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[Debate/토론] (PC-010) Should Gay Marriage Be Legal?
최고관리자  |  17-10-05 10:36
On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a right protected by the US Constitution in all 50 states. Prior to their decision, same-sex marriage was already legal in 37 states and Washington DC, but was banned in the remaining 13. US public opinion had shifted significantly over the years, from 27% approval of gay marriage in 1996 to 60% in 2015, according to Gallup.

Proponents of legal gay marriage contend that gay marriage bans are discriminatory and unconstitutional, and that same-sex couples should have access to all the benefits enjoyed by different-sex couples.

Opponents contend that marriage has traditionally been defined as being between one man and one woman, and that marriage is primarily for procreation.

Pros

1. Denying some people the option to marry is discriminatory and creates a second class of citizens. 

2. Same-sex couples should have access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.

3. The concept of "traditional marriage" has changed over time, and the definition of marriage as always being between one man and one woman is historically inaccurate. 

4. Gay marriage is protected by the US Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. 

5. Marriage is an internationally recognized human right for all people.

Cons

1. The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as being between a man and a woman. 

2. Marriage is for procreation and should not be extended to same-sex couples because they cannot produce children together. 

3. Children need both a mother and a father. 

4. Legalizing gay marriage could lead down a "slippery slope," giving people in polygamous, incestuous, bestial, and other nontraditional relationships the right to marry.

5. Allowing gay couples to wed could further weaken the institution of marriage.