Gay Rights: For it or Against it?
The Presidential Election is the biggest event that happens in our country. Every four years, it is time to either elect someone new or re-elect the president for other term. The viewpoints and issues are always the topics that come up in every election. Some are very controversial while others are not as divisive.
The Presidential Election is the biggest event that happens in our country. Every four years, it is time to either elect someone new or re-elect the president for another term. Some viewpoints and issues that come up in an election can be very controversial while others are not as divisive.
The one issue that seems to be causing a lot of commotion is Gay Rights. The debate is whether or not gay marriage should be legalized and if same sex marriages should recognized. This highly affects our country because according to a study by The Williams Institute of the UCLA school of Law found “10percent of the country is gay, bisexual, or transgender.” Though this may not seem like a whole lot, it is still a very touchy subject that is a hot topic in this election.
It is an important topic because this decision affects us, the college students. We are all reaching an age in which we will soon join the working world and start thinking about marriage and having a family.
Both candidates have different view points on if gay marriage should be legal or not. Both their opinions will play a huge role in which candidate is elected president in 2013. President Obama is in the democrat party while Mitt Romney is in the Republican Party.
President Obama endorses same sex marriages and supports the extension of legal rights and benefits to same sex marriages. He also achieved the repeal of the military ban on openly gay service members.
Mitt Romney who previously supported gay rights, does not endorse same-sex marriages anymore. He does not believe that the United States should recognized civil unions and thinks it should be banned constitutionally. He also wants to restore the ban on openly gay military members.
Since this election will greatly affect our generation, a study was conducted around campus to see if the students supported gay marriage. Out of 60 students interviewed, 47 of them said same sex marriages should legalized. Around 21% of the students surveyed disagreed and said it should not be legalized.
Four students were also interviewed personally to see why they were opposed or for it. They were all asked “Are you for or against gay marriage and why?”
Paige Dimonte, a sophomore here at Bloomsburg when asked responded “I am for same-sex marriages because I believe that everyone should have equal rights and get the benefits from marriage”.
Victoria Riddle, also a sophomore and who supports gay marriage and its rights said “Why should opposite sex couples get all these benefits and rights when most of them end up in divorce anyway. They say same sex marriage is wrong but they are being hypocrites and are abusing their own marriage rights”.
Mike McDermott, a senior disagrees strongly and responded “I do not think it should be legalized because it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Evan. It is just plain wrong”.
Some students who were interviewed did not really have a clear opinion on whether it should be legalized or not. John Robert Days who recently discovered his homosexuality responded with this “I personally do not care if it is legal or not legal. I do not need a marriage license to love someone; I am going to love them either way. If it is legal then great, but if it is not then that is okay too. I know I will not get the same benefits I would usually get in an opposite sex marriage but that still will not affect how I feel about someone”.
Whether you are for same sex marriages or not, it is still a very important topic that will affect all of us in some way. When Election Day comes around, remember we are the change that will transform this country into what we want it to be.
