Attached.

Running Head: SHOULD SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BE LEGALIZED?

Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Legalized?
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SHOULD SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BE LEGALIZED?

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In May 2011, for the first time in Gallup’s polling on the issue, a slim majority of
Americans favored legal recognition of same-sex marriage. 53% of the individual polled
were in favor, with 45% opposing – almost an exact flip of the previous year’s results (44%
in favor and 53% opposed). Compared to the numbers from 1996 when Gallup first tracked
this issue, 27% were in favor of same-sex marriage while 68% opposed this idea. Clearly,
attitudes shifted within those fifteen years. The growing need for LGBT rights is becoming
more apparent with the increasing exposition and awareness of vicious hate crime against
homosexuals. Well, more and more people realize that the vicious hare crime violates the
rights of this segment. As such, the topic of same-sex marriage has been controversial.
Therefore, should the same-sex marriage be legalized?
I stand with same-sex marriage. Marriage is not as so much a religious as a civic
rights issue. Civil rights are the rights of the individuals not to be discriminated against in
areas of their life like voting in election, employment, etc. For one thing, the laws prohibiting
same sex marriage is discriminatory. They are against an individual’s civil rights and are no
different than the laws of the past which prevented inter-racial couples from marrying. Those
who argue against same sex-marriage point out it is not discriminatory to Homosexuals no
more choose their sexual orientation than they choose their ...