Gay Marriage 101

The arguments for an against same-sex marriage are as old as marriage (and homosexuality). The legal wrangling and civil rights movements often create complicated and subtle twists to each of the main points. If you’re feeling a bit uninformed, here is a quick-study guide to the top arguments:

1) God’s Word
Against: There are passages in the currently accepted English versions of the Bible that preclude homosexuality as a God-sanctioned expression of physical intimacy. It’s kind of lumped in with bestiality, if you read it the right way. The interpretation of hetero-centric monogamists is that God Says No to gay rights, and gay marriage.
For: Plenty of theologians disagree that the Bible says anything about homosexuality, or same-sex marriage. There are literally hundreds of versions of the Bible, in more than fifty languages. Each of these show a subtlety altered version of the ‘original’ Word of God. Add to this the common sense point that homosexuality is a natural inclusion in almost all animal species, including human beings (around ten percent of all animals display homosexual behaviour), and the point that perhaps God likes it this way or it wouldn’t exist, and you have an explosive debate

2) Raising Children
Against: The argument is that a non-heterosexual family structure will deny kids a mother and a father (based on the assumption that this is the best environment for little ones). There is also the fear that a gay couple is more likely to raise gay kids (based on the assumption that being gay is wrong). Essentially, this area of the debate is all about not wanting anyone to be put in a position where gay marriage will have to be included in all teachings about ‘family’ and that this may open the door to other non-traditional family structures, including non-marrieds, polygamists etc.
For: Advocates of gay marriage are pretty confident that you don’t need a man and a woman to raise happy kids. They make the point that kids are raised in all kinds of families, and it is social stigma that hurts most, not whether it’s Mum and Mum or Dad and Dad showing up to parent-teacher interview night. As most gay couples need to adopt, or go through the process of conceiving a child using donor eggs or sperm, there is also the obvious fact that any child born into this kind of family is 100 per cent wanted. Some of the advocates for gay marriage are curious about why non-traditional marriage structures are so wrong anyway. The kicker to this argument is that one about gay couples raising gay children. Ermmmm, don’t you have to start with a heterosexual couple to GET a gay or lesbian child in the first place?

3) Spousal Rights
For: Legally, it is incredibly difficult for the spouses of same-sex partners to access the resources that heterosexual couples have. When one partner dies, it is never automatically assumed that the spouse is the inheritor of the estate. Nor can a same-sex spouse access the pension, property, and maintenance resources enshrined in the divorce laws of heterosexual couples. In effect, no matter how long you have lived with, or loved your partner, you are out in the cold
Against: This argument is pretty thin. It basically says “homosexuality is bad anyway, so why should you get anything nice for it.” Yep, really, that’s about it.
In Europe, same-sex marriage is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Norway and Sweden. Portugal should follow later this year. So why not get married in Madrid? This gay-friendly city has a lot to offer for everyone – whether you are in love with a man, a woman, a monkey or a broomstick! Rent the best apartments in Madrid and enjoy!

Tags: gay marriage, gay marriages, is gay marriage right, marriage between gays