian to accept same-sex marriage. Methodists are one of the few denominations that openly accept gay and lesbian couples in their church. The acceptance of same-sex marriage is more a question of political position than religious position.

"I think it has to do a lot with politics, and people use the banning of gay marriage as a crutch to fuel their political campaign," said Shea Spence, member or the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community at Mizzou.

Politicians are notorious for strategically creating a campaign that appeals to their voters regardless of morality. With some representatives getting older and younger politicians filling their shoes, the acceptance of same-sex marriage is growing.

"Just because someone has a political agenda doesn't mean that civil rights should be ignored," Spence said.

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court applied section one of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Loving v. Virginia case. The case declared Virginia's "Racial Integrity Act of 1924" unconstitutional. The Act required every citizens race to be recorded and it banned interracial marriages.

"The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men," said Earl Warren, 14th Chief Justice of the United States. "To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law."

According to the Public Religion Research Institute survey that was conducted in July of 2011, only 31 percent of the Baby Boomer generation supports same-sex marriage. The Millennials acceptance doubles that of the Baby Boomers. With the acceptance of same-sex marriage growing with each generation, it is logical to think same-sex marriage will be legalized in the near future. Allies and participants simply must keep fighting for their rights.

"Like interracial couples, gay couples are seeking equality under the law, asking their government for these rights, not individuals, or religious bodies," Spence said.

As with most controversial issues in American history, same-sex marriage is a concept that Americans are hesitant to acknowledge. Same-sex marriages are a lot like the marriages between non-white individuals in early American history. Same-sex relationships have existed for as long as mankind, but only as a dark secret. The relationships were unacknowledged much like child abuse, domestic abuse and pedophilia before modern times. All of these concerns take time and effort to make a change. People of this generation must keep believing and keep preaching about their rights to marriage.

"Love and marriage are our civil rights, all humans deserve them, and we (same-sex participants) are no different," Spence said.

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