10 Pros and Cons of Same-Sex Marriage

Marriage, as we knew it, has undergone quite a few changes. These changes have been social, legal, and even spiritual. Not only has the definition of marriage changed quite a bit, different types of marriages and unions have also come into the picture.

Traditionally, marriages were transactional – but with time, people started to get married solely for love. This is when the idea of same-sex marriages may have also come into the frame. So, what are the pros and cons of same-sex marriages? Read on to find out.

What is same-sex marriage?

Same-sex marriage stands for same-sex partnership or same-sex union. Here, the partners of the same sex or gender identity legalize their union by way of marriage. For instance, a marriage between two men or two women can be called the same-sex marriage.

Legalization of same-sex marriage

The idea of same-sex marriage has been one of hot debate historically, often being met with strong opposition in the United States. In light of that, and as with most stories there are usually two sides.

Prior to the US Supreme Court rendering their ruling resulting in the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US, there were many pro and con arguments related to whether or not same-sex marriage should be legalized. 

To shed further light on the legalization of same-sex marriage, one of the monumental decisions supporting gay marriages came into existence on June 26, 2015, when U.S. Supreme Court cut down all the bans on same-sex marriage, thereby legalizing it in fifty states. The case in question was that of Obergefell v. Hodges.

Same-sex marriage pros

Should gay marriage be legal? Although the list for each side is exhaustive, here are some gay marriage arguments and pros and cons of same-sex marriage that were at the forefront of the question.

Know the advantages of same-sex marriage:

• Couples are couples, whether same-sex or not. Thus, same-sex couples should be afforded the same access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.
• Marriage is an internationally recognized human right for all people.
• Prohibiting same-sex marriage violated the 5th and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution.
• Marriage is a basic civil right, and same-sex marriage is a civil right, right along with freedom from employment discrimination, equal pay for women, and fair sentencing for minority criminals.
• If marriage is only for procreation, heterosexual couples unable or unwilling to have children should also be prevented from marrying.
• Being a same-sex couple doesn’t make them any less qualified or able to be good parents.
• There are religious leaders and churches that do support same-sex marriage. Furthermore, many state that it is consistent with scripture.
• One of the major benefits of same-sex marriage is that it reduces violence towards the LGBTQ community and the children of such couples are also raised without facing stigma from society.
• Same-sex marriage legalization is correlated with a lower divorce rate, whereas same-sex marriage bans are correlated with higher divorce rates. This may be one of the advantages of same-sex marriage that people of the LGBTQ community have.
• Making same-sex marriage will not harm the institution of marriage. In fact, they may be more stable than heterosexual marriages. In fact, this is one of the best benefits of same-sex marriage.

Check out this insightful video about same-sex marriage benefits:

Same-sex marriage cons

• Same-sex marriage undermines the institution of marriage that has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman.
• One of the cons of gay marriage cited by people is that marriage is for procreation (having children) and shouldn’t be extended to same-sex couples since they are not able to produce children together.
• There are consequences for children of same-sex marriages as children need to have a male father and a female mother.
• Same-sex marriages increase the chances of leading to other unaccepted marriages and non-traditional marriages such as incest, polygamy, and bestiality.
• Among the points of the same-sex marriage debate of pros and cons of same sex marriage was the argument that same-sex marriage is consistent with homosexuality, which is immoral and unnatural.
• Same-sex marriage violates the word of God, thus is incompatible with the beliefs of many religions.
• Same-sex marriages will result in people having their tax dollars used to support something that they don’t believe in or believe is wrong.
• Legalizing same-sex marriage promotes and advances the homosexual agenda, with children being targeted.
• Civil unions and domestic partnerships afford many of the rights of marriage, thus marriage should not be expanded to include same-sex couples.
• One of the disadvantages of same-sex marriage cited by those who are against it is that same-sex marriage will speed up the assimilation of gay individuals into the mainstream heterosexual culture, which will be detrimental to the homosexual community.

Pros and cons of same-sex marriage: The debate

The debate on same-sex marriage pros and cons majorly arises from the fact that people have different beliefs and value systems. 

The discussions on the pros and cons of same-sex marriage may talk about the wrongs or rights, but the one thing that’s absolute in all of this is that any marriage is a union of two people who have chosen to be with each other. 

Yes. Each other. So is it right for the society at large to intervene in this to weigh the pros and cons of same-sex marriage, measure the advantages and disadvantages of same-sex marriage to society, or talk about the cons of same-sex marriage?

Related Reading: A Historical Introduction to Same-Sex Marriage

Takeaway

Ultimately, whether an argument of religion, values, politics or general beliefs, the result in 2015 clarified that same-sex couples were afforded the same or gay rights to marriage as heterosexual couples.