Gay marriage. It seems to be the topic on everybodys minds lately. It is especially on the minds of many of the legislators throughout the country, including those in Oklahoma. Recently, bills have been introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate to clearly define marriage, and to make sure gay marriages would not be legally recognized in Oklahoma. My question is: Why?



Why would Oklahoma want to amend the constitution to prevent a certain group of people from getting married? I honestly do not understand. Is it for monetary issues? Currently, gay and lesbian couples are prevented from receiving certain tax deductions, social security benefits, and other government financial recognition because they cannot be legally married. Do Oklahomans not want to give this money to gay and lesbian couples? Do they not deserve it? Are they not human? Are they not Americans?



I realize that most people do not oppose same sex marriage based on monetary issues. They oppose it for moral issues. That is fine. People have a right to their opinions and oppositions. However, they do not have the right to take away the freedoms and rights of other citizens. Straight people will not be injured by a gay and lesbian marriage. I would like to know how anybody would be injured from a gay or lesbian marriage. How will a marriage cause harm to the surrounding people?



I am sure that I will be bombarded by Bible scriptures defining marriage as an institution between a man and a woman. Thats great. However, the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States clearly states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (US Constitution). If the government bases a law strictly on the morals of the Christian religion, I do believe that it would explicitly be defying the First Amendment. I also know that many of the laws our country has in place today were built upon Christian beliefs. However, nobody is contesting those other laws right now. That is a non-issue. If people can find a more legitimate reason for banning gay marriage, they might have a case for amending the constitution. However, I do not think that anyone can make a legitimate case against gay marriage.



Speaking of Christian morals, it is my understanding that the Christian religion also teaches not to judge other people. Who are Oklahomans and Americans to judge whether or not gay and lesbian people are making moral or immoral decisions? It is not the place of the government or the people to decide what the countrys morals should be. It is the individuals right, and the government should not deny them their basic rights that they receive as Americans.



Some people also argue that the children of gay or lesbian couples are being harmed by their parents in some way. First of all, this has nothing to do with marriage. Gay and lesbian couples are already having children. Second of all, the only way a child would be harmed by the upbringing of a gay and lesbian couple is the social discrimination that the children would face. The only thing that children would be hurt from is the teasing, taunting, and discrimination made from people who believe that being gay is bad. It is not the gay or lesbian parents who are causing harm to the children, it is the bigotry of the people who refuse to be accepting.



It was not too long ago that African-Americans were denied certain rights in this country. It was even proposed that interracial marriage should be outlined as unconstitutional in the American constitution. I imagine that most people today look back at that proposition in wonderment and disbelief. It seems absurd that Americans would want to prevent a marriage strictly based on the color of ones skin. There was a fear that interracial marriage would somehow taint American morals. Now it seems absolutely immoral to attempt to prevent interracial marriage. Right now, Americans are now trying to prevent marriage between people of the same sex. In my mind, this is no different than preventing interracial marriage.



Gays and lesbians are Americans and they are Oklahomans. They deserve the same rights and equality as the rest of us.



To read the text of the proposed bills to the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate, go to the legislature homepage. Choose to read the text of measures, then choose to read the introduced bills for the House of Representatives and Senate. These are the relevant bills: SRJ38, SRJ46, HJR1042, HJR1045, HJR1055, HJR1065.

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hello there & you too