Gay marriage is natural, necessary and inevitable.

If there is one social issue that defines our times, it is certainly the issue of gay marriage. Stunning as it might seem, in the few decades after Stonewall the gay rights movement has finally gained enough momentum to not only raise the issue of marriage equality, but also win the debate in various countries, states, and cities around the globe. Centuries of progress after the Age of Enlightenment in Europe have brought us the most sophisticated, fair and free social structure of all times - democracy, as we know it today. If we are to look at the social trends in the past few centuries, then gay marriage seems to be the next logical development. Here is why. Today marriage in our society is very different from what it used to be in the past. Long gone are the days when marriage was the only acceptable way for two people to enter into sexual relationships. Marriage is also rarely a tool used by dominating parents to gauge the future of their children. Marriage no longer constitutes the end of the woman's right to make decisions, nor does it give the full and unchecked authority to the husband over his wife's body, lifestyle, or property. What marriage has become in the 21st century America is a voluntary contract between a man and a woman with no assigned roles and no pre-designated gender-specific responsibilities. And that is, by the way, the legal side of it. The broader, social understanding of marriage is in fact not that much different. It includes the perception that the spouses love each other, and at least plan to enter into a marriage for life. In either case, however, marriage has already evolved to such a level of equality between the participants in it, that the gender of the partners, in practical terms, matter only to themselves, since their gender assigns to them no specific, mandatory role or responsibility. Having this in mind, the ultimate manifestation of such equality between the genders, will be the inclusion of homosexual couples within marriage. After all, it is the very nature of marriage today, which allows gay couples to claim it as a right. A second crucial aspect of the issue is the need of gay marriage. On one hand, there are voices even within the gay community that reject the notion that gay marriage is necessary. On the other hand, committed gay couples feel deprived of a basic right that their heterosexual neighbors and colleagues take for granted. Still, some pose the question - "Do they need it?" The answer to that is quite simple - yes. They need the legal and social recognition of their committed relationships just as much as my own parents need their relationship recognized. The fact that millions of couples around the country spend so much time, energy and money on planning, organizing and performing a wedding ceremony and reception, can only attest to the great emotional value of this ritual. After all, gay couples want to have a magical day of their own, just as straight couples do. In addition, they deserve the over 1000 federal, and 400 state tax and other benefits that the government awards such committed couples (religioustolerance.org). Gay couples also strive for the respect that the institution of marriage inevitably brings. In fact, the socio-psychological impact of gay marriage and its consequences to the social perception of gay people as a whole, is the most important and crucial element toward acceptance of this minority. Fifty years from now, we will be still arguing over issues such as abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, and gun control. These are all controversial issues that involve a degree of suffering and victimization on one side of it. Gay marriage, however, will be the long established norm by then, since it is an issue of acceptance, equality and freedom. The only harm it can cause is to the conservative and religious authorities, that desperately try to hold on to an antiquated system of morals in order to keep the flock in order, and to rally it for various financial and political reasons when necessary. The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa have already cleared the way for a massive wave of change in attitudes toward same-sex marriage across the globe, including the US. Having these precedents is critical, and as evidence pile up, people will soon realize that allowing a loving couple to marry should and must be the moral ground that one needs to stand on. For millennia of civilization, individuals that varied from the norm were excluded, prosecuted and in some cases lynched and executed. We are living in different times, however. We have abandoned a tradition that was as old as civilization itself - slavery. We have recognized the rights of a woman to participate in the government. We have discredited the idea that humans with different skin colors should be "naturally" separated. In fact, through a series of hard fought, controversial and brave steps forward, we have achieved a state of society unheard of in history. And if we are to believe that we can achieve an even higher state of equality and freedom, then gay marriage is certainly the next natural, necessary and inevitable step forward.