Research Paper on "Is Gay Lesbian Marriage Ethical?"

Research Paper 3 pages (1027 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

same sex marriage has been hotly debated in the media and legislatures throughout the country for the past several years (Corvino, 1999). It is an issue that is highly emotional for both sides of the argument with neither side having much tolerance or understanding for the other. In the spectrum of human experience it is a difficult issue to analyze and likely not one that there is any clearly correct position. The ethics, the morality, and the legality of same sex marriage are all pulling in different directions and sorting it all out is a responsibility that society so far has not been able to iron out.

The ethical problem is that gays and lesbians want to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples. This position is perfectly understandable but there are a great many of individuals in society who do not want to grant them such status and there are others who feel that their behavior is morally wrong or a sign of some form of mental illness or worse. Many modern day religions support the latter view which confuses the issue even further. These religions take a deontological position that opposes not only same sex marriage but the entire concept of same sex relationships of any kind. Adherents to such religious views will not be accepting of any legislation that hints at any acceptance of such lifestyles.

Classic utilitarianism would also argue against the acceptance of same sex marriage (Koppelman, 2001). Utilitarianism would consider the traditional institution of marriage, the importance of family stability, and the general welfare of society would suffer if marriage was to be expanded to include same sex couples. For a utilitarian the unequal treatment of gays and lesbians is justifiable in order to ensure the greater societal good.

Followers of virtue ethics, however, adopt a much different view toward same sex marriage. For these individuals, ethical and moral decisions are a matter of individual conscious and it is not for society to makes such determination. Proponents of this ethical position would be accepting of same sex marriage as they would assert that there is nothing obviously unethical or imprudent about the capacity for same sex love and, therefore, same sex marriage. The question for such individuals is the pursuit of becoming a good human being and if same sex love or marriage directs one toward that goal than it should be acceptable.

The problem with making a decision regarding same sex marriage on an ethical basis is that such decision involves more than just ethics, that it, it involves more than a determination of what is right or wrong (Lewin, 2004). There must also be a balancing of interests. A democratic society and its policies depend on the legislature to enact laws that reflect those policies. One of the policies adopted by the United States is that all citizens have the right to benefit equally from the laws that are enacted and that all citizens should benefit equally to living in the United States. Proponents of same sex marriage would argue that the right… READ MORE

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