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The Moral Permissibility Of Same Sex Marriage

The Moral Permissibility of Same-Sex Marriage
Homosexuality has been a part of public consciousness in the United States for more than the past hundred years. Only recently has homosexuality been widely accepted as something other than a psychological disorder, but rather a trait (whether genetically or environmentally determined) which a person has the right to express. Some argue that homosexuals have a right to enter into legally recognized marriages with someone of the same sex. I tend to agree, and in this essay I will employ utilitarian and rights-based perspectives to illustrate why same-sex marriage is morally permissible and worthy of legalization.
If I am to prove that same-sex marriage is morally permissible, I must examine both parts of this concept: "same-sex" and "marriage." I will begin by discussing marriage. Many people feel that only couples with two members of opposite sex deserve the right to marry on the basis that marriage carries an intrinsic implication of heterosexual union with an emphasis on love and monogamy and an end goal of procreation and child rearing. This implication is valid, because it is a veritable definition of the custom of marriage throughout history from a religious perspective. However, in the United States, religion is separated from legal matters such as a person's right to enter into a recognized union with another person. Many people choose to affirm their commitment from a religious perspective by holding marriage ceremonies in a church, which are presided over by a religious official. The legal marriage ceremony is performed by a civil servant and is the only ceremony which can award a couple the legal rights that come with marriage. This implication also suggests that marriage is a means to produce children and raise them in a safe, loving environment. Child rearing is also not truly a part of marriage, as there is no legal provision of a marriage licensing encouraging or discouraging procreation....