Should Gay Marriage be Legal?

Introduction

In researching certain controversial topics, it is common for individuals to exhibit biases based on their point of view. One of these topics is the whether to legalize gay marriage. There are conflicting viewpoints regarding whether gay marriages should be legal with certain groups opposing this proposal while other groups support that gay marriages should be legalized (Van der Toorn et al., 2017).

Debates have been ongoing for a long time where some states in the United States have legalized gay marriage that had been illegalized by the Constitution, communities, and other religious groups (Van der Toorn et al., 2017). This paper analyzes conflicting viewpoints on whether gay marriage should not be legalized.

Personal Position

My personal position in regards to this statement is that gay marriages should not be legalized. Legalizing gay marriages is going against nature which is evident in how other animals and creatures engage in sexual activities where mostly the male species have sex with the females for procreation to take place (Chopin, 2019). The males have also different roles from the female animals. Cultural values and moral guidelines passed down from one generation to another indicate that heterosexual marriage is the accepted form of marriage and other forms of marriage are outlawed (Chopin, 2019).

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Three Reasons from the Website That Supports My Position

One of the reasons from the Procon.org website that support my decisions is that the initial intention of marriage is for companionship and procreation. Although same sex individuals can provide companion to one another, they cannot procreate which means that there will be no lineage or continuation of this family (ProCon. Org, 2020).

If this was the original intention of marriage, the world would have ceased to exist as no couples would be able to procreate. Another reason is that a child needs both the mother and the father during his/her growth to instill important values to the child. In same-sex marriage, this would be a challenge where the child does not benefit from the roles that a father or mother carries out (ProCon. Org, 2020).

This may confuse the child and influence the child in his/her sexual orientation. The third reason is that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. Based on the creation of human beings and sexual organs, same sex individuals cannot fulfill this purpose since they have similar sexual organs (ProCon. Org, 2020).

Three Premises Opposing My Position from the Websites

One premise that opposes my position is that marriage is not only for procreation as infertile couples or couples not wishing to have children would be prevented from marrying. One of the reasons that heterosexual individuals marry is to enjoy sexual intercourse that produces children (ProCon. Org, 2020).

However, based on the outcomes of same-sex intercourse, individuals have suffered health problems due to the risks associated with this activity. Having children is also a decision that couples decide on. However, same sex couples do not have this opportunity since they are unable to have children. The second reason opposing my position is that gay couples make good parents (ProCon. Org, 2020).

This reason is not justifiable since different genders have different aspects and roles that either cannot carry out effectively. Gay couples will only instill similar values to the child leaving the child with unanswered questions and social problems that may negatively affect the child (ProCon. Org, 2020). The third opposing reason is that gay marriage is a civil right and it is unconstitutional to deny gay couples the right to marry. This is not true since the Constitution guarantees equal treatment to all citizens which has nothing to do with gay marriage (ProCon. Org, 2020).

Two Types of Biases That I Likely Experienced As I Evaluated the Premises for and Against My Position

One type of bias that I experienced while evaluating the reasons for and against my position is the Bandwagon Effect that occurs due a person’s personal beliefs and many other individuals who hold the same belief. In analyzing these reasons, this was influenced by my personal beliefs and values where I opposed any information that was against my beliefs (Robertson & Kesselheim, 2016). This bias influences my thinking and judgments affecting my balance of irrational tendencies. Another type of bias that I likely experienced as I evaluated the reasons for and against my position is conformation bias which was evident by paying more attention to information that reinforces previously held beliefs and ignoring contrary evidence/information (Robertson & Kesselheim, 2016).

Effects of My Own Enculturation or Group Identification That May Have Influenced My Biases

Growing up in a Christian family and reserved community, this has influenced all the decisions that I have made concerning controversial issues such as gay marriages. Most of the Christian values and guidelines go against gay marriages as God created man and female and ordained the first marriage (Robertson & Kesselheim, 2016). This belief may contradict any information that is against this belief. There are continuous debates on whether to legalize gay marriage with different groups supporting either side. In most of the debates, the side that supports the ban of gay marriages always wins with factual and convincing opinions (Robertson & Kesselheim, 2016).

Whether My Thinking about the Topic Has Changed After Playing the “Believing Game”

Some of the reasons for supporting the legalization of gay marriage are quite convincing with no adequate information to oppose these reasons. One of these is that infertile couples should be prevented from marrying which addresses the point that gay couples cannot marry since they cannot have children (ProCon. Org, 2020). Although my position remains the same, my thinking about my topic has changed and I may be more accommodative of members that support the legalization of gay marriage. If I did not have any preconceptions and beliefs that I have previously acquired from my family, community, and religious associations, I would consider the reasons provided that support the legalization of gay marriage (Winter, Forest, & Sénac, 2017).

Conclusion

The topic on whether gay marriages should be legal is a topic that needs to be addressed from a neutral point to prevent being bias against either group that may lead to ineffective conclusions (Winter, Forest, & Sénac, 2017). This also involves analyzing the reasons that support the topic. However is important to understand that although human beings have the freedom to make certain decisions affecting their lives, some of the decisions may have a negative impact on the community. This is because young individuals look up to older individuals and the community for guidance (Winter, Forest, & Sénac, 2017).

Sources

1. Van der Toorn, J., Jost, J. T., Packer, D. J., Noorbaloochi, S., Van Bavel, J. J. (2017) In Defense of Tradition: Religiosity, Conservatism, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage in North America. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(10):1455-1468. DOI: 10.1177/0146167217718523.
2. Chopin, R. J. (2019). Marriage and Sexuality by Design: Straight Talk about Marriage, Sexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage. Scots Valley: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
3. ProCon. Org. (2020). Should Gay Marriage Be Legal? Pros and Cons. Retrieved from https://gaymarriage.procon.org/
4. Robertson, C. T., & Kesselheim, A. S. (2016). Blinding as a solution to bias: Strengthening biomedical science, forensic science, and law. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Academic Press.
5. Winter, B., Forest, M., & Sénac, R. (2017). Global perspectives on same-sex marriage: A neo-institutional approach. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.