When people think of gay rights they think that homosexual people want to have special rights, rights that heterosexuals do not have, but this idea is entirely wrong. Homosexuals just want to have the same rights as heterosexuals, nothing more, and nothing less. Homosexuals are a growing minority with nearly a million gays and lesbians identifying themselves as members of same-sex couples in the 2000 census. But the total gay population is much larger, since the census did not provide an opportunity for single homosexuals to identify their sexual orientation, and did not count gay couples who live apart (Mason 1). There are no legitimate reasons why homosexuals should not have the same rights as heterosexuals. Our country disgraces itself when it "accepts homosexuality as a sufficient cause for deprivation of normal civil rights" (Nava, Dawidoff 144). If a homosexual is a United States citizen, they should receive the same rights as all other citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbians deserve the right to marry, to serve in the military, and to not be discriminated against.

Marriage is ever changing. Wives are now equal rather than subordinate partner

s; interracial marriage is now widely accepted; and marital failure itself, rather than the fault of one partner, may be grounds for a divorce (Stoddard 32). With all of these changes would it not be accurate to say that legalizing and recognizing same-sex marriages is the next step? Marriage is more than a commitment to love one another. "Aside from societal

More recently, in 1967 the Supreme Court announced, "marriage is one of the most basic civil rights of man...essential to the pursuit of happiness" (Stoddard 52). Men and women alike all want to reach happiness, and our country may be keeping homosexuals to reach this state of mind because some people deem it unnecessary for same-sex couples to marry. Letting homosexuals marry will not hinder our society in any way. European countries that have legalized same-sex marriages have not seen any

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Approximate Word count = 1243
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)