Same Sex Marriage

Same Sex Marriage

Argument

For many, the idea of a same sex marriage is a scary thought. Many people believe it violates certain views, whether it is a religious view, a social view or even a political view. Sometimes people throw around things like, “God didn’t intend it to be this way” or “that type of marriage is just wrong” without thinking about the fact that despite the way a man or woman has oriented themselves sexually, does not mean that they don’t have feelings or beliefs. In Wellington’s essay, “Why Liberals Should Support Same Sex Marriage”, I feel that he does a good job defending the rights of same sex marriages and of homosexuals, as well as provide an intriguing case for why Liberals should support this type of marriage. A civil marriage is technically defined as “a self-defining ceremony, intended to accord a certain social status” (C&K, 282) and nowhere in the definition does it specify a marriage is restricted to strictly heterosexual couples. As well, there are basic tenets of liberalism that Wellington discusses. The first being that each person decides for her/himself what constitutes a good life. Corollary to that claim is another that says the state should not prefer one form of the “good life” over another and should remain neutral. Thirdly, Liberal society is not based on any specific picture of “human nature” and is one that acknowledges the many diverse conceptions of this. And lastly, that state should not interfere with anyone who is not harming anyone else (C&K, 281). Same sex couples share bank accounts, own property in common, visit each other’s relatives, purchase shared items, entertain guests together, divide up household chores, share meals, and provide nurturance and care for each other when ill (C&K, 283). All of these are functional characterizations of “spouses” and this is a functional definition of couples, according to the courts (C&K, 283). Wellington makes a good case for this point when he discusses the...