Same Sex Marriages (Essay Sample)

Same-Sex Marriages
Name:
Reg. No.:
Institution:
Assignment:
Lecturer:
Date:
Same-Sex Marriages
Same-sex marriage can refer to a type of marriage involving two people of the same-sex. It can also be referred to as gay marriage (marriage between men) or lesbian marriage (marriage between women). According to Cahill and Sean, same-sex marriage question includes everything from sexual freedom to emancipation and civil right (Cahill and Sean, 2004).
Same-sex marriages have been recognized in many countries but only exist as a secret. The secrecy is because same-sex marriage, in many cultures and traditions is considered a bizarre union.
A rise in same-sex marriages has been recorded in recent times since the first laws facilitating the same were ordained during the earlier decades of the twenty-first century. The recognition of the laws affects many areas including issues relating to human rights and the society as a whole. In addition, religious issues and political issues are also affected in many nations across the globe. Issues continue to arise, and many debates are often held over whether same-sex marriage should be legalized, or the marriage partners should be allowed to hold a different status or should be denied such rights.
Same-sex marriage is now legalized in many countries. In July, 2013, Queen Elizabeth II cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Britain after approving a bill passed by Parliament. In The same year, Uruguay’s parliament also voted to become the second country in Latin America to recognize same-sex marriage regardless of a very strong opposition from Catholic Church. Other countries that have legalized same-sex marriage include; Wales, New Zealand, several states of America, South Africa, among others.
In many countries, more so in Africa, social issues play a big role in determining the fate of political parties and their leaders. Most African countries are instinctively conservative and view same-sex marriage as ungodly union that will only derogate their cultural values (Andersen and Ellen, 2005). Leaders in countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa have always used the same-sex marriage issue to fight their opponents who tend to support the union. In 2006 after the legalization of the union, the opposition, African Christian Democracy Party (ACDP) organized a demonstration against the law.
Socially, same-sex marriage has a lot to do with how people relate to each other. This union is a social problem because various people have diverse opinions about this same-sex marriage. Marotta and Toby think differently. They argue that emotionally, marriage is characterized by a kind of commitment that is rare even among heterosexuals. Extending the marriage to homosexuals does not need to dilute the unique nature of that commitment (Marotta and Toby, 2010). Contrary to that, in some cultures, gays and lesbians are considered not fit for the society and sometimes killed. Thus, same-sex marriage is a social problem.
This union has also brought many issues as far as human and civil rights are concerned. It has been learned that with time, many countries a...