TOEFL® essay: Are you in favor of legalising gay marriage?

[Smyfoeva]

I personally do agree with the idea of legalizing gay marriage. For me, same sex marriage should be allowed for many reasons. On the other hand, I totally oppose to the ideas provided against it.

First of all, in the name of liberty, gay marriage is legitimate. If we consider that liberty consists in doing what we want without affecting others’, homosexuals should have the same rights as other individuals, therefore, they can love and marry whom they want, no difference between gay marriage and marriage between heterosexuals should be made. We must therefore legalise gay marriage. By forbidding same-sex unions, we violate the laws and deprive homosexuals of their liberty.

But, for me, the most important reason not to refuse gay marriage is that we deny equality, one of the most essential principles of human’ s rights. As a matter of fact, “all men are created equal”, so why refusing homosexuals the right from which all other men benefit? If everyday, thousands of institutions and people attempt to break prejudices from some narrow-minded people who discriminate against black people or foreigners, to refuse gay marriage is indeed a sort of discrimination; thus, we have to combat this idea and allow this union.

For some people, gay marriage is not possible due to the fact that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. But have these people think about the real meaning of “marriage”? Personally, marriage is the result of a relationship between two people: this relationship is an unconditional love and based on mutual respect and the ability to enjoy other’s company; therefore real love between a man and a woman or between two people of the same sex is totally identical. Marriage is only a result of this true and real love, so why prevent homosexuals from such a thing?

But, people do not agree with same-sex union not only for “semantic” reasons, but also for moral reasons. Some tend to assert that marriage goes against the basis of religion; however, I think that in that case by denying gay marriage, we truly do not respect the moral code for preventing others from happiness. Homosexuals also desire happiness like us, so they deserve the right to love and marry whom they want, why steal this happiness from them just because the one they love is same sex than they are?

Moreover, I’ll go as far as to say that homosexuals deserve more the “right” to marry than heterosexuals. As first sight, you can be surprised. But let’s think about difficulties that homosexuals have to overcome before deciding to be linked by such commitment: they have to overcome pressure from other people, starting by their relatives, and the daily disdainful attitude coming from others while walking in the streets. Knowing that their relationship is not warmly recognized, they have to bear all these difficulties and as a consequence, their love is strong than never. That’s why I truly believe that same-sex union lasts longer than “classical” marriage.

Gay marriage is not recognized because it is regarded as unconventional or unusual at first sight. We can compare the act of legalizing gay marriage nowadays to that of mixing white and black people in the 60’s: segregation and disdaining homosexuals are proves of narrow-mindedness. However, if men truly want to protect liberty and moral principles, they should overcome all these prejudices. I truly believe that gay marriage will be recognized by more and more people. For my part, it is just a question of habit and time.