For english i had to do an essay, so I took, "My view on modern History"
I decided to do The American General Elections, Gay Marriage and Abortion. I asked the Lovely Jill Bennett could I quote her in my essay and she told me to "Go for it" So, here is an extract from the essay, its all the part on Gay Marriage.
My Take on Recent History
...Continuation of a pervious paragraph covering the elections...
This brings me onto an issue that has had alot of media coverage in the past year. This year saw the overturn of the ban on Gay marriage in California. It saw the marriages of Out musician Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels, and of course Americas sweethearts Ellen DeGeneres and Portia Di Rossi. Their wedding was covered in many magazines, which I really admired the media for, they didn’t focus on the fact that two women were getting married, and treated it like any other wedding between two celebrities.
But as we all know with a great thing comes bad news, homophobic views and controversy. When I heard about proposition 8 in California, I was outraged. I am an open minded person and I believe in equal rights for all and having many gay friends I understand and agree with their views on this issue. For those who don’t know, Proposition 8 is aiming to ban gay marriage in the state of California, like that of Proposition 2 in Florida.
During the Vice Presidential debate, when Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were asked about Gay Marriage both said they did not support it. And even went so far as to say they “Tolerate” gay people. I’m sorry, Tolerate? Tolerate is used in the context to put up with, they “Put up with” gay people? Does that sound wrong to anyone else? Such a statement is highly offensive.
These right winged conservatives seem to be hiding behind religion as their key issue, as to why gay marriage should be banned. The first amendment is separation of church and state. “Congress shall have no law respecting an establishment of religion”. Catholic religion seems to be dictating laws. This, in my opinion is wrong. The population of America is not made up of all Catholics. In the Reform Jewish religion Gay marriage is supported and accepted.
I asked Out actress Jill Bennett, if I could quote her opinion, and she raises several interesting points. “1100 rights are afforded to married couples”. Eleven hundred. She goes on to say that “Laws attached to marriage are civil rights” These laws are banning gay people from certain rights. Which, again I found distressing. “A gay couple who have been together for 50years have less rights than a couple married in Vegas after 5 minutes of knowing each other. Does that seem fair? “And what was the response Ms Bennett got from a conservative? “Life isn’t fair”.
The question on my mind and that of Jill’s and many other peoples is “How Gay Marriage affects these peoples?” It doesn’t, they claim that is violates the sanctions of marriage between a man and a woman, and that they don’t accept it. Again Jill had an excellent answer, “People don’t have to accept it-just the courts do”. I completely agree with everything Jill said and I believe that change and evolution is needed.
It’s not just the catholic religion who have a problem with gay marriage, the Mormon religion have given a considerable amount of money to vote “Yes on 8”. Again, violating the 1st amendment. I would like to know why people have a problem with it. It’s the 21st century, why are people so close minded?
In 1967, I believe, “90% of people polled around the American nation that they didn’t believe that Black and White people should be allowed to get married, but the courts voted in favour of it because under American law, they have the right not to have religion institutions dictate how their lives are lived” Jill pointed this out and I think that this is a similar situation. People are being prejudice and denying the rights of people to marry because they are of the same sex. It is wrong and I do not agree with it, I would like to know why, in a world that accepts war and killing, why can we not accept this?
When proposition 8 was voted on, the democrats may have won the elections, but prejudice and homophobia prevailed, and “Yes on 8” was set into action, voiding the marriages of gay couples throughout California. The gay community set to the streets of West Hollywood in protest. This denial of rights in a single blow deeply upsets me. They are making the gay community feel like 2nd class citizens. What gives them the right and authority to do so?
In a nation of supposed open minded people, this is a step backwards and just goes to show that homophobia and discrimination is still strong at work.
