Homosexual Marriage

Outline:I. IntroductionII. Is Homosexuality Natural?III. Are Homosexuals Immoral?IV. Are Gay People Capable of Being Parents?V. SourcesI. Introduction:Homosexuality: sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one's own sex (S1)I, pro, will be arguing that homosexuality, and homosexual marriage, should be accepted in modern-day society. I will use evidence from various articles and websites, both quantitative and qualitative, to support my argument.II. Is Homosexuality Natural?A popular belief regarding homosexuality is that it is nothing but a "phase" or a rebellious act homosexuals purposefully act to spite God. Thus, there is conversion therapy; "Pray the gay away." However, recent studies have found that homosexuality is a genetic trait. A study, conducted by Dr. Tuck C Ngun and his team at the University of California, found that homosexuality was a genetic trait. They found this by getting 37 pairs of twins in which one was homosexual and the other was heterosexual. Then, blood was taken from each subject for DNA testing. As a result, the researchers were able to isolate a gene, classified as the "Xq28 marker," (S2). Additionally, homosexuality is a common sight in nature. In fact, many, if not all (that are not asexual of course), species have had homosexuals. It is an inherent thing, hard-wired in the minds of these animals. These animals do not decide "I want to go against the wishes of God," because they do not understand the concept of God or sin. They simply do as their impulses drive them to (S3).III. Are Homosexuals Immoral?One of the greatest counterarguments against legalizing homosexual marriage and accepting homosexuality in society is that "homosexuals are inherently evil and perverted." This is partially derived from religious beliefs, such as Christianity. However, fairly recently, Pope Francis has spread a new ideology of acceptance of homosexuals, publicly apologizing to homosexuals that have been marginalized by the Church. He went as far as to say that homosexuals "must not be discriminated against but must be respected and accompanied pastorally," (S4). Critics believe that this is a new step for the Church as Pope Francis gradually shifts the Church to accept and embrace homosexuals, rather than oppress them.One of the biggest falsehoods of homosexuals is the belief that homosexual men are more likely to molest children. However, unsurprisingly, as shown by research conducted by Dr. Gregory Herek, adults, regardless of their sexual orientation, are equally likely to commit molestation. However, people such as Paul Cameron have made public statements and have faked data to "prove" that homosexuals were child molesters at a higher rate than heterosexuals. However, his assertions were based off of fallacious assumptions, such as the belief that one-third of all homosexual men sexually abuse young children. To support his biased claims, he cited studies and experiments such as the Groth and Birnbaum study, claiming that this study showed that "54% of all molestations in this study were performed by bisexual or homosexual practitioners." However, as Dr. Herek states that the "Groth and Birnbaum reported that none of the men in their sample had an exclusively homosexual adult sexual orientation, and that none of the 22 bisexual men were more attracted to adult males than to adult females. The '54%' statistic reported by Cameron doesn't appear anywhere in the Groth and Birnbaum (1978) article, nor does Cameron explain its derivation," (S5).IV. Are Gay People Capable of Being Parents?Are homosexuals capable of being good parents? According to recent studies, yes, homosexuals are capable of being good parents. Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University who researches gay and lesbian parenting, says that gay parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents." Research also suggests that gay and lesbian parents are a powerful resource for kids in need of adoption. According to a 2007 report by the Williams Institute and the Urban Institute, 65,000 kids were living with adoptive gay parents between 2000 and 2002, with another 14,000 children living in foster homes of gays and lesbians. Research has also shown that the kids of same-sex couples were raised no worse than kids of straight couples in terms of mental health, social functioning and school performance. In a 2010 study conducted by sociologist Judith Stacey and Tim Biblarz, there were no differences found between children raised by heterosexual parents and children raised by lesbian parents (S6). Other research that suggest that homosexuals are compatible parents was conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The association holds that "the research has been remarkably consisten in showing that [homosexual] parents are every bit as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as pyschologically healthy and well-adjusted as children reared by heterosexual parents," (S7).Statistics have also shown that states that have legalized homosexual marriage how lower divorce rates than those that don't. The divorce rate in the states that allow gay marriage is approximately 20% lower than states that prohibit it (S8). V. Sources: S1) http://www.dictionary.com...S2) http://www.telegraph.co.uk...S3) https://en.wikipedia.org...S4) https://cruxnow.com...S5) http://psychology.ucdavis.edu...S6) http://www.livescience.com...S7) http://www.latimes.com...S8) http://www.nbcchicago.com...