Same-sex marriages should be legal in the United States

I will start by refuting my opponent's arguments, and I will insert my own arguments in the process of refuting. [1] Individuals and RelationshipsThis argument seems to stem from a misinterpretation of the views of same-sex marriage supporters, saying that gays have the right to marry, as long as they are marrying someone of the opposite sex. This is not what same-sex marriage supporters want. We want same-sex couples to have the right to marry. Legalization of same-sex marriage would also result in the law being applied equally - straight people of the same sex would be able to marry just as much as gay people of the same sex could. However, this on its own does not give us any reason to legalize same-sex marriage, it only shows that we could without infringing on anyone's rights. What can justify same-sex marriage being legalized is that current marriage laws are discriminatory in effect. Now, it has been pointed out that the law is applied equally. This is true. You could say the same about a poll tax, but it is undeniable that poll taxes impede the ability of lower-income citizens to vote. While both the rich and poor can vote with a poll tax, it is much more difficult for a poor person. Similarly, with current marriage laws, a straight person can marry the person they love, while a gay person can not. While the law is applied equally, the result is still discriminatory. [2] Relationships and MarriageOnce again, this is a straw man. Nobody thinks that the government bans same-sex couples from existing regardless of marital status. The issue with same-sex marriage lies in the benefits of marriage and whether or not we should allow same-sex couples to make use of those tools. These benefits include the ability to file state and federal taxes jointly, exemption from estate taxes on your spouse's property, the ability to visit your spouse in a hospital intensive care unit or during restricted visiting hours, among many other things [1]. Out of all of the legal benefits of marriage, I have yet to find one that requires that the participants be of the opposite sex. Same-sex couples could make great use of several of these benefits, since they would be just as capable of operating in a state of economic mutual dependence, which seems to be the recurring theme of most legal benefits of marriage. [3] Consequences and PrinciplesIt is inaccurate to compare same-sex marriage with necrophilia, since necrophilia is something that cannot be consented to, while same-sex marriage requires consent. Without a proper analogy, your point here is very unclear. [4] Equality and FairnessThis can easily be turned to help my case. Legal benefits of marriage are mainly economic. There is no difference between same-sex and different-sex couples that is relevant to differential treatment on the mainly economic benefits of marriage. To extend your analogy, what would we do if a straight person stole a watch and a gay person stole a watch? Are the two individuals different? Yes. Is the difference relevant? No. [1] ImbalanceAs I have already stated, the part of marriage we are talking about is the legal aspect. Unless it can be shown that same-sex couples are less capable of cohabilitation and working together to ensure each other's well-being, same-sex couples are perfectly capable of participating in the contract implied by marriage. [1.1] Biological ImbalanceThis argument has several problems with it: One could use the same logic to justify outlawing marriages between couples where one or both partners are known to be infertile. This would apply to marriages between elderly couples. Many gay couples do choose to have children - they just need a little extra assistance to do so, whether through a birth surrogate or through a helpful male friend. Heterosexual relationships would still exist, and would make up the majority of marriages. There is no population crisis. In fact, it is more likely that we have too many people. Same-sex marriage will not tip the scale to the point that we go into rapid population decline. This isn't hardly relevant - how does the ability to procreate impact a same-sex couple's ability to use the legal benefits of marriage? [1.2] Genital ImbalanceWhat married couples do in their bedroom is hardly relevant when determining who should qualify for marriage. If what they can do is good enough for them to want to get married, then that should be sufficient. [1.3] Holistic Bodily ImbalanceOnce again, this isn't relevant. The only thing that matters in a marriage is whether or not they want to marry. Whether or not a couple 'complements' each other enough to get married is not up to you or me. If the couple wants to get married, and both partners are capable of giving consent and have done so, then they obviously are satisfied enough with each other to be married. [1.4] Spiritual ImbalanceRefer to 1.3. [1.5] Imbalance For the ChildrenAs you have said, same sex parents are better than no parents. The American Academy of Pediatrics holds the stance that children raised by same-sex couples are no worse off for it [2]. They also hold the stance that children raised with no parents are much worse off. In addition, they have found that children raised by married couples are better off than those raised in unmarried couples, regardless of whether or not the couple was a same-sex couple. Conclusion:The issue with same-sex marriage mainly lies with whether or not same-sex couples can make use of the legal benefits associated with state-recognized unions. I have shown that there is no reason to believe that they can not. I have shown that the only thing that matters with a marriage is whether or not the partners agree to it, and that how the members 'complement' each other has no bearing on their ability to participate in a voluntary contract. While Con showed differences related to marriage in same-sex couples, all of them were non-sequitur in regards to whether same-sex marriage should be legal. The resolution is affirmed. Sources: . http://www.nolo.com... . http://www.aap.org...