Gay Marriage Doesn’t Equal Rights
The debate on monogamy is often used as the counterargument to reserving the marriage rights to heterosexual couples. In other words, the advocates of gay marriage claim that most men in the heterosexual couples are not monogamous, but that faithfulness to one partner is demanded from gay couples in order to be recognized by law or the society. The debate on gay marriage rights is a fierce fight, employing all possible means and measures to prove one’s point. This paper by referring to the most recent debate on gay marriage as presented by such activists as Andrew Sullivan, argues that gay marriage should be given the same rights as heterosexual marriage in the modern society.
Many liberal and radical politicians today argue in favor of gay marriage or commitment ceremonies within the church so that lesbians and gay men can take part in church life. The gay rights advocates claim that the issue of allowing gay marriages is not entirely a religious one. As put by Andrew Sullivan (2003, para 5), “it’s important to remember that the issue here is not religious. It’s civil. Various religious groups can choose to endorse same-sex marriage or not as they see fit”. In other words, the author argues that gay people should be given the same rights as heterosexual individuals who, for instance, are not excluded form the church if they commit adultery or get divorced.
Yet there are many opponents of gay marriage who suggest that such strategy of allowing gay marriages to have the same rights as heterosexual unions is misguided. Various scholars state that it is essential instead to look beyond the currently popular political struggle for recognition of same-sex unions and gay families, into a landscape where the heart of sexual morality lies (Benkov, 1995). The Right’s family values campaign has gained ground by promoting a view of the family as a haven in a heartless world. These conservatives understand that the Christian message is designed for a unit larger than one individual, that morality and faithfulness can only be achieved in a group setting (Warne, 2002). In their focus on the family, they appeal to those who feet isolated and detached from larger units. The family provides contemporary Americans with a tool for overcoming the crippling and lonely effects of individuality. The Right’s campaign tells people that they are not alone as long as they have a family. Modern individuals need to work to disrupt the self-contained, isolated human subject.
At the same time, advocates of gay marriages argue that an increasing number of gay and lesbian people need “the institution of marriage for fostering responsibility, commitment and the domestication of unruly men” (Sullivan, 2003, para 3). Each year more and more couples publicly pledge commitment. Each year more lesbians and gay men become families by producing or adopting children.
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